Gary Leo Miller / DIRECTOR & CINEMATOGRAPHER
A director’s director. That guy who turns staid into stunning and ho-hum product commercials into Oscar-worthy awesomeness. But don’t expect any ego here. He’s just really, really, really passionate about film.
Gary comes by his passion for storytelling authentically, forgoing the traditional fancy film school path for a self-taught career forged out of adventure and a keen eye for style and showmanship. As a competitive downhill mountain biker, he learned the power of having a sharp focus (both literally and metaphorically); as a sous chef he acquired his rigorous discipline, and as a Volvo mechanic he discovered the beauty of a well-crafted piece of equipment. (We’ve also seen him casually pick up a unicycle and effortlessly ride it on set, but don’t ask us where he picked up that cool party trick!)
From these rich life experiences, Gary has honed his intuition for understanding people, brands and stories, along with a fine-tuned ability to translate that on screen. Through a vigorous work ethic and immersive approach, he can find a stunning visual language in even the most mundane objects and locations — Gary truly does find beauty everywhere he goes, elevating the everyday into something extraordinary. And through it all, he captures that human desire for connection, finding those little details that tug at the heartstrings and make even the biggest brands entirely relatable for their audiences.
Gary’s unique visual approach melds the best of documentary and feature filmmaking. He has exceptional range as a director, able to create a sense of mystery and anticipation through cinematic framing and dramatic lighting, or to engage his audience on a personal level, finding intimacy by shooting authentic details and eliciting nuanced performances from his actors. As a commercial director, Gary brings his characteristic warmth and cinematic vision to short essence films, narrative explorations and commercials for high-profile brands like GE Aviation, Tempur-Pedic, UofL, Valvoline and the University of Kentucky.
And with his easy going demeanor and knack for sharing hilarious anecdotes, he’s also just a damn fun guy to work with!
