ISSEI is a New Zealand-based filmmaker and creative director whose Instagram account doubles as a portfolio for his broader production work. He is the…
Total Followers -0.1%
38K
Across Instagram
Primary Platform
38K followers · 100% of audience
Engagement
3.6%
vs. 1.5% category median
Sponsorship Tier
Micro
Est. $962–$2.7K / IG post
| Platform | Followers | 30d Growth | Engagement | Posts / wk | Last upload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38,485 | +-46 | 3.6% | — | 4 months ago |
| Window | Combined | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last 7 days | +0 +0.0% | +0 +0.0% | +0 +0.0% | +0 |
| Last 30 days | -46 -0.1% | +0 +0.0% | +0 +0.0% | -46 |
| Last 90 days | -189 -0.5% | +0 +0.0% | +0 +0.0% | -189 |
| Last 365 days | -189 -0.5% | +0 +0.0% | +0 +0.0% | -189 |
Daily follower snapshots from CreatorDB's longitudinal index.
ISSEI is a New Zealand-based filmmaker and creative director whose Instagram account doubles as a portfolio for his broader production work. He is the founder of Phosphr Studio and executive director of Discover Tokyo, two ventures that anchor his content around cinematic travel, lifestyle storytelling, and Japan-focused visual culture. His feed reads like a working creative's sketchbook: Sony-shot reels from Shibuya streets and Sri Lankan rail journeys, drone work captured on the DJI Air 3S, AI-assisted experiments using tools like Higgsfield and Kling, and behind-the-scenes vignettes from pop-ups and collaborations with other Tokyo-adjacent creatives. The tone is contemplative and craft-forward rather than personality-driven, with captions that lean into mood and process over commentary.
ISSEI operates squarely in the travel, film and creative-direction space, with a visual style rooted in cinematic photography, Japan-centric storytelling and AI-assisted post-production (Higgsfield, Kling). That makes the account a natural fit for camera and gear brands (Sony bodies and lenses feature prominently in recent posts), drones (DJI Air 3S has appeared organically), travel boards and airlines covering Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Japan corridors, and creator-tool platforms in the generative-AI editing category. Audience skews heavily male and 25–44, concentrated in the US and UK — a media-buyer profile suited to premium lifestyle and tech. Engagement runs at roughly double category median, though a four-month posting gap is a cadence risk sponsors should flag before booking integrated campaigns.
Benchmark estimates for a creator at ISSEI's tier (Micro, 38K combined followers, NZL). Pulled from CreatorDB's category benchmarks.
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ISSEI is a New Zealand–based filmmaker and creative director who posts cinematic travel, portrait, and lifestyle work to Instagram. He is the founder of Phosphr Studio and serves as Executive Director of Discover Tokyo, and his feed leans heavily into Japan-focused visual storytelling.
Phosphr Studio is ISSEI's own creative house, which he highlights in his Instagram bio as the company he founded. His feed essentially doubles as a portfolio for the studio, showcasing the kind of film, photography, and creative direction work that Phosphr is built around.
Yes — his Instagram bio lists him as Executive Director of @discovertokyo. That role helps explain why so much of his content is centred on Japan, Shibuya street scenes, and Tokyo-based creative projects even though he's based out of New Zealand.
ISSEI is a Sony shooter — he regularly captions posts referencing fellow Sony users and even did a 'no battery, no problem' bit about borrowing from other Sony shooters. For aerial work, his captions and hashtags point to the DJI Air 3S drone.
Yes. His recent reels — including a 'fire experiment' transition piece — are tagged with #higgsfield and #klingai, showing he blends generative AI transitions with traditional cinematography. It's part of why his reels lean experimental rather than vlog-style.
ISSEI is based in New Zealand, although his content travels heavily — recent posts feature Sri Lanka's Nine Arch Bridge, Vietnam, and Tokyo. His audience is largely outside NZ, with the US making up the majority of his Instagram followers.
His bio points followers to @urtmrw as his secondary account. The main @issei handle focuses on the polished cinematic film and travel work, while the secondary account acts as an alternate personal feed.
Yes — his recent posts include a Sri Lanka travel piece referencing the Nine Arch Bridge ('Where the forest breathes and the train dreams') and content tagged from Vietnam. Travel film of this kind is a core pillar of his Instagram alongside his Japan work.
His engagement rate runs at roughly double the Instagram artist-category median, which is strong for a creator in the Micro tier. Combined with a niche audience interested in filmmaking, Sony gear, drones, and Japan travel, he's well-suited for camera, travel, and AI-tool brand partnerships.
His last upload on @issei was around four months prior to mid-2026, which is a long gap for a film creator. He may be focusing on client work through Phosphr Studio or pushing newer content to his secondary account @urtmrw rather than the main grid.
Stats (followers, engagement, audience demographics, growth) are pulled live from the CreatorDB API covering YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Bio and FAQ content is AI-assisted; news items are sourced from cited public press at generation time. Read the full methodology →
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