James Solomon Cares About Bringing "Freshness to the Frame"

James Solomon is an award-winning writer and director with over 15 years’ experience in commercial filmmaking at the highest level. His work has earned top international recognition, including a Gold Lion at Cannes, a D&AD Pencil, and multiple AXIS Awards. In 2016, he was named one of New Zealand’s top commercial directors of the year.

James is also an accomplished screenwriter and director of fiction. His short film A-Hole screened at over 40 local and international festivals, winning multiple awards for directing, writing, acting, and score.

With a background in crafting emotionally rich, visually inventive stories, James is now expanding into original feature development.

He has been awarded New Zealand Writers Guild Seed funding (via the New Zealand Film Commission) to develop the screenplay for Sorceress of the Demon King, a surreal romantasy, set in West Auckland. His work blends bold genre choices with nuanced character exploration, underpinned by his long-standing commercial discipline and visual storytelling skill.

Name: James Solomon

Location: Brisbane / Auckland

Repped by/in: HAPPY (Australasia)

Awards: Cannes Lion, D&AD Pencil, NZ Axis Awards

LBB> What are some upcoming projects that you’re excited about?

James> I’m currently developing my first feature film, 'Sorceress of the Demon King', which has been funded for development in New Zealand. It’s a surreal, erotic fantasy about a narcissistic, perimenopausal West Auckland housewife who falls into a mythic realm after an encounter with the Demon King in a bed shop sex dungeon. It’s a bold departure from commercial work, but still tied to my fascination with striking imagery, tonal clashes, and unexpected humour.

LBB> What excites you in the advertising industry right now, as a director? Any trends or changes that open new opportunities?

James> The industry is changing rapidly. New platforms, new ways of telling stories, and of course the rise of AI are all reshaping what’s possible. For me, it’s an exciting moment to be making images and telling stories, the palette is wider than ever.

LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?

James> The strongest short-form scripts usually have a single, clear proposition. You don’t have time for complexity or competing threads, one good story, told well, is always more powerful.

LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?

James> I begin with storyboards sketching the beats, translating the script into a sequence of images. From there I’ll work into a shooting script, identifying shots, then start pulling reference visuals, considering locations, and thinking about cast. The treatment comes out of that process naturally. At its heart, it’s about identifying the core of the script and matching it with the right pictures.

LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar with/ don’t have a big affinity with or a market you're new to, how important is it for you to do research and understand that strategic and contextual side of the ad? If it’s important to you, how do you do it?

James> Research is essential. I always look at brand guidelines, colours, and previous campaigns. I want to understand how the brand sees itself. That said, directors are often hired to focus on the pictures, not the strategy, so guidelines aren’t always handed over unless I ask. I make a point of asking, because the visual storytelling is always stronger when it’s aligned with the brand’s DNA.

LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?

James> It’s about the agency–client relationship, and my role is often to be the bridge between them. If that relationship is strained, nothing works. I see my job as creating clear, honest communication so that everyone feels heard and great work doesn’t get lost in translation.

LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about -- is there a particular genre or subject matter or style you are most drawn to?

James> In my film work, I’m drawn to genre: stories with a strong stylistic or conceptual hook. In commercial work, I gravitate towards original ideas, or scripts that put characters in unusual contexts. Over the years I’ve worked across just about every genre, but the through-line is always trying to bring freshness to the frame.

LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production and how did you solve it?

James> I’ve shot several “surprise” commercials one with Dan Carter surprising kids, another with an older woman both tied to rugby. In both cases, despite planning for every contingency, things happened in ways we couldn’t predict. I ended up improvising, literally directing bystanders into becoming actors on the spot. That’s the role: you plan obsessively, but when the unexpected happens, you have to improvise and make it work. And the unexpected happens more than you expect.

LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?

James> The idea belongs to the agency, so I’m not protecting it from them. My role is to help it survive the process. That’s about clarity of communication. I believe honesty without pretence is the best way to protect an idea while still being collaborative.

LBB> What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set?

James> Absolutely essential. I actively mentor and support younger creatives, and I’m doing more of it all the time. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of the work.

LBB> Your work is now presented in so many different formats -- to what extent do you keep each in mind while you're working (and, equally, to what degree is it possible to do so)?

James> Formats are always shifting, aspect ratios in particular are very subject to fashion. Any format can work if you plan for it. The important thing is to understand at the outset what deliverables are required and design for that.

LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work (e.g. virtual production, interactive storytelling, AI/data-driven visuals etc)?

James> Filmmakers are technologists by nature. Film is a medium built on evolving tools, and the only way to stay relevant is to keep learning. AI is the obvious current frontier, and I’ve experimented extensively with AI-generated visuals. Virtual production is promising but still expensive as it requires a lot of labour. AI visual pipelines will help with this.

Interactive storytelling hasn’t really proven itself yet, but I’m open. Even core practices like sound recording are changing radically. It’s an exciting, unstable time and I like being in the middle of that.

LBB> Which pieces of your work do you feel show what you do best -- and why? 

James> PPQ (Queensland)

Colourful, fun, shot across multiple locations with dynamic transitions and roller skating. It captures my ability to make bright, playful films with energy and movement.

McWhopper

A speculative piece that ended up winning a Cannes Lion. I designed it around the conceit of mixing computer graphics with handmade cardboard props. It’s one of the most creatively inventive commercials I’ve worked on, and it shows how I like to solve problems laterally.

Rexona All Blacks

I’ve shot countless sports campaigns, but this one stands out for its cinematic quality. We transformed Auckland into Samoa, got lyrical photography out of tough conditions, and coaxed real performances out of athletes. Sports advertising can easily fall into cliché, and I pride myself on finding ways to keep it fresh and authentic.