RT!
Encyclopedia
Randall Thorne better known by his pseudonym RT!, is a Canadian music video
& commercial
director of Trinidadian and Barbadian heritage. A prolific director, he has directed over 120 music videos for various Canadian and international music artists and is the most awarded music video
director in Canada. He co-owns the production company The NE Inc. and is its Executive Director
.
RT! has quickly become one of Canada’s most successful and prolific film directors since debuting on the music video
scene. His knack for dreaming up creatives that tap into youth based cultural demographics, manufacturing deeply immersive visual worlds, and his classic cinematic style of photography has made him one of the most sought after taste-makers in North America
today.
, Kardinal Offishall
, Shawn Desman
, Belly
, Ginuwine
, Xzibit
, Mariana's Trench, Sean Paul
, Danny Fernandes
, Candy Coated Killahz
, Snoop Dogg
, Neverending White Lights
, K.Maro, Massari
, Joel Plaskett
, Talib Kweli
, Keisha Chante.
No stranger to the commercial world, RT! Has directed spots for NIKE
, SONY
, RIM
for their recent Blackberry Torch
launch & most recently Nickelodeon
for the groundbreaking short musical campaign for the 10th season of Degrassi
.
Outside of the film medium, RT! has also worked extensively in television serving as a Story Producer on SunTV’s Multi-ethnic profile series ECHO for its entire run and as an Assistant Producer for MuchMoreMusic
. He is a regular industry expert on a variety of television programming appearing on Etalk
, ET Canada, MTV Live
, and MuchMusic
to name a few.
In addition to his industry experience RT! serves on the board of directors of The Remix Project, a non profit cultural incubator that targets underprivileged youth and empowers them with media based training. In the Fall of 2009 the Remix Project partnered with Team Seven Productions and Temple Street Productions
to create CITYLIFE, a new educational initiative that aimed to create short films from the voices of inner city youth. RT! is the Director of Programs for CITYLIFE which included running workshops as well as serving as a directing mentor to the participants.
Early in his career RT! noticed that many video outlets & stations weren't crediting the directors of videos. To try to ensure that the audience would know that he directed a video RT! tagged the beginning of each of his videos with a trademark film strip. This became a branding tool for him that helped increase awareness of his work.
awards, including Director of the Year, two years consecutively at the MuchMusic Video Awards
. He has been nominated every year since the beginning of his career at the awards and 6 years consecutively in the Director of the Year category.
Including the MMVA he has been nominated for more than forty film and television industry awards.
The following is a list of his awards:
Much Music Video Awards:
Other awards
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
& commercial
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
director of Trinidadian and Barbadian heritage. A prolific director, he has directed over 120 music videos for various Canadian and international music artists and is the most awarded music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
director in Canada. He co-owns the production company The NE Inc. and is its Executive Director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
.
RT! has quickly become one of Canada’s most successful and prolific film directors since debuting on the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
scene. His knack for dreaming up creatives that tap into youth based cultural demographics, manufacturing deeply immersive visual worlds, and his classic cinematic style of photography has made him one of the most sought after taste-makers in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
today.
Career
Throughout his extensive career he has shot music videos for a wide range of musicians including Simple PlanSimple Plan
Simple Plan is a Canadian pop punk band from Montréal, Québec. The band has had no line up changes since its inception in 1999. Members are Pierre Bouvier , Jeff Stinco , Sébastien Lefebvre , David Desrosiers and Chuck Comeau...
, Kardinal Offishall
Kardinal Offishall
Jason D. Harrow , better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall , is a Canadian rapper and record producer. He is often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", and is best known for his distinctive reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.-Life and career:Harrow was born in...
, Shawn Desman
Shawn Desman
Shawn Bosco Fernandes better known by his stage name Shawn Desman, is a Canadian pop/R&B singer of Portuguese descent. He is signed to Universal Music Canada.-Career:...
, Belly
Belly (rapper)
Ahmed Balshe , better known by his stage name Belly, is a Palestinian-Canadian Juno Award-winning rapper....
, Ginuwine
Ginuwine
Elgin Baylor Lumpkin , better known by his stage name Ginuwine is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Signed to Epic Records since the mid-1990s, Ginuwine had released a number of multi-platinum and platinum-selling albums and singles, becoming one of R&B's top artists during the late 1990's...
