The Directors: Miguel Murciano
Based in Mexico City, Miguel Murciano's passion for filmmaking was sparked in his youth when his father introduced him to Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns. Recognising the genre's potential for comedy, he began exploring inventive ways to entertain audiences.
Venturing to Italy, Miguel honed his skills in postproduction and camera work, culminating in his acclaimed short film "La Metafora del Piccione" ("The Pigeon's Metaphor"), which garnered multiple awards at prestigious festivals.
Transitioning seamlessly into advertising, Miguel focused on humour and post-production, earning recognition for his creative solutions while working with renowned brands such as Coca-Cola, Amazon, and Fiat. His global experiences filming on four continents have enriched his perspective and solidified his reputation in the industry.
A multifaceted individual, Miguel's interests extend beyond filmmaking to include international cuisine, motorsports, rugby, history, sailing, and travel. While he enjoys combining his passions whenever possible, he acknowledges the challenge of playing rugby on a sailboat.
LOCATION: Mexico City / Barcelona
REP: Let it Rip Pictures / USA
BRANDS: Nestle, Coca-Cola, Fortuna Cervezas, UPS, Fiat
SKILLS: Comedy, VFX, Food
LBB> What’s the place you feel like you belong in?
Miguel> I consider myself very fortunate to have lived in various places around the world, from the small town where I grew up surrounded by mountains, ham, and truffles, to the mega city of Mexico City. Turin (Italy) or Madrid have also been places where I've spent a lot of time. I've also travelled a lot for work and been to very welcoming places like Lebanon where I felt like one of them; it's likely that much of my blood is just as Phoenician.
LBB> What’s your favourite food-related memory?
Miguel> I love food, I enjoy savouring new combinations and tasting local specialties. The impact of those first experiences is a tattoo on the palate, an invisible ink from pho in Vietnam, Caribbean lobster, street tacos, Bergamo-style polenta, Argentine alfajores, or lemon granita in Naples.
LBB> Share with us your guilty pleasure. And a sport you’d like to be good at.
Miguel> I can be very good at procrastination, allowing my mind the freedom to conjure up new ideas. I really enjoy watching a rugby match; I played for many years and still live it through the screen.
LBB> If you’d need to pick where you draw your inspiration from - based on the last three questions - would it be places, foods, or guilty pleasures?
Miguel> I'm passionate about advertising; I'm constantly seeking new references, and that visual culture combined with personal experiences becomes the foundation of my inspiration: from the explosion of a new flavour to the tedious wait at an airport, everything is susceptible to conveying sensations to the audience. The importance of being aware and observant of the world around us.
LBB> What US state would you choose for an open-budget weekend?
Miguel> I come from a region in Spain called Aragon that is often compared to Oregon, whether it's just a phonetic coincidence or due to nature, I'd like to find out.
LBB> What’s a movie scene you’d like to recreate in a commercial?
Miguel> The pace of advertising is completely different; it has become much more accentuated in recent years, leaving little room for pauses or recreation in actor performances. One of my favourite movies is "A Prophet" by Jean Jacques Audiard; there's a shootout scene that is pure gold. I'm not sure if advertising would allow us to recreate it, but parodying it could be a lot of fun.
LBB> Can you name a project that changed the course of your career in an unexpected way?
Miguel> My career has been built gradually; I don't feel like there's a project that catapulted me, but rather work after work. Undoubtedly, moving to Mexico from Spain was decisive for growing within the industry; from there, I started filming in other countries in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East...
LBB> How do you collaborate with actors in order to get the best emotions out?
Miguel> It's very important to empathise with them, the casting processes, character work, and the pressure in front of the camera. I really like creating a comfortable working environment where creativity can flow, where there's no such thing as a mistake, only different interpretations.
LBB> What’s your favourite in-camera trick?
Miguel> I love playing with the difference in perspective between human vision and the camera, combining it with editing and creating visual games typical of cinematography. Advertising greatly celebrates this language, and I enjoy it a lot.
LBB> Transitions - love them or hate them?
Miguel> I really like them; I use them when I think they're useful. I understand that many people hate them because of their overuse in recent years, leading to visual acrobatics devoid of narrative or emotion.
LBB> What’s your take on AI?
Miguel> I'm very intrigued by it and I feel it can be very useful, it already is today for visualisation, and we're gradually seeing its possibilities. I think what's hot right now is more the copyright of AI than its capabilities.
LBB> Did you ever do a cameo role and if so, can you share a picture with us?
Miguel> When I lived in Italy, I was a housekeeper in a palace in a period film. It was a very fun experience.
LBB> Dream client?
Miguel> I enjoy clients who trust in the processes and the creative capacity of everyone involved. There are many talented people in the industry who provide innovative solutions every time they're given the space to do so.
LBB> What is your advice to producers in order to keep our film sets more eco-friendly?
Miguel> There's a lot of single-use material on sets; I think we should have an internal reflection on these practices and join the change.
