Buzz
With a Hollywood career spanning three decades, producer and director Troy Miller has done it all. From directing beloved TV series like Parks & Rec, Flight of the Conchords, and Bored to Death to creating shorts for the MTV Movie Awards, feature films, and Oscar segments, Miller's portfolio is vast. Through his company, Dakota Pictures, he has produced numerous specials and shows. Most notably, he collaborated with Mitch Hurwitz to bring back Arrested Development after its six-year hiatus, directing and producing its fourth season for Netflix.
Miller's newest project, Deadbeat, centers on Kevin Pacalioglu, a bumbling medium who assists spirits while struggling to manage his own chaotic life. The series' debut season will premiere on Hulu on April 9. In our conversation, Miller discussed the rise of binge-watching, the decline of scheduled TV, and the art of crafting compelling ghost stories.
What sparked your involvement with Deadbeat? What captivated you about the project? Kevin Beggs from Lionsgate shared the writers' pitch with me, and after reading the pilot, I was instantly hooked. I enthusiastically joined the team and worked closely with the writers and Hulu's programmer, Charlotte Koh, to refine the script. We completed all scripts before filming began, and I approached the series with a cinematic mindset, treating it like a feature film.
Is this approach—developing a show like a movie—common for series released all at once online? Not necessarily, but it often becomes a practical choice due to tighter budgets. Platforms like Hulu and Netflix, which release entire seasons at once, allow for more cohesive storytelling. Unlike traditional TV shows, where you might only be a few episodes ahead, this method lets you revisit earlier episodes to enhance later ones. For example, after finishing episode 8, we could tweak episodes 2 and 3 to create a more satisfying narrative. This flexibility mirrors the creative process of directing movies, where building a complete world is part of the thrill.
Innovators at these emerging companies are developing apps that enable television viewing on any device. Whether it's Hulu or Netflix on my TV, the experience is now seamless. While it feels a bit unconventional, it's thrilling to witness their fresh approaches. They aren't striving to be different for the sake of it—they simply don't know any other way. The creativity and intelligence of these teams reignite excitement, especially within Hollywood's creative circles.
Does releasing all episodes at once have advantages? It certainly alters how viewers engage with the content. For instance, friends who binge-watched LOST noticed how obvious the plot points became when consumed back-to-back. It's interesting you bring up Lost. That was my first binge-watching experience during its second season, around Thanksgiving. I hadn't seen a single episode before, so I devoured the entire first season on DVD in just a few days. As someone who also enjoys video games—like playing Call of Duty for hours—it felt similarly immersive. That experience made me prefer On Demand viewing. Shows like The Sopranos, which I consider one of the best ever, thrived on anticipation, but binge-watching offers a different kind of satisfaction.
With so many options available, I often record shows and wait until I have a few episodes stacked up. This way, I can create a mini-marathon, tricking myself into watching multiple episodes at once. For example, watching six episodes of Deadbeat in one sitting feels empowering—I can watch whenever I want, eliminating the need to wait for weekly releases.
The landscape is shifting rapidly. My teenage kids, for instance, only know Hulu and Netflix—they've never experienced scheduled TV. Appointment viewing is becoming a thing of the past. As a director, it's exhilarating to be part of this revolution. I approach it as both a fan and a filmmaker. Previously, you'd hesitate to include something in Episode 3, fearing viewers might forget it by Episode 6 or 7. Now, they'll see it within an hour and a half, making storytelling more dynamic.
Arrested Development exemplifies this perfectly. Mitch Hurwitz's genius lies in embedding countless clever details throughout the series—both the original and the recent season. Binge-watchers are richly rewarded, often revisiting episodes to uncover hidden gems they missed the first time.
This is exactly what we aimed for with Deadbeat. Over time, viewers will discover subtle details we’ve woven into the show. Having all the scripts ready beforehand and filming everything in one go, much like a movie, allowed us to dedicate more time to perfecting those nuances.
Let’s discuss the cast. Cat Deeley, who plays Chamomile, was a delightful surprise. Known for her charming hosting on shows like So You Think You Can Dance, she transforms into a convincing villain in Deadbeat. How did she join the project, and how did you assemble the rest of the cast? Credit goes to our casting director, Cindy Tolan. She was impressed by Cat’s guest appearance on House of Lies. While I hadn’t seen her dance show, her performance in that clip showcased the perfect blend of charisma and cunning we needed for Chamomile. Cat brought a unique perspective to the role, balancing her character’s malice with a veneer of kindness. She nailed it from day one, demonstrating incredible instincts as a performer.
Casting Kevin Pacalioglu took four months of auditions. Tyler Labine, who landed the role, is naturally likable and brought a lot of improvisation to the character. This is his first true leading role, and he shines in it. While the show features an ensemble cast, Tyler anchors every scene. The other characters have their own arcs, but they all tie back to Kevin’s journey.
