First Cameraman: Documenting the Obama Presidency in Real Time

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This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

I expected to love this book and also to recommend it to my daughter who is interested in filmmaking. Unfortunately, it was a little too much of a fevered love letter to Obama . . . and I say that as someone who voted for Obama twice! There were way too many comments about how "authentic" Obama is. Obama wears a White Sox hat and that's why people respect him, because they know he is being authentic and wearing the hat of the team he loves. Obama is easy to talk to, and that's why people like him, because he is authentic in his interactions. Obama is the same off-camera as on-camera, and that is why he will win (book written before Nov 2012), because people really get to know what he is like from the videos. etc. etc. How about telling me of a specific time the author videotaped Obama's wearing the White Sox hat, something that SHOWS the fans respect him rather than just asserting that they do. I would have liked more specific stories about things that actually happened, less starry-eyed mancrush on Obama. You might want to take this review with a grain of salt, because ultimately I couldn't finish the book. Maybe the last third was exactly what I was looking for. If I can force myself to finish reading it and discover that it gets way better at the end, I'll revise my review. (

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iBeth | Mar 15, 2013 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

I wanted - really wanted - to like this book. Obama was my candidate and I'm a political nerd. Unfortunately the author seems to be the type of person who is so wrapped up in his head that he has difficulty communicating effectively, and I doubt he was highly focused on the inside politics anyway. I would recommend this only for film students. (

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cherilove | Oct 28, 2012 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

Absolutely delightful book! I found myself laughing at almost every page. The book gives some nice behind the scenes, but doesn't overdue it. There was a lot more info on film and videography and its changes regarding the presidency then I expected, but it fit perfectly and was truly interesting. I now have a completely different view whenever I see videos of the president and just a completely different view of this office in general. (

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LVassmer | Sep 19, 2012 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

First Cameraman is an account of the author’s time as a videographer, both on the campaign trail with Barack Obama, and later in the White House.

A good deal of the book is devoted to the development of the online campaign presence and the role that online media played in the 2008 presidential race. The author was part of a team which recorded every aspect of the campaign, rushing to upload video of speeches and events in order to allow members of the public to seem them nearly in real time. It was interesting learning how much has changed from previous elections (the technology was much more portable in 2008 than in previous years), but also to acknowledge the improvements in the technology in the few years since then (easier access to high-speed internet, the ubiquitous smart phones with video and cameras wielded by the public).

The author spent time discussing some of the technical aspects of his job, which I’m sure will be of interest to photographers and videographers, whether hobbyists or professionals. He also reflects on what it was like to define the parameters of a job that is new to the White House.

Mr. Chaudhary has a unique sense of humor which is evident throughout his writing, but shows up most often in the footnotes. I quite enjoyed his witticisms, and thought their placement in the footnotes was appropriate. Those who don’t enjoy them can easily ignore them without losing anything from his story.

I was surprised that the bulk of the book was devoted to the time spent on the 2008 campaign. While it was interesting to learn about their challenges and innovations during the lead-up to the election, it was not nearly as much of a draw for me as a chance to get an insider’s perspective on the presidency. Those hoping for information about the daily life of the president will only get a brief glimpse from this book. While we do get an idea of how busy the president’s job is, the author’s focus is on the development of his position as cameraman.

Among the aspects he shares are:

The challenges of remaining unobtrusive while videoing in a room crowded with dignitaries
Learning when to leave the room (what doesn’t need to be videoed).
His development of “West Wing Week” which is an online video that highlights the activities of the president and the events happening that week at the White House.

