Former Generator Films president and executive producer Michael Cooper has opened a Toronto office of Michigan’s Millennium Pictures, and signed three top Canadian helmers for his cause.

Cooper (a former head of broadcast for BBDO Canada) says establishing a Millennium franchise in Canada is indicative of the global nature of the business, and telling of these cost-conscious times. Millennium’s strategically placed Canadian office gives U.S. clients and ad agencies access to the company’s Canadian directors, and vice versa, without having to incur extra costs.

‘It’s the same old problem, where a director from the States shoots in South Africa and you have to go through a Canadian production house,’ says Cooper. ‘That means markup on top of markup on top of markup. What Millennium does is eliminate all the extra markups so that money can be used for production.’

Joining the Canadian office are directors Mark Walton (The Henry Ford Museum, Kraft, Bell), former TBWA/Chiat/Day creative director Jamie Way (The Hospital for Sick Children, The Hudson’s Bay Company, LavaLife) and director/DOP Derek Case (Pepsi, Gatorade, Dairy Queen).

In addition to heralding from the U.K., all three began the year under the representation of Generator Films (now under the supervision of producer Tamara Marcus) and, perhaps more importantly, each has a partnership stake in Millennium.

Walton and Case are already well known in the States, and Way’s comedy and heavily art-directed spots will play well there, says Cooper, who adds making Millennium’s Canadian directors readily accessible to the U.S. market is a large part of the company’s mandate.

‘It’s important for us in Canada to get our directors work in the States,’ says Cooper. ‘The market is a lot bigger, and I think with the directors being partners in the company, it helps focus the company on looking after the directors instead of piling 50 on its shelf.’

Walton’s reel, says Cooper, is largely made up of U.S. work. He has been particularly busy in the Northwestern U.S. lately. Cooper feels, however, that Case will have the biggest immediate impact in the U.S. because of his tabletop food work.

‘There are very large food accounts down there, and some of the best food shooters out of Chicago and New York are going to be retiring soon,’ notes Cooper.

Millennium’s U.S. office is run by president/executive producer Richard Gagnon, who represents Detroit’s JB Carlin, the U.K.’s Charlie Watson and L.A.’s Bill Scarlet, all of whom can be accessed through Cooper for Canadian work.