Visual effects and design studio The Mill, which already has offices in New York, Los Angeles and London, is set to open a Chicago studio headed by Jared Yeater as executive producer. Plans call for the new office to be operational in the first quarter of 2013 with a full complement of visual effects services. The Mill will co-locate with noted editorial company The Whitehouse in the landmark Courthouse Place building on West Hubbard Street in Chicago.
Yeater is a long-time member of the production team at The Mill New York and a native Midwesterner with deep experience in finishing and VFX. At The Mill New York, he has successfully served clients across the Midwest and managed the delivery of numerous high-profile nationwide campaigns. As exec producer, he will be responsible for servicing the local Midwest advertising community and connecting clients to the services of The Mill in its three other locations.
Robin Shenfield, CEO and co-founder of The Mill said, “Over many years, the advertising agencies in Chicago have been great supporters of The Mill in New York, Los Angeles and London, so it seems the right time to repay that support by establishing a local presence with all the attributes of a full Mill studio including VFX, finishing, design and color.”
According to Shenfield, a Chicago team is being assembled that will include key Mill talent from its other offices
Shenfield added that The Mill and The Whitehouse have a long history with one another. “Our two companies were established a block apart in London more than 20 years ago and their editor/partner in Chicago, Matthew Wood, actually began his career at The Mill in London so we have a terrific history of working alongside each other.”
David Brixton, managing partner of The Whitehouse, noted, “There has always been a mutual creative respect between The Whitehouse and The Mill. We are excited about having The Mill here and being able to collaborate in providing our clients an integrated end-to-end solution. This will afford the local Chicago market the opportunity to access the best available talent across both editorial and visual effects in an efficient and seamless workflow.”
Directors Amy+Pilar and Jose Antonio Prat Join Reform School
Boutique content production company Reform has added comedy directing duo Amy+Pilar (Amy York Rubin and Pilar Boehm) and award-winning multicultural director Jose Antonio Prat to its roster for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded entertainment.
Partners in both life and art, Amy+Pilar are know for their sharp wit and comedic timing. Their synchronicity is evident in a body of work across TV, film and commercials. Prior to joining Reform School, Amy+Pilar had been repped in the ad market by production company Knucklehead.
Amy has directed high-profile comedy sketches featuring stars like Amy Schumer, Kate McKinnon, and Sarah Silverman. On the episodic front, Amy has helmed for series such as Fresh Off the Boat, Casual, Superstore and Angie Tribeca--as well as the pilot for the hit Netflix comedy Dead to Me.
Before joining forces with Amy behind the camera, Pilar was a psychotherapist, a background that informs her ability to create fascinating characters and stage irresistible, nuanced performances. Amy and Pilar’s shared passion for comedy brought them together. Their collaboration began with a Synchrony Bank campaign, starring cult-comedy favorite Maribeth Monroe (Workaholics), and they went on to direct the pilot of the Hulu series Love, Victor. Amy+Pilar’s ad fare also includes spots for Uber’s “Go-Get” campaign and “Shift,” starring Martin Starr.
“We have been fans of Amy and Pilar for a long time,” said Ryan Ennis, executive director at Reform School. “They excel at capturing comedic performances and dialogue. Coming from the TV and L.A. comedy scenes, they’ve built a strong following and collaborated with some of our favorite funny people.... Read More