First Cameraman was not quite what I expected, but it was fascinating nonetheless. I enjoyed getting a closer look at what goes into the campaigning process, and also into the role of the White House videographer. I hadn’t heard of the West Wing Week series before, and went online to watch one of the recent videos. It is a fun way to see what is going on at the White House, especially finding out just how much takes place there each week. (

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akreese | Sep 18, 2012 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

This book was written by Barack Obama's videographer - the first ever presidential videographer. He discusses the work he did on the 2008 campaign, along with the work done during Obama's first term. He gives the story of how his job evolved, and also how documenting what a President does has evolved. Although he does talk about some things that have happened during Obama's presidency, the book is more about what the videographer's job entails. It was easy to see how anyone would burn out in this position! Although his footnotes had some interesting sideline stories, they got to be a little too much. For anyone interested in public relations, filming, etc., definitely a good read. (

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chgstrom | Sep 15, 2012 |

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Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0805095721, Hardcover)

The first official White House videographer chronicles his time capturing behind-the-scenes moments of the president and his administration

From the early months of the 2008 campaign and through the first two and a half years of the Obama administration, Arun Chaudhary had a unique perspective on the president of the United States. "I'm sort of like President Obama's wedding videographer," he explains, "if every day was a wedding with the same groom but a constantly rotating set of hysterical guests."

Some of the moments Chaudhary captures are small, like the president throwing warm-up pitches deep inside Busch Stadium in St. Louis before the All-Star game. Some are intensely emotional, as when Obama comforts a grieving teenager whose father had died in a devastating tornado. And some are just plain bizarre—like getting thrown out of the Indian parliament by his belt, or being trapped in a White House bathroom while Obama conducts a YouTube town hall on the other side of the door.

Film and politics have been intertwined ever since the first Edison reels rattled in projection halls a century ago. But with the advent of new technologies and a new public that is hungry for images of their leaders, Chaudhary has been in the right place at the right time to participate in the interplay of film and politics at the very highest level. His entertaining and eye-opening book—which includes stories and images of key players such as Barack and Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton, among others—gives readers a unique view of their government and their president in these historic and challenging times.

(retrieved from Amazon Tue, 03 Jul 2012 22:16:28 -0400)

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"The first official White House videographer chronicles his time capturing behind-the-scenes moments of the president and his administrationFrom the early months of the 2008 campaign and through the first two and a half years of the Obama administration, Arun Chaudhary had a unique perspective on the president of the United States. "I'm sort of like President Obama's wedding videographer," he explains, "if every day was a wedding with the same groom but a constantly rotating set of hysterical guests."Some of the moments Chaudhary captures are small, like the president throwing warm-up pitches deep inside Busch Stadium in St. Louis before the All-Star game. Some are intensely emotional, as when Obama comforts a grieving teenager whose father had died in a devastating tornado. And some are just plain bizarre--like getting thrown out of the Indian parliament by his belt, or being trapped in a White House bathroom while Obama conducts a YouTube town hall on the other side of the door. Film and politics have been intertwined ever since the first Edison reels rattled in projection halls a century ago. But with the advent of new technologies and a new public that is hungry for images of their leaders, Chaudhary has been in the right place at the right time to participate in the interplay of film and politics at the very highest level. His entertaining and eye-opening book--which includes stories and images of key players such as Barack and Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton, among others--gives readers a unique view of their government and their president in these historic and challenging times"-- "From the early months of the 2008 campaign and through the first two and a half years of the Obama administration, Arun Chaudhary had a unique perspective on the president of the United States. "I'm sort of like President Obama's wedding videographer," he explains, "if every day was a wedding with the same groom but a constantly rotating set of hysterical guests." Some of the moments Chaudhary captures are small, like the president throwing warm-up pitches deep inside Busch Stadium in St. Louis before the All-Star game. Some are intensely emotional, as when Obama comforts a grieving teenager whose father had died in a devastating tornado. And some are just plain bizarre--like getting thrown out of the Indian parliament by his belt, or being trapped in a White House bathroom while Obama conducts a YouTube town hall on the other side of the door. Film and politics have been intertwined ever since the first Edison reels rattled in projection halls a century ago. But with the advent of new technologies and a new public that is hungry for images of their leaders, Chaudhary has been in the right place at the right time to participate in the interplay of film and politics at the very highest level. His entertaining and eye-opening book--which includes stories and images of key players such as Barack and Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton, among others--gives readers a unique view of their government and their president in these historic and challenging times"--… (more)