For Cat’s character’s sidekick, we wanted someone who contrasted her polished demeanor—someone frazzled and downtrodden. Lucy DeVito, who was performing in a New York play, submitted a self-taped audition with just two takes. Her delivery was so compelling that it felt like a monologue. She was so well-prepared that the writers expanded her role significantly, especially toward the season’s end.
Brandon T. Jackson, who plays Kevin’s sidekick and drug dealer, was a fantastic addition. Despite having starred in larger roles, he embraced this part enthusiastically. He and Tyler had prior chemistry, which translated seamlessly into their comedic timing. As a director, I mostly stepped back during their improv scenes, letting their natural rapport take center stage.
Let’s discuss the ghosts in the show. There’s clearly some visual effects work involved. How did you approach filming them? You might know Freddy Wong, who’s known for creating impressive homemade effects. Our budget, while modest for a major effects-driven series, is substantial for a cable or internet production. This meant I had to creatively adapt and retrofit the effects to fit our resources.
I aimed for the ghosts to feel natural and integrated into everyday life, similar to the approach in Bringing Out the Dead. Not to compare myself to Scorsese’s brilliance, but I admired how he depicted ghosts in that film—subtle presences only visible to Nicolas Cage’s character, blending seamlessly into the world around him.
Filming in New York requires speed, so we used portable green screens. Often, we’d shoot a scene and then capture the ghost effects separately on a green screen stage weeks later. However, for Deadbeat, being a comedy, maintaining the rhythm of the scene was crucial. This sometimes meant shooting with the ghost actor present, then reshooting without them, and directing the cast on where to look. It involved a lot of precise eyeline adjustments and careful planning for the effects.
The technical side is driven by a filmmaker’s perspective—how to make the ghosts feel like they’re part of the world, visible only to Kevin. The goal is to keep the ghosts subtle, so viewers only see them from Kevin’s perspective, occasionally reminded that others can’t. Wide shots often exclude the ghosts, but in close-ups with Kevin, they become visible. This approach is rooted in storytelling, with practicality and budget considerations secondary.
The ghosts have a unique, almost undulating appearance. How did you develop that look? It’s a combination of techniques from the effects company we collaborated with, enhanced by a wavy effect I introduced. Our cinematographer, a highly skilled filmmaker, suggested incorporating reflections during location scouting, as if the ghosts were seen through windows. We experimented with various ideas, eventually settling on a mirror-like effect. This involved adding an after-effects layer to create the illusion of light refracting through the ghost’s form. The process was labor-intensive, requiring frame-by-frame animation and a team of effects artists working simultaneously to meet deadlines. Once the visual style was established, it became a consistent template for the series.
Why do you often operate the Steadicam yourself while directing? Does it offer a different perspective compared to observing from a distance? I’m always hands-on and deeply involved in the process. I’m not one to sit back passively; I thrive on being physically engaged. When I freelance on other projects, I can focus on the monitor and fine-tune the scene’s rhythm. But on my own shows, I’m right there with the actors, guiding them in real-time and doing multiple takes. I’ve operated handheld cameras throughout my career, and transitioning to Steadicam felt natural. For the past decade, I’ve operated the Steadicam on nearly everything I direct because it keeps me connected to the actors. When I direct from a monitor, communication goes through layers—DP to camera operator to dolly operator—which slows things down. With the Steadicam, I can directly adjust an actor’s position or delivery, crafting the shot as it happens.
On Deadbeat, we frequently use Segways with a heavy Steadicam rig, a technique I developed to achieve faster, more dynamic shots. We also used this method extensively in the final season of Flight of the Conchords. It’s one of my signature techniques, giving my work a distinct visual style. On lower-budget projects, I keep the crew small by handling the camera myself, which allows for greater efficiency and creative control.
What’s next for you after this? When I’m not directing movies or TV series, I focus on developing new projects through my production company, Dakota Pictures. We’re exploring innovative reality shows with a cinematic approach and expanding our team by adding directing executives to our development department. This growth is fueled by our recent successes with Netflix and Hulu, which have opened up exciting new opportunities.
The trend in new cable programming leans toward lower-budget, high-quality alternative comedy—a space where my company has thrived. Few independent production companies remain today, especially those not owned by a studio, taking full financial risks, and led by a creative showrunner like myself. We’ve managed to stay relevant and competitive in this evolving landscape.
Currently, I’m producing a pilot for FX called Dr. Brown, starring the incredibly talented performance artist Phil Burgers. This project aligns perfectly with our ethos, much like Mr. Show, Tenacious D, Flight of the Conchords, and Bored to Death—shows we’ve produced that have cultivated dedicated fanbases. Each has a unique charm, and Arrested Development, which Mitch Hurwitz brought me into, embodies that same special quality. It feels like the industry is finally catching up to the kind of work I’ve been doing for 25 years. Now, instead of pitching ideas, I’m being approached to bring these projects to life, which is both exciting and rewarding.
