Design Director, Pipeline Architect

Mill Time _ Cannes Lions


Aulenti’s 1993 Tour table for Fontana Arte


At Cannes Lions 2011 we wanted to create something new, something different that best demonstrates The Mill's capabilities. We wanted something that is quite unexpected and surprising as well as entertaining and useful! We decided to look for a connection between the event in Cannes, The Mill and what we do.

We came up with 'Time', literally... 'Time'!

The inspiration behind the project by The Mill's Design, Motion Graphics, and Digital teams was to create a hybrid cross media platform piece of work which represents The Mill's digital offering, and also focuses on our ability to create outstanding design, motion graphics and VFX-work.

So 'Time' explores and references actual time as a concept over four screens throughout the duration of the Festival. The clock-like elements and graphical representations of time are interwoven with abstract clips and actual clocks where one animation can trigger the next one. Some of the clocks are easily recognisable, others... you'll need to stare at them for a while!

The time-based aspect of the project creates a grid - clockwork - in which the content will play out. The clock runs over all 4 screens with each panel representing a different aspect of time, dividing it into days, hours, minutes and seconds, centiseconds or milliseconds.
We managed to create around 45 uniquely different clock-type-animations with many more in the works.

If you are in Cannes why not 'make time' and check out The Mill's installation in the entrance of the Palais!

Tick tock, tick tock!

Post-Production / VFX Company: The Mill
Mill Office: London
Executive Producer: Luke Colson
VFX Producer: Carl Phillips

Creative Director: Nils Kloth
2D Lead Artists: Nils Kloth, Bob Wolf
Motion Graphics: Bob Wolf, Nils Kloth, Henry Foreman, Dominic Burgess, Ollie Harris, Adam Brandon, Ross Urien, Simon Landrein, Adriano Cirulli, Shaun Leong-Williams, Sam Southward

Creative Technologist: Tony Volpe
Technical Director: Tony Volpe, Nils Kloth
Lead Installer: John Quesnell
Production Assists: Hugo Vaughan-Hughes, Oliver Briginshaw