Ridley Scott’s RSA Films has signed director Jared Malik Royal for commercial representation. Royal’s body of work reflects an artful aesthetic and a voice that champions advocacy over complacency in the cultural moment. “We’re surrounded by a lot of negative things that are taking our attention away from what matters most,” Royal said during a recent interview on the filmmaking podcast, Musicbed. “In my work, I want to find beauty in the ugly.”
Among his recent commercial credits are Comcast’s “Rise,” for the brand’s pandemic relief program, which extols the power of community in the face of adversity; MassMutual’s “Millennials,” featuring iconic actor Billy Dee Williams encouraging younger and older Black family members to discuss generational wealth; and Square’s “Photodom,” about an analog photography store in Brooklyn enabled by Square’s tools to grow its own brand and serve as an incubator for young business people.
“Jared has a strong voice as a filmmaker and artist, and a sophisticated visual aesthetic to match,” said Luke Ricci, president, RSA Films US. “We are excited to bring him new opportunities with brands and agencies that align with his talent and expand his reach as a storyteller.”
“I’m excited to work with RSA making commercials with an experienced team who will help me grow and evolve as a filmmaker,” Royal said. “I was drawn to the company for its rich history in media and its reputation for being a leader in innovation and groundbreaking storytelling.”
Born in Texas and based in Brooklyn, Royal, 28, began his career as a music producer, photographer and model, and you can still see him and his work in destinations like Cultured, Office Magazine and British Vogue. He segued to directing, helming visual concepts in the live performance and music video space for artists including Daniel Caesar, Samm Henshaw, Noah Cyrus, Stromae, Mandy Moore, Morat and Danielle Ponder, in addition to his commercial work for brands such as Hypebeast, Mercedes-Benz and Converse. Prior to joining RSA, Royal had been repped by Moxie Pictures.
“I’m driven to make sure within every project I’m able to leave a seed of inspiration, passion or deep longing to move people into a deeper mental space or richer emotional expression,” said Royal.
Royal’s storytelling resonates with the cultural moment. He draws inspiration from the Black artist scene in Brooklyn and New York, the renaissance of soulful dance music and sampling culture of Hip Hop, and his roots growing up in Texas. Experiencing the transition between the pre-internet world and the post digital era has given him a keen interest in understanding the duality between human nature and technology. The evolution of generative creative coding techniques provides another source of inspiration: “I see a merge of the magic in the natural world and our ability to capture and show that through technology,” he said.
He is a fan of the theatrical abstractions and poetic visual experimentation found on HBO’s Peabody Award-winning “Random Acts of Flyness,” created by Terence Nance, and Daniel Glover’s absurdist approach to critiquing the culture in FX’s hit series “Atlanta.” The elegant simplicity of fashion brand Muji and innovative product design of Bang & Olufsen also rank among Royal’s well-honed influences.
Royal is looking forward to collaborating with brands, agencies and creative partners at RSA to marry ideas with evocative imagery and raw emotion. “If we’re successful, we will leave somebody moved enough to live with a new perspective of themselves or the world,” he said.
