By Robert Goldrich

Historical perspective shows not only how far director Peter Darley Miller of bicoastal/international @radical media has come, but also what hasn’t changed for him over the years. Paradoxically, it’s the latter–an affinity for varied forms of comedy, visual expression, self-described “risk taking” and his longstanding working relationship with executive producer Frank Stiefel–that’s fueled a career progression in which he has been able to break new ground.
    Consider the body of work that earned Miller a Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award nomination as best commercial director of 1998. While humor was a common thread running through Miller’s entries that year, they also exhibited a wide storytelling range from sophomoric comedy (Slice soda’s “Dissection” in which a teenage student in science class asks for another frog after apparently eating the first) to intentionally misdirecting the audience (360 Communications “Chase”) with an action/adventure thriller that looks like murder is imminent but the payoff turns out to be something more mundane, to memorable Gold Lion-winning comedy (Sony PlayStation’s “Scout”) and humor that’s both big and subtle at the same time (Nike’s “The Great Magician”).
    Now eight years later, the comedic bent is still evident in Miller’s work, including an effort, “Lavagun,” for one of the same clients. Sony PlayStation out of TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles. At the same time, though, the director has branched out via a brand of work for which he hadn’t typically been known–visually styled storytelling through the use of still photographs in an ambitious Mini Cooper campaign from Hamburg agency Jung von Matt. One of the stories, to be sure, still has the comedic sensibilities that have been evident for many years in Miller’s work. The spot centers on an obsessive Mini Cooper owner who goes out of his way to pamper his car, even sipping gasoline–ala a wine connoisseur– to make sure it makes the grade prior to being pumped it into his prized vehicle.
    Two other Mini Cooper spots, “Air Traffic Controller” and “Laser,” deploy the same succession-of-stills technique to clever storytelling effect. In “Laser,” a master burglar navigates through a hair-trigger laser beam security maze to snatch up his desired booty. But rather than make his escape unnoticed, at the last minute he intentionally activates the alarm system so that he gets the chance to speed away from pursuers in his Mini Cooper.
    Acknowledging that the look and feel of the Mini Cooper fare represented a departure from his norm, Miller said the risk-taking it entailed by him and on the part of the agency proved most gratifying. Still it should be noted that the three spots weren’t as great a stretch for Miller as one might presume in that he was a still photographer for some 15 years before making the transition to commercialmaking. “The work was new for me–yet it wasn’t,” he said. “But it helps to keep people guessing as you redefine yourself and open up new opportunities. I’m very proactive about those opportunities. I’m not one of those directors who puts it all on the production company to come up with the work. I try to help seek out projects.”
    Still Miller is quick to credit production company support, starting with his longstanding colleague, Stiefel. Miller joined Stiefel+Company, Hollywood, in 1996, and credits its president Stiefel with helping to build his directorial career, the key dynamic being that they were “highly selective about the work.” In ’02, @radical.media bought Stiefel+Company, which opened up additional avenues for Miller. Stiefel, who is executive producer/executive VP of @radical, continues to be involved in Miller’s career–but, says the director, Stiefel has also “let go” and opened the door for others at @radical to contribute.
    For example, Miller notes that @radical proprietor Frank Scherma had a hand in securing the aforementioned Mini Cooper work through the company’s Berlin office. Similarly, executive producer Donna Portaro helped secure a plum Nike assignment for him out of Taxi, Toronto. (Imported Film Artists, Toronto, reps @radical in Canada.) “Puck Dodging,” an offbeat comedy spot promoting Nike’s hockey line, is currently on Miller’s reel. And @radical proprietor Jon Kamen played a role in Miller garnering off-the-wall, buzz-generating comedy ads for Virgin Mobile out of Mother, New York. The Virgin fare includes a spot promoting an adult music offering in which toy dolls play out a flirtatious scenario reminiscent of a cheesy porn movie.
    “Frank [Stiefel] went with @radical because he thought it could help to generate more opportunities for all of us–and it certainly has for me,” relates Miller. “That was a part of his [Stiefel’s] vision–to gain greater access to the global market, production footholds overseas, and meaningful involvement in movies, TV and branded entertainment.”
    Just as his commercialmaking endeavors have broadened, Miller believes @radical will also serve to open long-form doors for him, including in the branded content arena. “It’s all about opportunities and getting to work with great creative people,” affirms Miller. “That remains a driving force for me.”

MySHOOT Profiles