Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Smego.
Brian, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’d always had an interest in pursuing a career in Film. After attending Columbia College here in Chicago, I bounced around town as a production assistant working on just about anything I could get hired on; from music videos to student films, all for little to no pay. A few months in, I got called to come edit casting auditions at Energy BBDO (which at the time I had never heard of). It was supposed to be a six-day gig and it turned in to six years. Eventually, I worked my way up from their in-house post-production studio to become a broadcast producer. That’s really what launched my career in advertising. I was fortunate to work in most of the big agencies in town, DDB, Cavalry and Y&R, where I was the Head of Production for a decade.
Along the way, I worked with The Mill many times. I was always impressed with the level of work they were doing for me, and frankly, just enjoyed working with their team.
During some of my DDB Super Bowl productions, they pulled off absolute miracles to bail us out at the last minute. They were always trusted partners, which is exactly what you need when the stakes are so high. It’s been interesting for me to join the team here and be on “the other side” of the fence, returning the favor to my fellow Agency Producers and Executive Producers.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’d say overall, relatively smooth road, yes. Production in general, can be challenging at times. Producers kind of fly under the radar. You’re really called into action when issues arise and decisions need to be made to get things back on track. In the visual effects world in particular our best work is done when the viewer can’t discern what’s real and what’s not. A lot of our work is invisible to the viewer who will never be aware of the challenges that we had to overcome along the way.
Please tell us about The Mill.
We’re mostly known for our visual effects capabilities, but we also do design, animation and have developed our own concept-to-delivery content studio, Mill+, all backed by the artistry of the Mill. That’s really what we do. We want to make work that people love, that they talk about and want to share. We pride ourselves on being partners with creative agencies and visionary brands and we value the trust they impart in us to bring their ideas to life.
That’s what sets us apart at The Mill. We have a talented, ambitious team, full of energy. They’re passionate about creating brilliant work and experiences for our partners. They’re constantly pushing, right up to the deadline and sometimes beyond, to make things perfect. Nobody settles or says “this will do”. That kind of pride in craftsmanship is contagious and everyone pushes one another to do their very best.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I was definitely that kid that showed an interest in film early on. I used to ask my English teachers in middle school instead of writing on a paper, I could create a montage of film clips. It wasn’t nearly as easy to do back then as it is now and, it probably took me five times as long as it would have to just write the damn paper, but fortunately, they indulged me. I think that ultimately, it helped me realize that you need to put in a bit of extra effort and push to get what you want. Nothing was going to be handed to me. I’ve carried that work ethic with me throughout my career and I see that all around me here.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1000 W Fulton Market
Suite 250
Chicago, IL 60607 - Website: www.themill.com
- Phone: 312.605.8900
- Email: For new business inquiries: bsmego@themill.com
- Instagram: @mill_chi
- Twitter: @millchannel
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