, Xzibit
Xzibit
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner , better known by his stage name Xzibit , is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success...
, Mariana's Trench, Sean Paul
Sean Paul
Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques , who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican pop rap and reggae singer.-1973–1996: Early life:...
, Danny Fernandes
Danny Fernandes
Daniel Bosco Fernandes is a Canadian singer and songwriter of Portuguese descent. He is signed to CP Records.-Career:...
, Candy Coated Killahz
Candy Coated Killahz
CCK are an urban trio from Toronto, Canada, known for their blend of hip-hop, r&b, and electronic styles, a sound the group has termed "Ghettotronic" Hailed by The Globe and Mail as one of the bands responsible for Toronto’s emergence as a “music capital”, original group members Tasha Schumann...
, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, Neverending White Lights
Neverending White Lights
Neverending White Lights is a Canadian music collaboration project fronted by Daniel Victor from Windsor, Ontario, and featuring several artists mainly from Canada and the United States. Daniel Victor performs all musical instruments, with most of his songs featuring guest singers...
, K.Maro, Massari
Massari
Sari Abboud better known by his stage name Massari is a Lebanese Canadian R&B, pop, and hip hop singer who grew up in Canada. Massari means "money" in Arabic....
, Joel Plaskett
Joel Plaskett
Joel Plaskett is a Canadian rock musician originally from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. He grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and now resides across the harbour in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia...
, Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
, Keisha Chante.
No stranger to the commercial world, RT! Has directed spots for NIKE
Nike
Nike may refer to:* Nike , Greek goddess who personifies victory**The Nike of Samothrace, an ancient statue of the goddess Nike* Nike, Inc., major U.S. manufacturer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment...
, SONY
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, RIM
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
for their recent Blackberry Torch
BlackBerry Torch
BlackBerry Torch is a series of smartphones manufactured by Research In Motion. The lineup currently consists of the following:* BlackBerry Torch 9800, the first phone in the series, powered by BlackBerry OS 6...
launch & most recently Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
for the groundbreaking short musical campaign for the 10th season of Degrassi
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
.
Outside of the film medium, RT! has also worked extensively in television serving as a Story Producer on SunTV’s Multi-ethnic profile series ECHO for its entire run and as an Assistant Producer for MuchMoreMusic
MuchMoreMusic
MuchMore is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media, based at 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario....
. He is a regular industry expert on a variety of television programming appearing on Etalk
ETalk
etalk is a Canadian entertainment news show hosted by Ben Mulroney and Tanya Kim. It airs weekdays weeknights at 7 p.m. ET on CTV, at 1:30 p.m. ET on CTV Two and at 6 p.m. ET and 11:30 p.m. ET on E!...
, ET Canada, MTV Live
MTV Live
MTV Live was a U.S. television series that aired from 1997 to 1998 on MTV, featuring interviews with celebrity guests, live musical performances, news coverage, and music video premieres.-Series run:...
, and MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
to name a few.
In addition to his industry experience RT! serves on the board of directors of The Remix Project, a non profit cultural incubator that targets underprivileged youth and empowers them with media based training. In the Fall of 2009 the Remix Project partnered with Team Seven Productions and Temple Street Productions
Temple Street Productions
Established in 1996, Temple Street Productions is an independent television, film and digital media production company based in Toronto, Canada. The company produces scripted and unscripted productions from primetime television dramas and comedies, as well as youth programs, feature films and...
to create CITYLIFE, a new educational initiative that aimed to create short films from the voices of inner city youth. RT! is the Director of Programs for CITYLIFE which included running workshops as well as serving as a directing mentor to the participants.
Early in his career RT! noticed that many video outlets & stations weren't crediting the directors of videos. To try to ensure that the audience would know that he directed a video RT! tagged the beginning of each of his videos with a trademark film strip. This became a branding tool for him that helped increase awareness of his work.
Awards
Over the course of nine years RT! has been awarded 12 International music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
awards, including Director of the Year, two years consecutively at the MuchMusic Video Awards
MuchMusic Video Awards
The MuchMusic Video Awards are annual awards presented by the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic to honour the year's best music videos....
. He has been nominated every year since the beginning of his career at the awards and 6 years consecutively in the Director of the Year category.
Including the MMVA he has been nominated for more than forty film and television industry awards.
