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The Birth of Jon
Born Jonathan Murray Chu in Palo Alto, California, to Lawrence (a restaurant owner and well-known chef) and Ruth Chu. Jon is the youngest of five children. Both his parents were immigrants. His mother is from Taiwan, and his father is from Mainland China. -
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Attended Pinewood School
Chu attended Pinewood School from kindergarten to when he graduated from 12th grade. It was a private school in Los Altos and is known for its performing arts and math courses. -
Interest in Filmmaking
Chu realized he had wanted to make film in the third or fourth grade. When Chu was in fifth grade, his mother gifted him a video camera to document family vacations. Instead of recording traditional vacation footage, he started making home movies with his siblings as actors, creating science fiction and murder mystery stories. This early experimentation sparked his passion for storytelling through film. -
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University of Southern California
Chu attended the University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles, graduating in 2003, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Film and Television Production and where he received several awards, including the Jack Nicholson Award, the Princess Grace Award and the Kodak Student Filmmaker Award. -
When the Kids Are Away
As a student at USC, Chu directed a short musical film that was described as energetic and humorous, focusing on what mothers do when their children are not around. The success of "When the Kids Are Away" opened doors for Jon M. Chu. It was this film that caught the attention of his idol, Steven Spielberg, leading to Chu's representation by the William Morris Agency -
Step Up 2: The Streets
Jon M. Chu's first big film was his feature film directorial debut and a sequel to the original "Step Up" movie. The film was a commercial success, grossing over $150 million worldwide. It also launched him into a successful career directing various other films. Based on the success of Step Up 2, Chu was chosen as director for the third installment of the series, Step Up 3D. He later served as executive producer for the fourth installment, Step Up: All In (2014) -
Media Vanguard Award
Chu wrote, produced, and directed the web television series The LXD: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers. Chu stated he was inspired by the music videos of singer Michael Jackson and by the dancers he met while filming the Step Up films. LXD became the most-viewed original web series on Hulu, and it won the 2010 Media Vanguard Award for best original web series. Meanwhile, he began filming the documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, which documents Bieber’s career. -
Bye Bye Birdie
Chu was hired by Sony Pictures to direct their feature film Bye Bye Birdie, but the project was cancelled due to budgetary concerns. -
Awards for LXD Continued...
Chu received the 2011 Digital Luminary Award in the original web content category and won the Pioneer Prize at the 2011 International Digital Emmy Awards. Chu continued working in television thereafter, though primarily as an executive producer for arts- or dance-themed shows. The Justin Bieber: Never Say Never documentary was released in early 2011. -
Marriage
Chu married graphic designer Kristin Hodge in St. Helena, California, after the birth of their first daughter, Willow Chu, in 2017. After getting married, they had four additional children together.