30 Years of The Mill | Director of Photography, Dan Frantz

What piece of work inspired you to get into a career at The Mill & why?

I’ve been a fan of The Mill as early as high school. I remember fellow DP Luke Orlando and I would geek out over The Mill’s website in history class, that’s how deep it goes. For me the spot that really did it was Hennessy’s ‘The Man Who Couldn’t Slow Down’

I have a huge respect for any filmmaker that successfully puts the feeling of ‘going fast’ on film, and this Hennessey spot does everything right. From the detailed inserts, to the tasteful post camera shake and of course the tentpole moment of the car barreling towards the CG storm, it’s perfect.

When I saw that spot, I knew if I was going to make films that ‘go fast’ I had to work at The Mill and subsequently I have made those films! My Co-director Andy Koeger & I made Mach III, a film about the world’s fastest aircraft, and followed it up with That Smile, a music video about a car that flies into the sun. On both productions The Mill facilitated the post production and gave us the tools to go fast! 

I might add, The Mill & Droga5 get major bonus points for doing the whole vintage car racing into the dust storm BEFORE Mad Max Fury Road! 

In your opinion, what will be the most defining change in the creative industry over the next decade?

I believe we’re going to see a renaissance in movies post Covid. Go on IMDB and look at the films in queue for Summer 2021. It’s insane. I’ve been reading Brian Raftery’s ‘How 1999 blew up the big screen’ and he speaks about how that year revolutionized the field, and it really did; The Matrix, Fight Club, Blair Witch, Virgin Suicides, the list goes on. All those films remade the zeitgeist for the decade to come and their influence still seeps into everything from video games to advertising. I think we’re on the cusp of a similar revolution.

When we get on the other side of Covid we can expect a filmmaking avalanche. I’m not just talking about the studio movies chomping at the bit to find a release date, but all the filmmakers and artists that have been forced to take a step back and grow, plot, learn and write during quarantine. When those filmmakers make it to the big screen (*or small screen) we’ll be in a new era of content and I can’t wait!

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.

You can follow Dan on Instagram @danfrantzfilms and Vimeo.