Meet Royal Dean | Film Composer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Royal Dean and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Royal, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Without a doubt the most essential part of what I do comes down to one word: serve. That is the goal – to serve fellow creatives who tell stories. To serve and help their stories come to life, and how I serve is through writing music. Oftentimes I think about what I want to do as a composer, and while expressing my creative voice is important, I always come back to what does the story want to do and what does the director and producer want to do? That later takes precedence because I truly believe that the best film composers, or any creative who collaborates with another creative, are the ones who value the story and value the spirit of collaboration. That has been my aim and continues to be. I would add that the best art isn’t made in a vacuum, and that bringing others into the creative process, even if it’s just one other person, can at times be scary or uncomfortable, but if pushed through, amazing creative breakthroughs can be made, unique combinations can be put together, experiences can be shared, and unexpected perspectives discovered! That is what I would say is what true collaboration looks like and that is why I aim to serve others with my passion for film composing.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The art of film composing is fascinating, in one vein you are to bring your unique creative voice to the table and support the story with its characters all while serving the creative needs and desires of the director or producer. Oh and make it from scratch. Oh and make sure it sounds good. Oh and (majority of the time) you don’t have enough time to meet the deadline. What an amazing challenge and dance this is! I love it! It’s one thing to write a piece of music but to write a piece of music for something gives it a whole new weight and meaning. True confessions, I’m a big feeler and highly empathetic – feeling the emotions of others, be it people in reality or characters on a screen, comes almost too naturally. Being able to channel my emotions and combine it with original music is such a joy and extremely satisfying. Writing a piece of music that fits the scene well, and makes the director or fellow collaborator happy, is one of the most gratifying and rewarding feelings in the world. And it’s worth mentioning that this isn’t necessarily better or worse than writing music for art’s sake apart from the screen, they are indeed very different.

With my art, something that sets me apart is this: once I had the basics of piano under my belt, I quickly discovered producing and music-making on a computer. Before becoming a film composer I was a DJ and electronic dance music producer. I like to think that electronic music was my young love, but film composing became my true love. Now, I constantly have to remind myself to let those worlds collide! One of the best pieces of music advice I’ve received was from one of my music mentors and fellow film and tv composer Kevin Manthei, who on the topic of this told me, “Don’t keep those two worlds separate, allow them to crossover.” So while I’ve had a massive love for both electronic music and film music as well as playing the piano, what sets me apart is letting the energy, the power, and the fun of electronic music collide with the beauty and awe-inspiring world of film composing.

While the world of film music and Hollywood is amazing it’s certainly not easy. A big obstacle I’ve faced, and anyone faces who is in this business, is stress. Everyone deals with it. The stress of meeting a deadline, the stress of making the client happy. The stress of making ends meet. Though stress is a good thing and helps propel one to action, I believe that if stress compounds it can lead to anxiety. I’m no stranger to stress and anxiety and have dealt with it for years. Many of my biggest breakthroughs and advancements in my career have resulted from pushing through hard times and coming out the other side, in one piece for the most part! With all this, one of the biggest ways I’ve been able to combat anxiety and stress is by getting out into nature and getting active! I do this in two ways: surfing and running. Both of these activities are an amazing time to decompress and process the day. I believe that when we move our bodies, we get out of our heads. When prioritizing these, I catch a break from the stress and feel the anxieties of life dissolve. When I see how a tree stands tall or the setting sun reflects on a wave it’s hard to be anxious! Further, some of my best creative ideas have come when I’m out in the world and not in front of my computer. It’s so important to take care of your body, get out and get active. If you do, I truly believe you’ll feel empowered and relieved! I know I have and that has played a huge part in helping me get to where I am today. Working hard and achieving success is important, though taking care of yourself is equally if not more important!

So with all this, here’s what I want the world to know: I’m here to serve you! I have a passion for writing music for film and with that, I want to help you tell your story! My story is a story of letting worlds, experiences, and genres collide and that is my goal with film scoring to let music collide with the films, the stories, and the experiences of others. Together, let’s create something extraordinary!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
LOVE this. Wow where to start! Fair warning, food, music and being outside will be included. Here would be my week long trip of a lifetime:

Monday: relax and grab street tacos then head to universal studios and hang out in Harry Potter world for pretty much the whole time. Afterwards, hit the Baked Potato, which is right by Universal, and enjoy some amazing jazz music and munch on a delicious chicken teriyaki baked potato (my personal favorite).

Tuesday: Spend all day at the Huntington Library and botanical garden. Amazing gardens, great food and is overall extremely relaxing and inspiring.

Wednesday: Take it slow, walk around and sight see in downtown. End up at the Getty Museum for amazing exhibits, architecture and views. Then after, hit up my all time favorite ice cream spot Saffron and Rose – they have the most tasty ice cream flavors! Try the pink rose flavor!

Thursday: Head north a bit and visit Ventura! Grab some breakfast burritos, hit up some coffee shops and go thrift store shopping.

Friday: Wake up super early to surf in Malibu, hang out at the beach all day and then go to Sycamore Cove to have a beach bonfire!

Saturday: Drive up to the Angeles National Forest, just above Pasadena, to hang out, picnic, nap and read. I’ve had great memories up there. This is where I proposed to my girlfriend/now wife Annie! It’s an amazing escape from the city and is super close!

Sunday: Finish up the trip by relaxing and resting inside, watch movies, order Thai food, play board games, and then head to the Hollywood Bowl to see some live music and picnic before is most definitely required.

These are but a handful of some of my favorite spots and places! I’m always interested in discovering new sights, tastes and sounds.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I love this and it’s so true, where would we be without the support of those who believe in us? First person that comes to mind and she definitely takes the cake on this, is without a doubt my amazing and compassionate mother Erica Dean. I don’t know if I would have discovered my passion for music without her support and mentorship. Having a masters in piano performance from UCLA, it shouldn’t be a shocker that she gave piano lessons to myself and my two older sisters. Growing up she was dedicated to sharing the joy of music through piano. It was at the piano with her where I learned the basics of theory, performance and the foundations of music, but more so it was there where I had the space to let loose and let ideas flow. I like to think that playing Mozart and Chopin brought me to the piano, but creating melody and song is what made me stay. Would I have discovered music or piano without my mom? Possibly, but I’m so thankful she did because she gave me the tools and the right direction to run and I’m so thankful I ran!

Website: https://www.royaldeanmusic.net/

Instagram: @royaldeanmusic

Twitter: @royaldeanmusic