The Mill Berlin | One Year On

One year on, what have you most enjoyed about being a part of this studio?

Stefan Susemihl (VFX Supervisor): It’s been an awesome opportunity to reinvent ourselves. What I most like about the new studio is the possibility of trying new methods and being able to explore new possibilities and ways of relating to creative partners in an ever-changing market. There is a massive sense of doing a little bit of everything. From figuring out engineering stuff to crafting some cool looking pictures, anything in that scope is part of the routine. It’s a very dynamic environment.

Imogen Pai (Producer): Even with the challenge of starting up a new business in a new country, in the centre of a pandemic, we have done a bloody good job of making a name for ourselves here.

I’ve loved seeing our small team grow and just take on whatever has been thrown at us. It’s been extremely hard, but knowing that you can count on each other through this global madness is comforting and I am just in awe of the team and their sheer determination to make this new adventure work.

Eilis Scally (Junior Designer): I love that every week I have been trying out and developing new skills, working with such a talented team is very special –  I feel very lucky to have had the year I have had.

Since opening the Berlin studio, the UK left the EU. Has this affected The Mill Berlin in any way?

We have been lucky enough to work with a wide range of partners and clients all over the world. Internationality is at the forefront of all studios at The Mill, Berlin, of course, champions this as well. It’s sad that the UK is no longer a part of the EU, but we are confident that it won’t affect the extraordinary work that is created at The Mill Berlin, nor any of our other studios. It’s been great to expand our client base within Europe as well, being The Mill’s European base.

What was your favourite piece of work from this year?

Marta Carbonell Amela (3D Lead): Audi ‘Future Is An Attitude’; not just as a powerful brand, but also a vibrant and inspiring project. Working alongside director Hanna Maria Heidrich, this became an arty commercial with a strong cinematic and graphical look that I really loved.

The whole, incredibly talented team from shoot-crew to grade worked really hard to achieve a high-quality product that finds a creative solution while keeping up all expectations.

Micheal O’Donoghue (3D Lead): One of the highlights of my time at the Berlin office so far has to be working on the Hot Chip ‘Positive’ music video. It was the first project I worked on in the office, and a great experience working with the team on such a creative, experimental piece. It gave me the opportunity to test out some new skills, and learn some radical techniques from innovative artists. It’s also just a nice song!

Stevie Sapiano (Production Assistant): If I had to pick, I’d say Hyundai e-SUV ‘On to Better’. It was the first job I worked on properly as a PA so it was a very steep (but fun!) learning curve. Seeing all of the different aspects of the job come together on such a large scale was really inspiring. Every member of the team pulled through to create something extraordinary and I am very proud that myself and the Berlin team were a part of it.

What are your predictions for 2021? What can we expect to see more of? 

We believe that we’ll be seeing a lot more innovation and experimentation when it comes to the production and post-production of projects. Over the last year, we have worked on projects in ways we never would have thought possible before. It’s really inspiring to be pushed out of our comfort zone, and we hope this sense of inspiration continues into 2021. Also of course young creatives and directors, seeing a (much needed) change in the people that are leading our industry will be very exciting to see, and something that we are committed to nurturing and supporting at The Mill Berlin.

If you are interested in joining the team at our Berlin studio, you can find our full list of vacancies here. You can also get in touch regarding any up and coming projects via our contact page. Check out @mill_berlin on Instagram.