Miles Murphy | Second Unit Director

Biography

Brisbane-based Second Unit Director (2nd Unit Director) with two decades of directing and a lifetime of on-set expertise, from performance and car action to comprehensive 3D previs.

Miles Murphy brings over two decades of directing experience built on a lifetime of on-set expertise. The son of pioneering feature director Geoff Murphy, who directed 18 feature films across Hollywood and New Zealand. Miles literally grew up on film sets, learning the craft from the ground up. He went on to spend 15 years as a Key and Dolly Grip across hundreds of commercials, TV series, short films, and major feature productions, including Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, giving him an intuitive, hands-on command of camera movement and complex set operations.

As a director known for performance and comedy, Miles brings a rare, well-rounded versatility to second unit work. Alongside feature experience on the action film Pork Pie, his credentials include six years directing high-octane stunt campaigns for Supercheap Auto, blending precision vehicle work with sharp comedic timing. Having directed over half a dozen award-winning short films and hundreds of commercials, he approaches second unit not just as a technical operator, but as a performance director who can match tone, execute complex stunts, and protect the story.

• 20+ years directing second unit features, commercials, and narrative shorts
• 15-year foundational tenure in camera support & movement (Key/Dolly Grip on The Lord of the Rings)
• Second Unit Director on theatrical feature 'Pork Pie'
• In-house 3D animation capabilities for pitching & sequence previs
• Deep technical expertise in Motion Control robotics & generative AI workflows
• Post-Production Advisor on feature film 'Spooked'
• Award-winning Director (Cannes Lion, Best Director & Best Film for 'The Knock')
• Co-founder, Director, and Executive Producer at HAPPY.film
• Former breakdancer for The Electric Ewoks (still pulls out the headspin at wrap parties)

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