CHICAGO — VFX studio The Mill (www.themill.com) is moving its Chicago studio to its own premises in the West Loop. The move will take place during Q3 of 2015, and the new studio will double its current capacity in color by adding a second suite, as well as expand its CG and design teams. The relocation will also boost the studio’s design and animation direction offerings, which The Mill markets under the banner of Mill+.
The current Chicago office opened in March of 2013 and occupies space within The Whitehouse, an editorial company located at 54 West Hubbard Street in the River North district. The Mill and The Whitehouse share similar heritage in the advertising sector, having been established a few months apart and within two blocks of each other in London’s Soho district in 1990.
“The Mill in Chicago, having grown from 12 people to over 45, has outgrown its home at 54 Hubbard Street,” explains group CEO, Robin Shenfield. “Our new premises are being designed from scratch within a five-story, 18,000-square-foot former warehouse building in the West Loop, a couple of blocks distance from Soho House.”
“We’re really excited about having an entire building where we can adapt our studio out from scratch, very much as we have done in London, New York and Los Angeles,” adds The Mill’s Chicago managing director, Jared Yeater. “It’s a great opportunity to design a really creative working environment for ourselves and our clients. As we won’t be occupying all of the space from Day 1, it affords us the flexibility to keep investing in this community and adapting to the changing needs of our clients.”