an accident, aug. 13th, in n.y.

tribute site.

         

R.I.P.

         

Damn... i always looked up to this guy.. life is too fucking short and fragile

by OriginalityUK on Sat Aug 18, 2007 8:52 pm from Promonews.co.uk

Top British music video director Tim Royes has died following an accident in New York City. New York police have reported that he was struck by a vehicle in Manhattan in the early hours of Monday morning.

A wave of shock and grief shook the music video industry in London on Wednesday as news of the death of one of the best-loved figures in the industry filtered through. Many of his friends gathered at various venues around London that evening to celebrate his life.

Sally Campbell, managing director at Academy Films, where he was represented for music videos and commercials, has said, "Everyone here is devastated by the news. Tim was an extraordinary and very special person."

In a career in music videos spanning more than two decades, Tim Royes started out as a runner at Rushes before coming to prominence as a highly skilled editor, working closely with Andy Morahan on his most successful videos for Guns N Roses, including November Rain, and other directors including Sam Bayer.

He then made the transfer to directing in the early Nineties, initially co-directing with Russell Young. His breakthrough as a solo director came shortly after, and he developed a slick commercial look, mainly for pop/R & B acts such as Eternal, but with notable examples working for rock acts such as Terrorvision and Faith No More. In 1997 his video for Elton John's The Way You Look Tonight became part of the biggest selling single of all time due to the inclusion of Princess Diana posthumous tribute Candle In The Wind '97.

In the past few years, due to his love of high style and fashion photography he developed a distinctively glossy and beautifully crafted directing style which has graced the videos for top British pop artists including Sugababes, Rachel Stevens, Texas, Will Young and Emma Bunton, and also for solo rock stars Richard Ashcroft and Skin. His videos also flirted with naughtiness which occasionally proved controversial, particularly with his clip for Holly Valance's Kiss Kiss, which caused a stir because Valance appeared to be nude in the video.

He also made a triumphant return to editing in 2004 when he cut three massively successful videos for Green Day directed by his old friend Sam Bayer, winning the MTV VMA best editing award for his work on Boulevard Of Broken Dreams in 2005.

Recently he worked on three videos for Melanie C's new solo album - all of which have been massive hits on YouTube - and also explored a more low-key, naturalistic style in videos for The View, Ghosts and Ben Taylor.

But his many friends from the worlds of music video and fashion would attest that Tim Royes' greatest achievement was being Tim Royes: not only hugely talented, but an infectious personality, and a genuine and generous human being.

David Knight

"HE WILL BE SO MISSED"

"I met Tim when I was producing at Exspencive Pictures around 1991. He was a gorgeous, young and very sexy groovilicious (to use Tim's own description of himself) guy back then and I remember swooning when he came into the office. He was editing for Sam Bayer who had recently broken as a major director.

I can't remember which video we were doing at the time but Tim had been editing for a long time for Andy Morahan on the big epic rock videos for the likes of Guns N Roses. Through working with top directors on huge glossy mega budget videos Tim developed a very strong aesthetic and also mastered the art of diplomacy and how to deal with difficult artists and clients.

He was always so charming and also had such a fun and infectious personality that people loved having him around. Tim edited for Russell Young as well who was also at Exspencive. Russell was a very successful photographer shooting album covers for the likes of George Michael. Tim was flitting between working in London and LA and when I moved to LA for a few months I spent a lot of time with him.

Tim expressed his desire to direct, yet although he had an abundance of amazing ideas he wasn't ready to go it alone as a director. There was nothing he didn't know about post - prior to being a freelance editor when I met him he had been at Rushes learning as much as he could about everything, and now he wanted to learn about shooting. I suggested to him that he co-direct with Russell Young as they were good friends and Russell knew everything about the photographic and lighting side as well as being a master of beauty. Russell was also excited to work with Tim as Tim brought fun and excitement to the video process and we loved having him around.

The first job they co directed was for a French band called Blindfish and immediately Tim's mark was on it. It had a really cool look, glossy yet with a rock edge. I was producing for them and then we did a video in Vegas for Tasmin Archer's Lords of the New Church. Again the look was glossy beauty with a quirky storyline of a mad evangelist wearing a gold lame suit and a halo made out of a florescent ring light on his head. He wandered around Vegas converting the crazies. Tim really came into his own on this video and it was clear that he had mastered what he needed and was now ready to direct on his own.

