Hiro Murai ’02

Hiro began his impressive filmmaking career directing music videos for artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, Death Cab for Cutie and The Shins.  He frequently collaborates with the actor and musician Donald Glover, who raps under the stage name Childish Gambino. Hiro directed his revelatory, Grammy-winning music video “This Is America,” a visually gripping tour de force that confronts issues including racism and mass shootings.

“The reception of the show was a total surprise to me,” he says. “The show has such a weird, specific voice that I never expected it to connect with people on such a big scale. But I love it, obviously.

The mainstream success of “Atlanta” underscores Hiro’s approach to filmmaking. The less he thinks about how a particular project will be received, he says, the more creatively honest it will be.

“I don’t always succeed at not thinking about expectations, but the best things I’ve made have always come from not worrying about outcome. I just try to enjoy the process.”

Hiro has also directed critically acclaimed TV series including "Barry," "Station 11" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," and won an Emmy for his work as an executive producer on "The Bear."

For Hiro, who was born in Tokyo, the process of launching a career behind the camera included several milestones at Crossroads. He started playing with cameras in middle school, developing his interests in photography and the visual arts. By high school he was taking a video production class and making short films, including one of a pie-eating contest at Alleyween that he remembers vividly.

“Crossroads really fostered my love for visual art,” he says.