Miller is an Australian manufacturer of fluid head tripod systems with hydraulic damping designed for professional camera movement.
Technical Details
Miller filters are made of thermoplastic material 3-6mm thick with incorporated diffusion particles ranging in size from 50-200 micrometers. Standard versions offer diffusion grades of 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, and Full, with Full causing a light reduction of approximately 1.3 stops. The filters can withstand temperatures up to 180°C and are available in standard sizes from 12x12" to 20x24". Modern variants like "Tough Spun" or "Grid Cloth" use woven diffusion materials with thread thicknesses of 0.1-0.3mm for different scattering properties.
History & Development
Arthur Miller developed this diffusion technique in 1968 during the filming of "Hello, Dolly!" for facial illumination of Barbra Streisand. Commercial production began in 1973 at Matthews Studio Equipment. Metz introduced European variants in 1979, followed by Lee Filters in 1985 with the "Tough White" series. Since 1995, double-layer versions have been added, and since 2003, LED-optimized filters with adjusted transmission curves have complemented the range.
Practical Use in Film
Conrad Hall extensively used Miller filters in "American Beauty" (1999) for the characteristic soft lighting of suburban scenes. Roger Deakins employed 1/4 Miller for interior shots in "No Country for Old Men" (2007) to soften harsh practical lights without losing their directional quality. Typical workflow: Millers are mounted 30-60cm in front of the light source, often in combination with CTO filters for HMI lighting. Advantage over bouncing: Maintaining light direction while simultaneously softening the image.
Comparison & Alternatives
Unlike frost filters, Millers preserve the original light direction more strongly, while opal filters produce more even but flatter illumination. Modern LED panels with built-in diffusion are increasingly replacing the combination of a hard source plus Miller. Chimera softboxes offer similar results with a larger footprint. In cases of extreme heat development (>5kW), Millers remain the first choice, as textile diffusers fail.