He began his career at WRS Motion Picture and Video Lab in Pittsburgh in the 1960s and 70s. The director started shooting shows for WQED and working on documentaries in various capacities, including Steeltown Blues, Maggie’s Farm, and a documentary on air pollution narrated by Orson Welles, and shot a forerunner to music videos called High Flying Bird, featuring Steve McQueen.
Today, Pytka has directed more than 5,000 commercials for some of the world’s largest corporations, and earned many awards and nominations including three Directors Guild of America Commercial Direction Awards and 15 nominations, the most for that category. Over the past three decades, his stylized images have wedged themselves into the American consciousness, and his commercials for clients such as Budweiser, Pepsi, McDonald’s and NFL have aired more than 30 times during the Super Bowl telecast.