Zach Kuhn has one mantra in life – be original.
Born in 1991, Zach grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of a banker and a government employee. His parents raised him to be unique and to be original in all aspects of his life.
Having an extensive background in music, Zach sometimes found himself standing out because of this skill. This propagated Zach’s desire for more challenges. Originally desiring to be an actor and a model, Zach found more fun behind the camera, creating content for YouTube since the platform’s existence in 2006.
In 2010, Zach moved from Cincinnati to Phoenix, to study film at the Herberger Institute for the Design and Arts at Arizona State. A trip to Japan between his freshman and sophomore year at ASU drove an inherent desire to learn about Japan, and he got accepted to a government-sponsored academic scholarship at Sophia University in Tokyo in 2013. Graduating in 2015 with a degree in economics, Zach seemed to have strayed away from film and media production, wanting to be an international businessman.
Zach, however, still posting to YouTube and becoming integrated with the local YouTubers and influencers in Japan, found work out of college creating content for businesses. His first job was short-lived due to the company’s balance sheet, however, that experience drove him to create Phoenix Films in 2016.
In 2018, he opened Ginza Studio, meant to be a collaborative and creative space for like-minded artists. Things were growing and expanding but the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 caused all of that to go bust in a hurry.
In June of 2020, Phoenix Films relocated to Aoyama, collaborating with more entrepreneurs to creat Aoyama Professionals. Zach, through Phoenix Films, is active to this day with Aoyama Professionals, working as an AC, scriptwriter, collaborator, and executive, while still remaining active in the YouTube community in Japan. One goal still remains – Be Original.