Pytka's first movie, Let It Ride , starring Richard Dreyfuss, was a flop. His second movie, Space Jam , starred basketball superstar Michael Jordan and was mostly animated. It fared better in the box office than Let it Ride but did not turn Pytka in a major Hollywood player. For Pytka, directing commercials is more challenging and more satisfying than movies because there is more room to experiment. He says he equates feature films to novels and commercials to poetry.
Great poetry is something that exists for itself.
Beauty is its own reward. He got his start in the '60s as a documentary producer and the verisimilitude of documentary film is present in his commercials. In a business reliant on technology and special effects, Pytka's skill is expressing a sense of humanity and authenticity. On Sunday night , Pepsi unveils the latest addition to Pytka's oeuvre. Afterward, the machines in Kasperov's life conspire and take revenge.