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    Sean Hayes & Todd Milliner’s Hazy Mills launches branded content division, partners with Test Pattern Media

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments3539 Views
    Todd Milliner (l) and Sean Hayes
    LOS ANGELES --

    Hazy Mills Productions–the company founded in 2004 by Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner, and with credits that include the TV series Hot in Cleveland, The Soul Man (both for TV Land) and Grimm (NBC/Universal Television–has launched a branded content division, partnering with Test Pattern Media, a creative studio and production house specializing in commercial, TV, documentary and short-form content for leading brands and agencies. Operating together as a full service initiative, Hazy Mills and Test Pattern aim to work with brands and agencies to create engaging, series-based content, as well as cutting-edge and unique approaches to advertising.

    Hazy Mills is no stranger to the branded space, having won awards for its Orbitz campaign with branded content agency, Bark Bark. The Hazy Mills/Test Pattern partnership’s combined clients include Lucasfilm, Amazon, Showtime, Starbucks, Orbitz, Capital One, TNT, TBS, Lincoln, P&G, and Google.

    On the non-scripted side, Hazy Mills is currently airing the sixth season of the Emmy Award-winning Hollywood Game Night, with host Jane Lynch, this spring. Hazy Mills also produced the Critics’ Choice Award-nominated The History of Comedy for CNN and Movie Night with Karlie Kloss for Freeform.

    Hayes, a two-time Emmy winner (as host of the Tony Awards, and supporting actor on Will & Grace), stated, “In the new world of branded content, we believe we can engage savvy audiences in a way where they forget they’re being sold to. Our experience working in all genres of entertainment including drama, comedy, game, and documentary will translate very well into creating not only one-off commercials but also brand dedicated series – which will keep the audience engaged and interested in the brand over time.”

    Producer-writer Milliner related, “There’s a continuing trend for production and development companies to service brands directly–with the vast relationships we’ve garnered within the television field, Hazy Mills and Test Pattern can integrate our relationship to bring new and exciting types of content directly to brands and agencies alike, from start to finish.”

    Michael Grant Terry will head Hazy Mill’s branded content division after previously working with Test Pattern on multiple projects.  With a full in-house music and sound arm, as well as postproduction and VFX, Test Pattern can offer a fully-integrated production and post process when needed.

    Bennett Barbakow, EP and owner of Test Pattern, said, “We’re thrilled to be jumping on a rocket together with Hazy Mills, as this is an important moment for the intersection of advertising and entertainment. This collaboration will allow us to leverage our combined strengths to prioritize a creative-first approach in everything we make together.”

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    Tags:Hazy Mills ProductionsMichael Grant TerrySean HayesTest Pattern MediaTodd Milliner



    EU accuses TikTok of “addictive design” that harms children, seeks changes to protect users

    Friday, February 6, 2026
    The icon for the TikTok video sharing app is seen on a smartphone in Marple Township, Pa., Feb. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

    The European Union on Friday accused TikTok of breaching the bloc's digital rules with "addictive design" features that lead to compulsive use by children, in preliminary charges that strike at the heart of the popular video sharing app's operating model.

    EU regulators said their two-year investigation found that TikTok hasn't done enough to assess how features such as autoplay and infinite scroll could harm the physical and mental health of users, including minors and "vulnerable adults."

    The European Commission said it believes TikTok should change the "basic design" of its service. The commission is the EU's executive arm and enforcer of the 27-nation bloc's Digital Services Act, a sweeping rulebook that requires social media companies to clean up their platforms and protect users, under threat of hefty fines.

    TikTok denied the accusations.

    "The Commission's preliminary findings present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to challenge these findings through every means available to us," the company said in a statement.

    TikTok's features including infinite scrolling, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalized recommender systems "lead to the compulsive use of the app, especially for our kids, and this poses major risks to their mental health and wellbeing," Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said at a press briefing in Brussels.

    "The measures that TikTok has in place are simply not enough," he said.

    The company now has a chance to defend itself and reply to the commission's findings. Regnier said "if they don't do this properly," Brussels could issue a so-called non-compliance decision and possible fine worth up to 6% of... Read More

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