Interview: Tom Prestin of BORN INTO ROYALTY at Born Into Royalty

This is a space serving the Twin Cities theatre community

By: Dec. 06, 2022
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Interview: Tom Prestin of BORN INTO ROYALTY at Born Into Royalty Born Into Royalty is a local space for Production & Design. Recording Studios, Rehearsal Space; Theatrical Design, Film Scoring, Creative C.

We chat with Tom Prestin about Born Into Royalty and how it serves the Twin Cities Performing Artist.

Could you tell us about Born Into Royalty?Born Into Royalty is a creative technical design firm providing innovative, performance enhancing theatrical sound and lighting, studio production, and music composition for venues, productions, artists and film. Excelling in unique creative and technical vision, Born Into Royalty expertly delivers impactful experiences for audiences, performers and viewers.

Born Into Royalty consists of a group of creative technicians who hold themselves to a pinnacle standard no matter the production or task. We provide an unparalleled combination of abilities for aggregating artistically minded processes. We excel at implementing technology in theater to tell and enhance a story, and to embed audiences in the event without exposing technology efforts. We have the proficiency, experience, skills and attention to create and maintain that deliverable.

How does Born Into Royalty serve the Twin Cities community?

At Born Into Royalty the objective is to provide our dedication to excellence on every production. The caliber of performers, participants, or facilities doesn't dictate what a production warrants or an audience is expecting. We are committed to meeting and exceeding artistic efforts with technical vision, creativity, and support, to generate impactful experiences no matter the circumstances.

Ensuring technology is operating correctly is only the first step to providing excellent sound, once equipment is functioning our focus is multi-faceted. Reducing wearable technology impact on performers to ensure their comfort and ability to stay invested in the character and performance, accounting for the health of performers and musicians, being intuitive to what each performance is imparting and delivering those moments beyond the stage. Most theatrical productions are an ebb and flow of energy and emotion, the presence of an audience included. It's our duty to account for the array of variables and adjust accordingly to embrace the audience. We want patrons to lean forward and participate in the intimacy of smaller moments and be pushed back in their seats to the brink of ovation on large elements. It is our mission to provide a naturally captivating experience where technology is indiscernible along the journey.

Maintaining our own studio allows for endless offerings beyond the stage. Our services cater to commercial/advertising, VoiceOver, ADR, Foley, music and sound effects design, electronic music programming, music composition, music/vocal production, scoring, cast recordings/albums, music/file editing, tracking, mixing, and mastering, just to name some. Having a studio facility available provides the unrestricted ability to readily meet media and creative needs for any project.

The Born Into Royalty studio also allows for artistic exploration and developmental opportunities. This fall Born Into Royalty completed and released an original song with a group of 5 high school students. The experience challenged the students to work and collaborate with new people, to expand their perspective on vocal performance, to gain experience and knowledge on music production, vocal production, songwriting/arrangement, and the depth of integral investment behind their daily listening material.

What have been some of your favorite Twin Cities theatrical productions you've

served?

I'm not sure I have a favorite production. I do, however, have favorite people. Every production requires a team to meet all the necessary needs of creating a show. Going beyond those needs and providing a supportive inspiring adventure requires an exceptional level of human investment. Those people exist as directors, stage managers, actors, musicians, technicians, producers, and many others. The position or title is unimportant, their impact is immeasurable.

What are your favorite local spots?

I don't have a favorite theatrical performance space. I enjoy large venues including endless technology assets offering big, impressive shows. I also enjoy small rooms that desire creative technologic nuance and an intimate tangible experience.

As a technology-based business, I can admit and champion that there is real beauty and humanity in simplicity. Just because endless technical assets might be available doesn't mean every light should be full on or sound at constant concert level loudness. Born Into Royalty believes in quality over quantity. Locations and equipment are only as good as the intention and integrity with which they are used.

My favorite spot would be anywhere intentionally safe, accepting, and inspiring. Regardless of size, equipment or design, a purposeful place to meet, explore, create freely, support, encourage, and inspire without judgement is beyond valuable no matter the artistic medium. These spaces are a necessity for the growth of humanity.

Thank you Tom for your time!

For more information about Born Into Royalty, click Interview: Tom Prestin of BORN INTO ROYALTY at Born Into Royalty

Photos courtesy of Born Into Royalty



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