A fun-filled and enlightening exclusive interview with director DAVID HENRIE discussing the wonderfully spooky family film adventure MONSTER SUMMER.
SYNOPSIS: When a mysterious force begins to disrupt their big summer fun, Noah and his friends team up with a retired police detective to embark on a monstrous adventure to save their island.
Directed by DAVID HENRIE with script by Cornelius Uliano & Bryan Schulz, MONSTER SUMMER stars Mason Thames, Julian Lerner, Abby James Witherspoon, Noah Cottrell, Nora Zehetner, Patrick Renna, Lilah Pate, with Lorraine Bracco, and Mel Gibson.
You know him best for his decades of work as an actor in shows like Wizards of Waverly Place and How I Met Your Mother, among others, not to mention big screen performances in films like Paul Mart: Mall Cop 2 and more recently as a young Ronald Reagan in Sean McNamara’s Reagan. But DAVID HENRIE is also a producer and director and this go-round steps behind the camera directing his second feature narrative, the wonderfully fun MONSTER SUMMER.
With all of the fun of summer with Little League, the beach, and friends, plus some spookiness to kick off the Fall and Halloween, MONSTER SUMMER is the perfect family fun adventure film, boasting believable and resonant performances from Mason Thames, Julian Lerner and Abby Witherspoon as BFFs Noah, Eugene, and Sammy, and supported by a terrific Mel Gibson as a retired detective with his own secret (the chemistry between Gibson and Thames is fantastic) as well as some delicious mysteriousness courtesy of Lorraine Bracco. And just what is it that makes this a MONSTER SUMMER? Besides the fun and adventure, some real treats and reveals are in store come the third act of the film.
Set in a pre-cell phone era, MONSTER SUMMER captures the essence of Americana and family adventure with the nostalgic feel of days gone by (as in the 70s, 80s, and even early 90s). With an emphasis on the importance of themes like good versus evil and redemption, and friendship, David drew inspiration from his childhood experiences as well as his faith. During this exclusive conversation, David highlighted the casting process, made particularly interesting and challenging during the pandemic, as well as the significance and importance of the Southport, North Carolina location, while detailing the six-month post-production phase with focus on visual effects and finding the balance between storytelling and special effects.
Diving in deeper, we also discussed, among others:
- David’s own experience as a child actor and how that helped him with the casting process in terms of spotting “little sparkle or magic” in the auditions as well as certain tendencies or trends in different young actors that helped him whittle down who he wanted for the roles.
- Recreating his best experiences as an actor when auditioning people; aiming to give the young actors a level of comfort, belief, and security so they could give their best performances.
- Key themes of good versus evil, redemption, belief versus non-belief, the importance and value of friendship
- Visual Inspirations; classic family-friendly films from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, such as those directed by Richard Donner and Steven Spielberg
- Creating a nostalgic, Americana-style visual aesthetic, drawing inspiration from the work of Norman Rockwell
- Create a co-viewing experience for both adults and children
- Working with production designer Elliott Glick to design a nostalgic world, including the magical clubhouse with a stained glass window which was intended to feel like a place where the children could think freely and work through problems, reflecting the pre-cell phone era
- Use of color which extended through the production design and into the cinematography
- Working with cinematographer Larry Blandford and developing a visual language with the camera that stayed in Noah’s perspective throughout the film:
- Extending Noah’s point of view into scenes where he wasn’t even present, so the audience always felt like they were seeing things from Noah’s perspective
- Start with wider, mid-range shots and gradually frame the shots tighter as the story intensified and Noah was investigating what was happening on the island
- The incremental tightening of the framing helped hone in on the mystery and suspense, without fully revealing what the “monster” was until the end
- Developing a Hitchcockian approach where the audience’s imagination was engaged rather than showing everything upfront
- Building anticipation and suspense with visuals while keeping the focus on Noah’s journey of facing the unknown and overcoming it
- the post-production process; editing and adding in visual and special effects; when effects were added, it “exploded [his] mind” to see the final result, as during editing he was just looking at basic images without the effects; use of color and color correction; tweaking things and continuing the telling of the story even after the initial shooting was done
- Directorial lessons learned:
- Trust your instincts – pay close attention to when you are right and when you are wrong and trust certain instincts
- Don’t fall in love with specific shots – acknowledging that some favorite shots ended up on the cutting room floor as they slowed the film’s pacing, David learned not to get too attached to individual shots and to focus on what serves the overall storytelling.
- Emphasize clear and simple communication – the quicker way to communicate a scene or emphasize an element is often the better approach, given the shorter attention spans of modern audiences
- Surround yourself with a great team, including producing partners who provide guidance and help him realize his vision for the film
- and more!
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 09/22/2024
MONSTER SUMMER release exclusively in theatres on October 4, 2024.
