Royale Takes MTV Asia, BEP’s Apl.de.Ap to the Philippines
A new music video for the Black Eyed Peas member mixing live action, animation and design elements doubles as a tourism promotion for his home country.
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Apl.de.Ap and MTV Asia tap Royale for a Trip to the Philippines
Created in conjunction with the Philippine Department of Tourism, the video visually underscores Apl’s lyric homage to his homeland, which serves as a frequent source of inspiration for the artist’s repertoire, while also functioning as part of a larger campaign to promote tourism in the Philippines. Royale Creative Directors/Partners Brien Holman and Jayson Whitmore directed the clip, which is a mix of live-action and 2D/3D animation. It debuted early this month as part of MTV International’s Annual Creative Highlight. More MTV International airdates will follow. The video takes Apl’s fans on a on a journey through the Philippines, guided by the island nation’s hippest national ambassador Apl.de.Ap. During the video we see an eclectic animated collage of all things Filipino, revealing one-of-a-kind landmarks, exotic wonders and cultural gems such as the Jeepney, whale sharks, Chocolate Hills and more. “We had a marvelous time working with Royale on the music video,” says MTV Asia Creative Director Andrew Lo. “From pre-production to the final product, everything went great. We are very proud of the video and look forward to working with Apl and Royale in the near future.” “Collaborating with MTV Asia and a renowned artist like Apl was an exceptional experience, very symbiotic,” says Royale Creative Director Brien Holman. “Everyone involved made the entire production a huge success.” Creative Director Jayson Whitmore adds: “We’re thrilled more clients are tapping into our production capabilities, especially a venerable entity like MTV. From the outset, our mission has been to deliver hybrid creative solutions. This project epitomizes that through a unique medium: it’s part tourism spot, part music video.” Royale took an experimental approach to both the live action and design aspects of the production: from freeform green screen shoots with Apl.de.Ap to rendering eclectic interpretations of Filipino imagery.
Royale integrated animation and graphics around Apl’s performance of the song. Highlighted by vibrant tropical palettes, the renderings are quintessential interpretations of Filipino icons, which comprise the video’s lush environments. Because 90 percent of the images in the video were repurposed, Whitmore says the inherent challenge was rendering them fresh and contextual from scene to scene with varying dimensions and depths, while maintaining an aesthetic cohesion. “We aimed to steer clear of constant literal translations of images,” says Holman. “With the whale shark, for example, we rendered it as a ‘constellation graphic,’ evoking themes of a whimsical, round-the-world journey – really echo the song’s tone and message. Experimenting with and exhausting an array of media and software achieved part of that balance, too.” The artists and his managers have taken elements from the video and are using them in additional outlets and media, including his recently launched record label, Jeepney Music, as well as the non-profit Apl Foundation, based in Silver Lake, CA. “Apl.de.Ap is truly an amazing artist to work with,” says Holman and Whitmore, speaking together as Royale. “His passion for his homeland and its people inspired our entire team. Through his ability to connect with people as an entertainer, Apl has a deeply profound mission with all his philanthropic efforts. We have a deep respect for that mission.” Additional Royale credits on the project include Executive Producer Jen Lucero, Producer Anne Hong and Line Producer Rayna Saslove. |
A big-time pop star has produced a music video that doubles as an invitation to come visit his homeland—that’s the take on a new project just completed by the L.A.-based design and production studio 
The MTV crew of Lo and producer Michelle Tan allotted the studio ample room to experiment, says Whitmore. "While the boards were generally loose, our approach was collaborative, as MTV Asia approved each scene as we shot,” he says. The loosely-framed process also helped create a comfortable, performance-friendly environment for Apl.de.Ap (and his accompanying Filipino belle) to work within, as he aspired before the shoot to let the music guide his movements, rather than a more structured choreography. 
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