The following is a list of his awards:
Much Music Video Awards:
- 2006: Best Video of 2006 for Kardinal OffishallKardinal OffishallJason D. Harrow , better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall , is a Canadian rapper and record producer. He is often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", and is best known for his distinctive reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.-Life and career:Harrow was born in...
– "Everyday Rudebwoy" - 2006: Best Director for Kardinal OffishallKardinal OffishallJason D. Harrow , better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall , is a Canadian rapper and record producer. He is often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", and is best known for his distinctive reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.-Life and career:Harrow was born in...
– "Everyday Rudebwoy" - 2006: Best Pop Video for MassariMassariSari Abboud better known by his stage name Massari is a Lebanese Canadian R&B, pop, and hip hop singer who grew up in Canada. Massari means "money" in Arabic....
– "Be Easy" - 2006: VideoFACT Award for Kardinal OffishallKardinal OffishallJason D. Harrow , better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall , is a Canadian rapper and record producer. He is often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", and is best known for his distinctive reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.-Life and career:Harrow was born in...
– "Everyday Rudebwoy" - 2007: Best Director for GeorgeGeorge NozukaGeorge Koichi Nozuka better known by his stage name George is a Canadian singer. He is signed to HC Entertainment Group record label as their main act.-Career:...
- "Lie to Me" - 2007: Best Rap Video for BellyBelly (rapper)Ahmed Balshe , better known by his stage name Belly, is a Palestinian-Canadian Juno Award-winning rapper....
feat. GinuwineGinuwineElgin Baylor Lumpkin , better known by his stage name Ginuwine is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Signed to Epic Records since the mid-1990s, Ginuwine had released a number of multi-platinum and platinum-selling albums and singles, becoming one of R&B's top artists during the late 1990's...
– "Pressure" - 2008: Best Hip Hop Video for BellyBelly (rapper)Ahmed Balshe , better known by his stage name Belly, is a Palestinian-Canadian Juno Award-winning rapper....
feat. Mario WinansMario WinansMario Winans is an American R&B singer, songwriter, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Born Mario Brown, he is the son of gospel recording artist Vickie Winans and her first husband, Bishop Ronald Brown. He is also the stepson of his mother's second husband, gospel singer, Pastor Marvin...
– "Ridin'" - 2009: UR FAV Video for Simple PlanSimple PlanSimple Plan is a Canadian pop punk band from Montréal, Québec. The band has had no line up changes since its inception in 1999. Members are Pierre Bouvier , Jeff Stinco , Sébastien Lefebvre , David Desrosiers and Chuck Comeau...
– "Save You" - 2010: Best Hip Hop Video for BellyBelly (rapper)Ahmed Balshe , better known by his stage name Belly, is a Palestinian-Canadian Juno Award-winning rapper....
feat. Snoop DoggSnoop DoggCalvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
– "Hot Girl" - 2011: Best Video of 2011 for Shawn DesmanShawn DesmanShawn Bosco Fernandes better known by his stage name Shawn Desman, is a Canadian pop/R&B singer of Portuguese descent. He is signed to Universal Music Canada.-Career:...
– "Night Like This" - 2011: Best Post Production for Danny FernandesDanny FernandesDaniel Bosco Fernandes is a Canadian singer and songwriter of Portuguese descent. He is signed to CP Records.-Career:...
feat. BellyBelly (rapper)Ahmed Balshe , better known by his stage name Belly, is a Palestinian-Canadian Juno Award-winning rapper....
– "Automatic"
Other awards
- 2004: MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
/Urbanworld: Best Short Video for About 2 Change - 2008: ECM Awards: Video of the Year for Joel PlaskettJoel PlaskettJoel Plaskett is a Canadian rock musician originally from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. He grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and now resides across the harbour in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia...
- "Fashionable People" - 2009: ReelWorld Film FestivalReelWorld Film FestivalReelWorld Film Festival is a five-day film festival held annually in downtown Toronto. The festival screens "features, shorts, documentaries, animation, music videos from the Aboriginal, Asian, Black, Latino, Middle Eastern, South Asian and other multi-racial communities."-History:ReelWorld was...
: Best Music Video for Simple PlanSimple PlanSimple Plan is a Canadian pop punk band from Montréal, Québec. The band has had no line up changes since its inception in 1999. Members are Pierre Bouvier , Jeff Stinco , Sébastien Lefebvre , David Desrosiers and Chuck Comeau...
– "Save You"