UKadvertising and visual effects group The Mill is planning to open a majorfacility in Santa Monica, California.

Thecompany, founded in London in 1990, recently opened a facility in New York andwill become the first post-production agency to operate in the three key globallocations for advertising production.

Thenew office is due to open for business in January 2007 and will be staffed bykey creatives relocated from London and New York as well as local talent.

Atleast 12 professional and technical staff will work in the Los Angeles officefrom the outset. The full team will be announced later in the year.

'Wehave so many advertising agencies, production companies and editorial clientsalready focused on these cities that it makes absolute sense to locate ourselvesin the same place,' Robin Shenfield, co-founder and Chief Executive of TheMill, said.

'Creativeadvertising still relies on a great deal of personal interaction. There aresome things that simply cannot be done as well without being there.

'Thefeedback we have had from clients on the West Coast is that there is a realappetite for a more European look, particularly in terms of computer effects.That has very much been our experience in New York and we anticipate that to bethe case on the West Coast.'