1) Through our position as market leaders, The Mill is a trusted and respected brand. Our heritage and scale provide us with opportunities to access new clients and types of work. The way content is consumed has radically shifted and the battleground for consumer attention has changed forever. Technology is the catalyst. We are in a golden age of content creation and it’s imperative that we are at the leading edge of this new eco-system.
2) The advertising model is now very different, and this has opened up new space. The Mill will continue to evolve and diversify our client base. leveraging our tech literacy, fluency and legacy of ‘making’. We expect AR and real-time technologies in particular to provide fresh and exciting creative opportunity. New commissioners and tech platforms will have a major impact on the industry, disruptive, but ultimately positive.
3) Building on the success of ‘The Human Race’, the fully interactive configurable commercial that launched at the Games Developer Conference (GDC) in 2017, we are embracing a future that demands real time technology. We are working on a groundbreaking project that will allow us to create live, character animation. A game-changer for storytelling.
4) Continue to be market leaders. Doing the best work in our field and supporting creative endeavor. Ultimately it is why The Mill attracts such brilliant clients and a brilliant team. We aim to provide an environment where everyone at The Mill can be successful, learn, grow and do the best work of their lives.
5) Since launching The Mill’s diversity and inclusion strategy in September 2016 we have been working with a range of external partners to help grow the recruitment talent pool and raise awareness of VFX careers within underrepresented communities. Last year The Mill formed and continues to lead ACCESS: VFX, an industry movement made up of 11 award-winning VFX studios working together to create a more inclusive creative industry.
The UK VFX community working together toward a shared goal, and collaborating in this way is crucial if we are to succeed as creative and innovative companies. This year we want to roll out our diversity initiatives across the US – it is a priority for our business. We believe that The Mill’s future success is deeply rooted in the celebration of different perspectives, ideas, backgrounds and people, and accepting everyone into the inclusion conversation is at the heart of getting this right. In 2018 we have a full calendar of events and mentoring opportunities that provides opportunity to backgrounds, disabilities and regions.
6) Diversity and inclusion are at the core of The Mill; it is an intrinsic part of our heritage. We aspire to recognize and embrace the diversity each person brings to The Mill creating an environment of trust, mutual respect and appreciation which allows all employees to collaborate effectively so that The Mill continues to make exceptional work. As leaders, we have a responsibility to ensure that we and our management teams are displaying appropriate behaviors and promoting positive role modelling.