Movie director Bennett Miller's feature debut, Capote, was hailed by many critics as one of the best films of 2005. A one-time student of New York University's film school, Miller directed TV commercials and made the documentary The Cruise (1998), a portrait of eccentric New York City tour guide Timothy "Speed" Levitch, released in 1998. Miller's childhood chum, writer and actor Dan Futterman, sent him a script about author Truman Capote's experiences while researching the book In Cold Blood. The two then approached long-time acquaintance and actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who signed on as executive producer and star. Hoffman received rave reviews -- and an Oscar -- for his portrayal of Capote, and Miller won an Oscar nomination for best direction.

In 2006 Miller directed the video for Bob Dylan's "When the Deal Goes Down," featuring Scarlett Johanson.