Privacy Policy

Our Commitment to Data Protection

At Visionhelm, we understand that your privacy matters. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, protect, and handle your personal information when you interact with our website and film directing educational services. We are committed to transparency and maintaining the trust you place in us.

This policy applies to all information collected through our website, email communications, and any other related services. By using our website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and consent to the practices described herein.

Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

When you interact with our website or services, you may voluntarily provide us with personal information, including:

• Contact details such as your name, email address, and phone number when you fill out inquiry forms or register for course information
• Correspondence data when you communicate with us via email, contact forms, or other channels
• Course-related information including your interests in specific directing programs, experience level, and educational background
• Payment information when you enroll in courses, though financial data is processed securely through third-party payment processors

Automatically Collected Information

Our website automatically collects certain technical information when you visit:

• Device information including your IP address, browser type, operating system, and device identifiers
• Usage data such as pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, and navigation paths through our website
• Referral information showing how you arrived at our website
• Cookie data as described in our Cookie Policy, which helps us understand user preferences and improve website functionality

Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third-party services you use to interact with our website, such as social media platforms or analytics providers. This helps us better understand how visitors engage with our content and services.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for specific, legitimate purposes that benefit both our organization and our users:

Course Administration and Communication

We use your contact information to respond to inquiries, provide course details, process enrollments, and communicate about your participation in our film directing programs. This includes sending course materials, updates, and important notifications about schedule changes.

Service Improvement and Personalization

We analyze usage data to understand how visitors interact with our website, which pages are most valuable, and where we can improve the user experience. This helps us refine our course offerings and make our content more relevant to aspiring directors.

Marketing and Educational Content

With your consent, we may send you information about new courses, upcoming programs, filmmaking resources, and other educational content that aligns with your expressed interests. You can opt out of these communications at any time.

Website Security and Functionality

We use technical information to maintain website security, prevent fraud, troubleshoot technical issues, and ensure our systems function properly. This includes monitoring for suspicious activity and protecting against unauthorized access.

Legal Compliance

We may use or disclose your information when required by law, to protect our legal rights, or to comply with legal processes such as court orders or government requests.

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent: When you provide explicit consent for specific purposes, such as receiving marketing emails or accepting cookies
• Contract Performance: When processing is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations, such as providing course services you've enrolled in
• Legitimate Interests: When we have legitimate business interests that don't override your privacy rights, such as improving our services or preventing fraud
• Legal Obligation: When required to comply with applicable laws and regulations

Data Sharing and Third Parties

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. However, we may share your data in the following limited circumstances:

Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist us with website hosting, email communications, payment processing, analytics, and other essential functions. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the purposes we specify.

Analytics and Advertising Partners

We use analytics services to understand website usage patterns and advertising platforms to reach potential students. These partners may collect data about your online activities through cookies and similar technologies. You can control these through your cookie preferences.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, in response to legal processes, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our organization, our users, or others.

Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the new owner. We will notify you of any such change and your options regarding your data.

Data Protection Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction:

• Encryption: We use SSL/TLS encryption to protect data transmitted between your browser and our servers
• Access Controls: We restrict access to personal data to authorized personnel who need it to perform their job functions
• Secure Storage: Personal data is stored on secure servers with regular security audits and updates
• Regular Monitoring: We monitor our systems for potential vulnerabilities and security incidents
• Data Minimization: We collect only the information necessary for specified purposes and retain it no longer than needed

While we take reasonable precautions to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but remain committed to maintaining industry-standard protections.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy and to comply with legal obligations:

• Contact form submissions and inquiries are retained for up to two years after your last interaction
• Course enrollment records are maintained for seven years for educational and legal compliance purposes
• Website analytics data is typically retained for 26 months
• Marketing consent records are kept until you withdraw consent or for up to three years of inactivity

After retention periods expire, we securely delete or anonymize your personal information. You may request earlier deletion in accordance with your rights described below.

Your Privacy Rights

You have important rights regarding your personal information. We are committed to facilitating the exercise of these rights:

Right to Access

You can request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of the information we hold about you. We will provide this in a clear, accessible format.

Right to Rectification

If your personal information is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request corrections. We will update your information promptly upon verification.

Right to Erasure

You can request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances, such as when it's no longer necessary for the purposes it was collected or if you withdraw consent. Some data may need to be retained for legal compliance.

Right to Data Portability

You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used format and to transmit it to another organization where technically feasible.

Right to Object

You can object to processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes at any time. For other processing activities based on legitimate interests, you can object with specific reasons.

Right to Restrict Processing

In certain situations, you can request that we limit how we use your personal data while issues are resolved, such as when you contest the accuracy of the data.

Right to Withdraw Consent

Where we rely on your consent to process personal data, you can withdraw that consent at any time. This won't affect processing that occurred before withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@stemshadowatelier.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority if you believe we have not handled your data properly.

Your Rights and Opt-Out Instructions

You are not required to provide any personal information when using this website. If you prefer not to share your data, you may:

• Avoid filling out contact forms, account registrations, or any data-submitting features
• Disable cookies through your browser settings (see our Cookie Policy for more details)
• Contact us directly to request the deletion of any previously shared personal data

We respect your privacy choices. If you would like us to delete your data, please reach out to us at info@stemshadowatelier.com or through our contact page. We will process your request promptly and confirm deletion within 30 days.

Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for individuals aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected information from a child, we will take immediate steps to delete such information from our records.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at info@stemshadowatelier.com.

International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than Japan, including countries that may have different data protection laws. When we transfer data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place through:

• Standard contractual clauses approved by relevant authorities
• Working with service providers certified under recognized privacy frameworks
• Ensuring adequate levels of data protection in recipient countries

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make significant changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and may provide additional notice through email or a prominent notice on our website.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information. Your continued use of our website after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Information