By Hank Reardon
“Every inch a king… The result is We Were Born to Glory, (Royal’s) most upbeat and cohesive album to date.” – National Post
Royal Wood can now add “two-time Juno Nominee” to his list of credentials, as he recently received a Juno Nomination for Adult Alternative Album of the Year for his critically acclaimed 2012 release We Were Born to Glory. The magic doesn’t stop there, as Royal has just released the stunning new stop-motion video for his third single The Glory featuring Sarah Slean. The ambitious video, directed by Adam Makarenko (Zeus, Broken Social Scene, Great Lake Swimmers), uses miniature sets known as “dioramas” to create an engaging and well-crafted visual imagery about the birth of life, love and human beauty through the cinematography magic of stop-motion animation. Check out the cinematically captivating video here
Makarenko had been searching for just the right song to bring to life his artistic video vision of miniature sets and the magic of stop-motion animation. Made to look and feel like time-lapse sequences of nature, Royal Wood’s The Glory with its gorgeous 12-piece string orchestration, arranged by Royal himself, and the exquisite voice of Sarah Slean, is the perfect fit for Makarenko’s creative vision.
The new video, an extremely intricate and arduous process, involved Adam handcrafting 28 miniature diorama sets that took over three months to build and shoot – working around the clock with some shots taking up to 13 hours to film.
Adam says: “It’s a very elaborate process creating this many detailed sets. Miniatures at this level are incredibly difficult and hard to work with to maintain a true sense of realism. This is real 3D, not CG.” Makarenko not only had to be a sculptor and a painter, he also had to shoot, direct and edit. You can read more about them at Makarenko’s blog. He also worked on all of the post-production with Steve Bosco (the main post-production supervisor).
Regarding the performance section of the video with Royal and Sarah, Makarenko realized it would be best to mix this segment with the miniatures themselves. As a prelude to things to come within the video, Royal would perform in a black void to represent a pre-universe. Then, as the performance continued, the camera would pass in a circular motion and pick up speed.
When Sarah entered, she was to represent the universe itself. As a result Adam created a stunning goose bump moment, transporting both of them in an ever increasing spinning void, which they eventually both become a part of. This is a rare duet for the singer-songwriters, but Royal couldn’t think of anyone better suited to accompany him on vocals. “There is only one artist who could channel the Universe like Sarah”, Royal says.
(Royal Wood was an honored guest at Ottawa Life Magazine’s Christmas party in 2012!)
For more information, contact: Beth Cavanagh
Phone: 416.803.7685
Email: beth@indoorrecess.com
Twitter: @IndoorRecessInc