cover of episode Jon Chu on Wicked, Silicon Valley, and Defying Hollywood’s Gravity

Jon Chu on Wicked, Silicon Valley, and Defying Hollywood’s Gravity

2024/11/18
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On with Kara Swisher
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Jon Chu
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Kara Swisher
卡拉·斯威舍是一位知名的媒体评论家和播客主持人，专注于科技和政治话题的深入分析。
Topics
Jon Chu: 我的父亲是一位成功的企业家，我从他身上学到了很多关于努力工作和坚持梦想的经验。他总是在餐厅里努力工作，即使厨师不在，他也会亲自下厨。他热爱这份工作，就像在演奏音乐一样。他会把新菜品的构思画在餐巾纸上，然后亲自制作。我从小就看着他这样工作，这让我明白了创造性工作的本质。

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Chapters
Jon Chu discusses how growing up in Silicon Valley, surrounded by tech innovation, influenced his approach to filmmaking. He recounts his fascination with Steve Jobs and how access to early digital tools gave him an advantage in his creative pursuits. Chu's early exposure to technology shaped his understanding of its power and accessibility.
  • Chu's parents owned Chef Chu's restaurant, a popular spot in Silicon Valley.
  • He was inspired by Steve Jobs and the "think different" philosophy.
  • Early access to digital video editing tools gave Chu a head start in filmmaking.

Shownotes Transcript

Jon Chu grew up in Silicon Valley, in the shadow of Apple Park. His father, Chef Chu, still runs his eponymous restaurant there, and Jon worshiped Steve Jobs as a kid. As a teen, he used Apple products to learn how to make movies. Now he directs some of the biggest movies in Hollywood, but his relationship with the tech industry is much more complex. 

Kara and Jon discuss his “new view” trilogy: Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights, and his latest film, Wicked. They unpack his memoir Viewfinder, and Chu explains how growing up in Silicon Valley shaped his understanding of technology — and how the industry’s switch towards data surveillance has changed his relationship with it as an artist. 

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