Makoto Hirano is a filmmaker, creative director, writer, and photographer with over 25 years of international experience. Born in Tokyo and raised in Egypt and the United States, he began his creative career in New York before relocating to Sydney, where he launched his film directing career and earned Cannes Lions and British D&AD awards. He later founded Beast Media in Tokyo, Los Angeles, and New York, directing more than 35 commercials and leading campaigns for brands such as Godiva that helped nearly triple sales. Outside of advertising, his debut novel The German Swimmer—a work of literary fiction— is represented by Susanna Lea Associates in London.