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.”
Utah Leaders and Locals Rally To Keep Sundance Film Festival In The State
With the 2025 Sundance Film Festival underway, Utah leaders, locals and longtime attendees are making a final push — one that could include paying millions of dollars — to keep the world-renowned film festival as its directors consider uprooting.
Thousands of festivalgoers affixed bright yellow stickers to their winter coats that read "Keep Sundance in Utah" in a last-ditch effort to convince festival leadership and state officials to keep it in Park City, its home of 41 years.
Gov. Spencer Cox said previously that Utah would not throw as much money at the festival as other states hoping to lure it away. Now his office is urging the Legislature to carve out $3 million for Sundance in the state budget, weeks before the independent film festival is expected to pick a home for the next decade.
It could retain a small presence in picturesque Park City and center itself in nearby Salt Lake City, or move to another finalist — Cincinnati, Ohio, or Boulder, Colorado — beginning in 2027.
"Sundance is Utah, and Utah is Sundance. You can't really separate those two," Cox said. "This is your home, and we desperately hope it will be your home forever."
Last year's festival generated about $132 million for the state of Utah, according to Sundance's 2024 economic impact report.
Festival Director Eugene Hernandez told reporters last week that they had not made a final decision. An announcement is expected this year by early spring.
Colorado is trying to further sweeten its offer. The state is considering legislation giving up to $34 million in tax incentives to film festivals like Sundance through 2036 — on top of the $1.5 million in funds already approved to lure the Utah festival to its neighboring... Read More