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Jon Chu

JON M. CHU has established himself as a versatile and original director with the success of his feature-film debut, Step Up 2 The Streets. He directed the second installment in the hit Step Up franchise, having just graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2004. Chu's directorial effort earned him a 2008 Teen Choice Award.

One of five artistic children, Chu developed his love of music and dance at an early age. He began making his own Super 8 films of family vacations and later started shooting short subjects with his brothers and sisters. By the time he was in high school in Los Altos Hills, California, he was videotaping weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, memory videos for school and video yearbooks—and he knew he was going to be a filmmaker.

While a sophomore at USC, Chu made the innovative short Silent Beats, which unfolds its story to a tap-dance rhythm soundtrack. The film went on to win numerous awards, including the Jack Nicholson Directing Award and the Princess Grace Foundation's Cary Grant Award, as well as a scholarship for the burgeoning filmmaker to continue his studies at USC. While at USC, Chu also made the acclaimed 20-minute film When the Kids Are Away, a rousing musical exploration of motherhood that utilized salsa, swing and hip-hop, as well as a 50-piece orchestra and 20-voice student choir.

The film soon garnered widespread interest in Hollywood—and brought him to the attention of the producers of Step Up 2 The Streets, who gave him the rare opportunity to combine his love of inventive dance and filmmaking on the big screen.

More recently, Chu has garnered a significant online presence with the success of The Biggest Online Dance Battle in History, featuring the Adam/Chu Dance Crew, which counts top dancers and celebrities in its ranks. The brainchild of Chu and Step Up 3D actor Adam Sevani (Step Up 2 The Streets) has grown into a worldwide phenomenon with 45 million views online and appearances on the 2008 Teen Choice Awards and YouTube Live. In addition, Chu recently ventured into new territory with the release of The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers (LXD), an online episodic dance opera that chronicles the formation of the most elite dance crew in the world.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2011.
Read earlier biographies on this page.

Jon Chu Facts

Birth Name Jonathan Murray Chu
OccupationDirector
BirthdayNovember 2, 1979 (44)
SignScorpio
BirthplacePalo Alto

Selected Filmography

Not available.