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Title details for Viewfinder by Jon M. Chu - Available

Viewfinder

A Memoir of Seeing and Being Seen

by Jon M. Chu
Jeremy McCarter
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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From visionary director Jon M. Chu comes a powerful, inspiring memoir of belonging, creativity, and learning to see who you really are.
“A must-read for aspiring artists and dreamers of all kinds.”—Ava DuVernay
Long before he directed Wicked, In The Heights, or the groundbreaking film Crazy Rich Asians, Jon M. Chu was a movie-obsessed first-generation Chinese American, helping at his parents’ Chinese restaurant in Silicon Valley and forever facing the cultural identity crisis endemic to children of immigrants. Growing up on the cutting edge of twenty-first-century technology gave Chu the tools he needed to make his mark at USC film school, and to be discovered by Steven Spielberg, but he soon found himself struggling to understand who he was. In this book, for the first time, Chu turns the lens on his own life and work, telling the universal story of questioning what it means when your dreams collide with your circumstances, and showing how it’s possible to succeed even when the world changes beyond all recognition. 
With striking candor and unrivaled insights, Chu offers a firsthand account of the collision of Silicon Valley and Hollywood—what it’s been like to watch his old world shatter and reshape his new one. Ultimately, Viewfinder is about reckoning with your own story, becoming your most creative self, and finding a path all your own.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    July 23, 2024

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593822067
      • File size: 222943 KB
      • Duration: 07:44:27

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 27, 2024
      In this endearing autobiography, cowritten with journalist McCarter (Hamilton: The Revolution), Crazy Rich Asians filmmaker Chu digs into his childhood, influences, and struggles to define himself. Growing up in Silicon Valley in the 1980s and ’90s, Chu—the youngest of five children—worked at his Chinese immigrant parents’ restaurant and learned early to “fade into the background and simply observe, then get what I want without the drama.” As he became enamored with theater and cinema, Chu took advantage of the rapid development of digital technology, running a “mini movie studio” out of his bedroom by the time he was 18, complete with high-tech cameras and top-shelf editing software. He followed his passion through film school at USC and the production of a short film that caught the attention of Steven Spielberg and led Sony to tap Chu for a remake of Bye Bye Birdie. Dizzied by the sudden success, Chu felt both devastated and relieved when the project collapsed, allowing him to regroup before breaking through with Step Up 2 the Streets in 2008. Chu and McCarter enliven the standard-issue celeb memoir beats with bits of wisdom aimed at aspiring filmmakers (“Stock Your Pantry”; “Check the Projector”) and welcome humor. Film fans—especially those with hopes of working in the business—will enjoy this. Photos. Agent: Lacy Lalene Lynch, Dupree/Miller & Assoc.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Listening to film director Chu (CRAZY RICH ASIANS, WICKED) narrate his lively memoir of people and events that influenced his life choices and film work, one gains insights on who he is and the way technology has changed Hollywood moviemaking. Chu emits charisma as he discusses his youth in 1980s Silicon Valley, when, as the son of a successful immigrant restaurateur, he was always trying to fit in. He also describes trying to break into films in L.A. Events like his "fan boy" moment with Steve Jobs, his first meeting with Steven Spielberg, and his realization that he wanted to be married and have children are filled with emotion and make this compelling production seem like an intimate conversation with a close friend. S.D.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      April 11, 2025

      In his engaging debut memoir, filmmaker Chu, writing with McCarter (Hamilton: The Revolution), reflects on his life's journey, from working in his Taiwanese immigrant family's Los Altos restaurant to his rise to Hollywood fame. Best known for his work on Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights before directing Wicked, Chu began crafting films as a teen in the 1990s. The dot-com era seemed to offer limited opportunities; in no time, he became "Apple obsessive" while making amateur videos. In 1998, his artistic sensibility was realized through two film school shorts, which sparked a call from Steven Spielberg and a contract to revive Bye Bye Birdie, though that deal fell through during production. Narrating his own work, Chu compellingly details how he picked himself up and kept moving forward. Later, Chu gambled and gained traction in the film industry through his love of music and storytelling. Taking his family's no-nonsense advice--and selling his Apple, Inc. stock--he set a course to stay true to his craft and bring full-scale musicals back to the big screen. VERDICT Chu's intimate yet lively narration will charm film buffs and memoir lovers alike. Share with fans of Jimmy O. Yang's How To American.--Sharon Sherman

      Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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