Dave Solomon is an award-winning New York-based writer and director. His latest film, Brenda & Billy and the Pothos Plant, starring Santino Fontana, Sarah Stiles, Beethovan Oden, Julie Halston and Catherine Curtin will premiere in June 2023 as an official selection of Tribeca Film Festival.
He is currently directing and developing the new musical Pump up the Volume, by Jeff Thomson and Jeremy Desmon, based on the 1990 film starring Christian Slater.
indieactivity: How did you get into directing? How would you describe your style?
Dave Solomon (DS): If you’ve seen The Fabelmans, that was me… except with a VHS camcorder because I was growing up in the 90s and obsessively watching and rewatching all of Spielberg’s films. I work in theatre and film now and I was always doing both from the time I was a kid growing up in CT; always putting on shows in the living room and creating sets in the basement and the backyard for my film projects.
In high school, I even got to do an independent study and made a film that was half-color and half-B&W, a satire of high school life featuring cameos by some of our teachers.
I majored in film in college (worked on 16mm!), but everyone thought I was a theatre major because I was acting and directing in the drama department as well. And I don’t have one set style.
This film (Brenda and Billy and the Pothos Plant) is a horror-comedy and I sort of kept it visually simple, in the world of a Woody Allen film or Richard Linklater, where the dialogue takes precedence and the camera is really just following our characters as we, the audience, are just trying to figure out what is going on…and then throwing in some surprises here-and-there.
My last short was more Bergman-inspired and the feature I’m developing now is stylistically a throwback to the more serious narrative horror of the 70s. I’m also currently developing and directing a stage musical of the 1990 film Pump up the Volume, so yeah, I really like exploring all genres and styles and discovering the best way to tell whatever story I am creating.
Did you hire a casting director, or not? And what went into the casting for Brenda and Billy?
Dave Solomon (DS): In this case, I wrote the piece for Sarah Stiles and Santino Fontana and then we all discussed who could play the other parts and I basically just made some personal reach-outs and we really ended up with the most incredible cast. The short film projects I’ve done have all been self-cast or created around certain actors, which has been such a gift.
It’s amazing when you do write for two great actors like Sarah and Santino and then you meet up, read the script for the first time and it basically sounds like what you heard in your head when you were writing it…but better! Because, of course, they bring even more to it and you all work to flesh it out, find the rhythm, characters, etc. And then we knew we needed to find other actors who could bring the comedy, but also bring truth and stakes to these roles and situations…and we ended up with Catherine Curtin, Julie Halston and Beethovan Oden; I mean, it was just a dream.
Cathy, who plays the mother, was also such a trooper with the fight scenes and prosthetics. I have worked with casting directors on other projects, and love that as well, but for the shorts I’ve done it’s really been about creating it for certain people or just reaching out to people I thought would be right.
Without giving anything away, tell us a little bit about the script, how did you come up with the idea?
Dave Solomon (DS): Well, Santino actually reached out to me and had the idea that I should write something for him and Sarah to do together. We were coming off the Omicron phase of the pandemic and work was still scarce or less frequent for all of us…so we decided to make something ourselves. I went for a morning run (where I tend to get a lot of my ideas) and I just had this image of the two of them sitting on a bench in winter, Sarah holding a dying plant… Santino had given me a list of characters he wanted to play and one of the things on that list was “magician.”
And then I really have no clue where my head went; I just descended into some sort of pandemic rabbit hole and this insane, crazy little story was born. I think it was just that pandemic stress we were all feeling at the time…and the tensions building that could be released through absurdist comedy. And I have a passion for horror and horror comedy, I think the story was born out of that need for that release and a laugh mixed with my strong desire to work with fun, old-school practical effects.
Who is Brenda and Billy for? Who do you think would enjoy it the most?
Dave Solomon (DS): Anyone, really. (Maybe above the age of 15?). And I think especially for fans of dark comedy or horror-comedy like Ready or Not, Gremlins, Ghostbusters. Or John Waters films, perhaps? Maybe Tarantino or Martin McDonagh, as well. Because it’s also, in a strange, unexpected way, a story about two siblings; a brother and sister reconnecting and finding each other again…so there is another layer under the laughs, as well. Honestly, I think anyone who experienced the years of pandemic will find a good laugh and release here.
How long did it take to shoot the entire film?
Dave Solomon (DS): We shot the entire film in three days and a few hours; a final partial early morning shoot to just get the final scene on the park bench. It was a jam-packed three days for sure, but we had the most incredible crew (and 1st AD – Danny McCrea!) and cast and it honestly could not have gone better and was one of the smoothest shoots I’ve ever had.
How long was the post-production process?
Dave Solomon (DS): That was actually a bit longer than expected; but mostly because of people’s schedules, including my own. I had a theatre project right after it and was editing it myself, so post was a slower process that lasted about six to seven months overall.
The film had a lot of talent working behind the scenes as DPs, sound designers, composers, etc. Why is diversity important both in front of and behind the camera?
Dave Solomon (DS): I think it’s important because the more varied voices, perspectives, and people you bring to a project, the more you are bringing to that collaboration and that creation. No matter what story you are telling, you will ultimately create a better film when you have a lot of different voices and individuals in the room and sharing the collaborative and creative space.
What are your goals with Brenda and Billy?
Dave Solomon (DS): Honestly, to make people laugh and to release a little of the tension we all felt and experienced over the last few years; to be in a theatre and share a collective laugh at the absurdity that springs from some relatable situations and emotions. (And maybe to get someone to say, “Hey, this would make a great feature or series!” That couldn’t hurt either!)
What’s next for you? What are you working on right now?
Dave Solomon (DS): I’m actually mostly focused on a stage musical now; Pump Up The Volume, based on the 1990 Christian Slater film. I was directing two productions of the show in 2020 when the world shut down. So, we are finally getting back on track and I just directed a festival presentation of the show in London, which went extremely well, and we have some more development steps this year with a world premiere production planned for 2024.
I also have a feature Halloween-themed horror film that we are hoping to get off the ground and a tv series that I would love to tell you more about, but it’s such a stealable idea so I’ll just say it’s a gay-NYC series…with a twist.
What would you recommend to a new director at the beginning of his/ her journey? Any special courses, workshops, helpful books they can read?
Dave Solomon (DS): I worked a lot as an Associate Director on Broadway and then was lucky enough to work alongside Bill Condon on two larger film projects, Mr Holmes and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. For me, being on set, on a shoot or in production on a film or Broadway show taught me things I could never have learned in school.
Every path is different and mine has certainly been strange and unpredictable, but I recommend finding opportunities to do the work or be a part of the work to learn and also to meet people and start becoming a part of the community. One job does lead to another…and I think it is about being in the right place at the right time but also, more importantly, being ready for it. Do the work, so you can show up and be your best self when the opportunity arises.
Who is your favorite director? Why?
Dave Solomon (DS): I am incapable or naming just one. And my taste runs the gamut. A few: David Lynch, Kubrick, Spielberg, Tarantino, Del Toro, Terrence Malick, Spike Lee, Ang Lee, Pete Docter, Brad Bird, J.A. Bayona, Jordan Peele, Woody Allen, Nicole Holofcener, PT Anderson, Ridley Scott, Jane Campion, James Wan, David Lowery, Mike Mills, Spike Jonze, Robert Altman, Scorsese, Almodovar, Bergman, Truffaut, Hitchcock…that was more than a few.
What advice would you give directors around the world?
Dave Solomon (DS): I have no advice to give, only the hope to keep growing and learning from each other’s films.
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