30 Years of The Mill | Deputy Head of CG, Chris Bayol

What piece of Mill work do you believe pushed the boundaries of production creativity & why?

I would have to choose Apex Legends ‘Season 4 Assimilation Launch Trailer’, this was one of the most rewarding projects to have been a part of. We had done a few seasonal Apex Legends trailers before but this was the first opportunity we had to spend a whole three minutes on one event that took place in a character’s backstory, allowing us to really focus on the visual storytelling. It was a really exciting process organizing the mo-cap shoot as we had so many unique characters to capture and a crazy good stunt team doing crucial work.

Almost everything in the trailer was designed and created by The Mill aside from Revenant himself and some weapons models.  This gave everyone on the team a great sense of ownership and pride. It was definitely a highlight of my career and the continued Apex Legends trailers have only continued and expanded that sense of pride and fulfillment.

What will be the most defining change in the creative industry over the next decade?  

I think the most defining change will be real-time engines and LED walls, when combined they are a game-changer, broadening possibilities for ‘on location’ shoots. With enough preparation and the right schedule, you can film your characters in any world or location you can think up without having to travel.

Video games are also quickly evolving how we experience and interact with our entertainment. Stories that might have only been possible in the cinemas are now being delivered in our homes and putting us at the center of the plot. Along with ever-advancing storytelling, many game companies have created fictional universes that are supported and expanded for their fans at a consistent tempo. I think the gaming industry will continuously expand into people’s lives in very immersive ways over the next decade.

Discover more about 30 Years of The Mill here. We would like to thank everyone who has been part of our history – our clients, our partners, our collaborators and our staff past and present. All of you have been central to making our first 30 years so extraordinary.