Interview with Baron Jay Star of The Condo

From Gravitas Ventures comes an instant urban comedy classic that paints The Hangover only slightly tipsy, The Condo!

Baron Jay Films and director James Cullen Bressack invite you to an abode of laughs and lust, available from December 5!

Four married friends buy a condo to share as a bachelor pad, a place to bring their mistresses, until the wives and girlfriends bust the cheating spouses!
Trae Ireland (#FromJennifer), Jackie Moore (Pernicious), Baron Jay (Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp), Michael Joseph (Restoration), Tracy “Stresh” Mcnulty (Emma’s Chance), Chris Sapone, Aria London, and Johanna Rae (Psychos) lead an outrageous cast of characters in The Condo, a hot Winter comedy available digitally 12/5 from Gravitas Ventures.

Produced by Baron Jay and Michael Joseph for Baron Jay Film Group, directed by horror genre veteran James Cullen Bressack (Bethany) and penned by Bill Dumas & Bill Maroni.


When and where did the idea for “The Condo” come up?

The idea of the “The Condo” came about when I was binge watching DVD movies that I checked out from the public library in North Hollywood. While lying in bed I watched “The Apartment” Directed and written by Billy Wilder and staring Jack Lemmon. The premise of “The Apartment” A man tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications and a romance of his own ensue. When I watched movies I always put myself in the characters shoes and play the game in my mind…what would I do and how will I react; from that visual experience I develop the idea of “ The Condo and I commissioned Bill Morroni to write the script who is a directed that directed my first feature film “Safe House” not the Safe House starring Denzel Washington….lol…


What appealed to you about producing this particular film?

What appeal to me about producing this particular film “The Condo was giving myself permission to produce, act and utilize my creative entrepreneurial instincts. I was tired of waiting around for someone to give me permission to utilize my gifts and talents. I said to myself if all the grocery stores close down for a year….I would not let myself starve to death because I enjoy food and I love living life. I would learn how to garden and cook my own food. So I lean how to produce (the garden) the acting (the food). I enjoy films that are character driven with a multi-cultural cast with a few locations and “The Condo” I like the premise of “The Condo” a group of guys coming together to solve a problem that all of them was experiencing in fun child like way. After I produced the film I realized that men actually have and do have a man cave where they take their mistresses.

Being a comedy, was it hard to ground? How do you maintain that balance?

It was not hard to ground. Want nothing and get everything. I maintain balance by listening to the other characters, reacting in the moment and do not tried to be funny……just be present and everything will work itself like the digestion of food.


By the same token, what kind of pointers do you give your actors that they don’t play it too over-the-top?

I tell my actors; just react how you would in a real life situation and this pointer usually help them not too be over the top. By the way when you are doing a independent film on a used car budget its like doing theater because you only get 1 take not 10 takes as you would in a studio film or bigger budget film.


Tell us about putting together the cast. Who gets the credit there?

I follow my angel like gut instincts about the cast. I did not audition people in a room with a camera. I invited everyone to have lunch with me at Shakey’s Pizza and had a conversation with them. I wanted new fresh faces. I also asked each other to invest as well and 70% of them invested.


And are you anything like Duke?

I am like Duke in some ways and those some ways you will need to discover. Enjoy the movie.


The Condo is on VOD December 5