Meet YujiroĀ
Director BioĀ
Born and raised in Japan, Yujiro Seki discovered his passion for film-making when he was in high school. Through making his first feature film, Sokonashi Deka (The Enigmatic Detective), he became enamored with the imaginative possibilities of cinema and vowed to master the art through study in the United States. Despite the fact that starting a new life in a new country was a challenge in itself, Seki earned a BA in Film from the University of California, Berkeley, and completed a short film, Sashimi Taco, for his senior, honors thesis. Following his graduation, Seki moved to Los Angeles to work as a director of the video department for Intermarket Design, and as a film instructor at Montecito Fine Arts College of Design. After attaining permanent U.S. residency, Seki began studying full time in the Cinematography program at UCLA Extension. Upon graduating from that program, he embarked on the journey of making his feature documentary project, Carving the Divine: Buddhist Sculptors of Japan.Ā Carving the Divine has become the official selection for 33 film festivals, showing in a total of 22 countries, and won awards at 13 festivals worldwide, such as winning the Best Director Award of a Foreign Language Documentary at World Cinema Milan and premiering at the famous Raindance Film Festival in London.Ā Building on its growing reputation, Yujiro secured a broadcast rights contract with Dutch national TV network NPO2, where the film premiered on December 31, 2023. The film has earned recognition from prestigious academic institutions and museums, including Yale University, UC Berkeley, and the University of Virginia, among many others. Through his experience, Seki developed a unique digital marketing approach called the "Social Media Universe System" to help filmmakers build audiences, navigate film festivals, manage crowdfunding campaigns, and achieve worldwide distribution.
My Story
My passion has always been inspiring people through film. After making my first student film in high school, I pursued filmmaking education extensively - studying directing, screenwriting, cinematography, and audio engineering. While working as a video department director, I took on extra Hollywood projects, all to create that perfect inspiring film. After years of dedication, I finally made what I believed was that dream project.
But creating the film was just the beginning. Having focused solely on production, I had no plan beyond submitting to Sundance. When that didn't work out, I felt completely lost.
The world of film marketing proved to be a maze with no easy answers. The industry seemed built to exploit filmmakers, leaving me feeling defeated and hopeless.
After wasting money on ineffective marketers who charged high fees but delivered poor results, I realized I needed to learn marketing myselfā€”despite my initial reluctance. Through persistence, I developed the skills that landed my film in Raindance Film Festival, secured TV network deals, and achieved academic distribution. Remarkably, years later, the film continues to generate revenue.Ā
What I Offer
While abundant resources exist for improving filmmaking skills, few teach effective film promotion. Despite scattered marketing advice, there's a lack of comprehensive, long-term solutions. Each film needs its unique strategy, and turning filmmaking from fantasy into reality requires mastering both production and marketing.
I've witnessed firsthand how film festivals, distributors, and industry professionals can take advantage of filmmakers. That's why I've created marketing courses specifically for filmmakers. Unlike other courses that focus on theory, I provide practical, implementable examples for your marketing strategy. This isn't a get-rich-quick schemeā€”it demands dedication. But if you're committed to marketing your film and building a sustainable filmmaking career, the work is essential.
Many filmmakers are willing to work hard for their dreams but struggle with where to begin marketing. This vulnerability leads them to people who promise help without delivering results. Here's the truth: no one will care about your film as much as you do. No one will be as committed to its success. Why not empower yourself to do it? After all, you're the one with the most at stake in your film's success.
I understand what you're going through. After spending years accomplishing what seemed impossibleā€”creating a film that countless people dream of but rarely finishā€”you find yourself feeling lost, hopeless, and underappreciated. That's exactly why I created this service: to empower you to take control of your future.Ā
Work With Yujiro