I produced his first solo job for a pop guitar boy band. I can't remember the name of the band and am sure Tim wouldn't want me to, but again he did a great job directing a good performance making the band look gorgeous and having the edge of a dark post apocolyptic setting.

Soon after this video I became commissioner at EMI and continued to work with Tim but now with me being on the label side. Our first job together was for Eternal and we shot it in New York - the track was called So Good and I recall Tim being so nervous on that one as the girls and management were notoriously difficult and many years later we laughed about how he was literally sick with nerves. That was a baptism by fire but needless to say Tim mastered the R and B beauty look that the likes of Matthew Rolston had done for Eternal previously. The girls were so happy that we ended up doing two or three more and then Tim continued to work with Louise when she left the band. Tim never felt that nervous again on set and his confidence just grew and grew.

My favourite job we did together which I thought was genius and showed Tim was far more than simply a beauty director was a video for Terrorvision called Middleman. It showed off Tim's unique skill as an editor with genius action working between three split screens. That video was ahead of its time and I still love it. We shot it in LA and Tim was always great on location.

He also shot great beauty video for Mica Paris in Spain where he talked her into having her whole face covered in glitter and shooting her skin at night so she looked very dark skinned and very shiny which for its time was very unusual as most artists wanted lightened and k scoped soft matt skin back then.

Tim knew his fashion and was inspired by top hair and makeup people and fashion gurus, all of whom were his personal friends. He moved in very cool circles and socialised with supermodels and such like. Everyone loved him! The love of beauty and fashion was very obvious in his videos - he would always draw on the latest looks and fashions and so his videos always looked glossy and very contemporary.

His knowledge as a film editor and a film maker meant his videos always had something more to them than the boring close up mid shot and wide of other pop directors. His video for Holly Valance stood out amongst other pop videos of its time and only Tim and his deep sexy voice and charm could coax such an artist to go nude. Tim was to be trusted - if he said I promise you I will make you look beautiful you believed him.

His next number one for Rachel Stevens' LA Ex again stood out as a classy glossy beauty video. But my personal favourite of Tim's was Sugababes' Easy which I thought was really cool and reflected him more than the safer, more commercial pop bands he was asked to direct.

Tim had the talent and vision to do so much more, and given time would have really shown his multi talents and ideas. Another video he did in the 90's was for Faith No More, set in a catacomb like set with moving and writhing bodies and limbs for walls - it showed a deeper, darker side to Tim which I know he wanted to explore further.

I loved Tim so much - he was one of those great, fun-loving yet hardworking multi- talented people. His upbeat personality was infectious and I had some of my best times in his company. He will be so missed. He was such a genuine loving good guy and no one deserves the groovilicious adjective like him."

Trudy Bellinger

         

I would hate for anyone to think this petty, especially at a very sad time like this, but I think its important to point out that it was 'The Enemy' not 'The View' that Tim had recently directed.

I know everyone that knew or had even met Tim was deeply affected by this tragedy.

He will always be remembered.

         

Wow! Tim?? I only just heard about this tragedy, and it's hard to find the words ... `He was beyond doubt the sweetest and most non-judgemental soul I have met in this business and I am terribly sad to hear about him leaving us. We used to give eachother a heads up about tracks that were around if one of us weren't available, as we used to compete a bit for the same stuff. That's the kind of guy he was. I'll miss him. A lovely, lovely man. RIP Royes...

         

Tim Royes - Funeral Details

Following the news last week of the death of British director Tim Royes in New York, his family have made details of his funeral available. The service will be held at 1pm on Friday August 31 at Golders Green Crematorium. An evening of remembrance will be held from 2.30pm onwards at Paradise Bar, 19 Kilburn Lane, London W10 4AE.

Tel: 020 8969 0098

Nearest tube: Kensal Green

All friends of Tim are invited to both the service and the evening of remembrance at the request of his family and are asked, should they so wish, to donate to one of Tim's favourite charities via his website.

His family have also asked that all flowers be sent directly to funeral directors J. H. Kenyons (by prior arrangement). The Chapel of Rest at J. H. Kenyons will be open for friends and family to pay their respects on Wednesday August 29 from noon to 4pm and on Thursday August 30 from 10am to 4pm.

J. H. Kenyons is at:

83 Westbourne Grove, Bayswater, London W2 4UL

Tel: 0207 313 6920

(via shots)