James Solomon's creativity is multifaceted. Over the course of his career so far he has traversed the boundary lines of filmmaking, directing music videos, adverts, branded content, a web series, even his own short film. His continued creative exploration has resulted in a hoard of industry awards including the Cannes Grand Prix, multiple Cannes Gold Lions, multiple gold Effies, D&AD Pencil and New York One Show Silver.
The filmmaker’s introduction to the industry came via the art department, working in production design on films and music videos, before gravitating towards commercials and longer form work. Today, James’ signature style combines technically elevated direction with human-first narratives designed to surprise and delight. Plucking inspiration from his eclectic catalogue of interests - dancing and mixed martial arts, to name a few - many of James’ projects demonstrate his proclivity as a storyteller of socio-cultural fables.
In recent years, James has directed big hitting TVCs for the likes of Adidas, McDonalds and Pizza Hut. Having signed on with Australian production company, HAPPY, in 2023, James recently finished work on a commercial project with the All Blacks. When asked which work from his commercial canon best demonstrates his style, HAPPY co-founders Miles and Angela Murphy said: “James’ recent work for McDonald’s and the All Blacks are good examples, characterised by a strong eye for performance and subtle yet powerful emotional resonance. Balancing authenticity with brand messaging is always a delicate dance, and it’s clear James loves to play in that space.”
Catching up with the filmmaker, April Summers finds out what James has been working on since he was named one of LBB's emerging NZ directors in 2015, and his recent decision to join HAPPY’s roster of incredible talent.
LBB> How do you know Angela and Miles? And why did you want to sign with HAPPY?
James> Angela and Miles are friends and colleagues from way back. I was an art assistant on a Mitre 10 commercial for Miles nearly two decades ago and Ange produced my first commercial, which was for Toyota – and it still stands up today!
What attracted me to HAPPY was their commitment to creativity and talent, and their willingness to understand that it is the core of the business. That has always been my attitude, to invest in the work and the relationships. Also, as practitioners they understand the technology, where it is heading, and the creative solutions it can provide. They understand the value of picking up a camera and shooting things to test them out.
LBB> What is it about movement, and the movement of bodies specifically, that influences your visual style?
James> I love movement and feel it is under-appreciated in moving images, perhaps because it is difficult to put into words. Almost all of the really great pop stars in history - from Elvis to Madonna to Beyonce - were great dancers, but people often forget about the power of dance and movement. I enjoy finding the connections between movement in sport, dance and daily life and I find these communicate powerfully on screen.
LBB> Can you tell us a bit more about the inspiration behind your short film ‘A Hole’? What did you want to achieve with this film?
James> ‘A Hole’ is a film about a man digging a hole and a load of people sitting on comfy sofas and critiquing it until it turns into a mess. Any resemblance it has to the advertising industry is purely coincidental…
LBB> What was the response to A Hole? Did you receive any feedback that stands out?
James> The response was overwhelmingly positive, which was surprising given the satirical nature of the project. An EP at my previous film company muttered “you’ll never work in advertising again” when I first pitched the idea…
It ended up winning heaps of international awards and is still being shown on the festival circuit. Although it is intended to be funny, it allows us to reflect a little more deeply on how bureaucratic processes can derail projects, and a lot of people found that pertinent to their work.
LBB> What creative projects have inspired you recently?
James> I have loved watching the latest batch of animated films that have a graphic art and comic book sensibility, such as the Spider Verse movies. It is refreshing to see people moving away from the three-dimensional realism of Pixar and embracing the vast possibilities of the art form.
I also really enjoyed the new A24 Australian social media horror ‘Talk to Me’. It did a lot of traditional horror film things really well but also had real characters and real behaviour which makes everything land a lot more.
LBB> Have you had any other ideas for short or feature films that we can expect to see in the future?
James> I am developing a horror movie about a group of strangers who are forced to shelter in a cabin as the environment starts acting strangely. As the situation becomes more and more dangerous, they start to question the true nature of nature itself. It’s a trippy, single location surrealistic and gory horror film.
LBB> Can you tell us a bit about the web series you directed?
James> It was called
‘K' Rd Stories’ and was a group of short films by different directors that celebrated the cultures and communities of Auckland’s Karangahape Road. K Road is home to all of the oddballs, rejects and artists – it has always felt like home. An Australian analogy would be Kings Cross back in the day. Like Kings Cross, K Road was famous for its entertainment venues, bohemians and, of course, strip clubs.
The series brought together a broad range of directors and culminated in a street party where the films played in situ. For example, one of my films was about a hipster who gets into a fight with a homeless guy so we screened it on the street on an old TV from the window of a run down laundrette and I handed out cans of cheap cider to the audience.
LBB> You’re going to SXSW in Sydney with HAPPY this year – what are you looking forward to most?
James> AI is clearly the most revolutionary technology at this moment in time and I’ll be very interested to see how it can be put into practice in my craft. I am particularly focussed on animation pathways. Currently I’m finding that prompt crafting has limitations when you need a specific outcome.
LBB> How are you incorporating new technology into your work?
James> The fact technology is always changing and is one of the most interesting aspects of the job. We are able to do more and more with less and less and I love this process of constant growth and improvement. HAPPY’s SLIM D2 mo-con robot, for example, allows us to get camera moves and effects with a small crew that previously would have needed a full film crew and a full day to set up. Using technology to tell stories that people care about, rather than using it to create content for content's sake, is the key.
LBB> Lastly, is it true you train with UFC fighters?
James> Sometimes. I think fighting sports can be misunderstood - they are very cerebral and tactical and give huge scope for self-improvement. MMA is particularly interesting as it is a new sport and it is constantly evolving. They also speak to lower socio-economic groups which is always good and means I am hanging out with a different group of people which is good for me.
