Executing their international expansion plan, global VFX studio The Mill opens a new studio in Seoul. Located in the center of creative Gangnam district, the new studio is a short walk from many notable agencies, production companies, and brand hubs in Seoul. With this new base in South Korea enables The Mill to leverage its expertise in VFX, production, and experience design in the APAC region, reaching a broader range of international clients and creative collaborators in new, untapped markets.
As per a report in Shoot Online, The Mill Seoul will be led by VP Tony Choi, who has over 30 years of experience in production, tapping into western and eastern cultures across Australia, North America, and Korea. The studio will be led creatively by executive creative director June Park who has led successful campaigns for brands including Samsung Hyundai Motors, Kia Motors, and Chevrolet (GM).
Prior to joining The Mill, Park was Cheil Worldwide metaverse creative team head. He has also played a huge part in metaverse content creation as the lead creative mind for Samsung’s virtual character GNUSMAS.
The development of Mill Seoul and the company’s wider expansion into the APAC market is being overseen by global chief strategy officer Alex Schneider who has over two decades of experience growing world class creative agencies, brands, and content studios. Prior to joining The Mill, Schneider was the managing director of R/GA Portland and held senior leadership roles at Deutsch LA and 72andSunny.
“We are proud to be launching our physical footprint in Seoul, which is an important milestone for our expansion into the APAC region. The Mill already has a rich history of working with major South Korean brands, and a local studio presence will allow us to play a much bigger role at the heart of the local creative industry. As our 10th international studio, Mill Seoul will have direct access to over 900 of the world’s best artists and creative minds spanning across all time zones,” said Schneider.
The Mill has worked with several South Korean clients to date; recent projects include Samsung’s Gold Cannes Lion-winning The Spider & The Window, Hyundai’s CES 2022 Metaverse Experience and KRAFTON’s PUBG: Battleground. The new studio will bring The Mill’s full range of creative capabilities, including its global network of VFX artists, designers and suite of in-house directors to South Korea and beyond.