Rising Stars: Meet Ethan Chu

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ethan Chu.

Hi Ethan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As soon as I discovered my parents’ camcorder as a kid, I wanted to record everything I saw. I used to direct my three younger brothers to perform in short skits and then edited them together on Windows Movie Maker to show the completed works to my family. I absolutely loved this creative process and instantly wanted to learn more about film.

In high school, I pursued filmmaking at Orange County School of the Arts in the Film and Television Conservatory. The program provided many opportunities for me to develop skills in film production and introduced me to many like-minded individuals who became some of my closest friends, collaborators, and mentors. I found a passion for directing and cinematography through my high school film experiences and also looked for work as a camera assistant outside of school to learn from larger productions. At 17, I worked on my first full-feature film as a camera PA. I have since worked as a camera assistant on countless short films, feature films, music videos, and commercial productions.

I am currently 19 years old, attending Saddleback College for their two-year film production program. Saddleback has given me many more opportunities to explore and practice filmmaking. Later this year, I will transfer to a four-year film program to complete my degree and expand my network and experience.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I am very grateful for my family and friends who have been supportive of my career, along with the many opportunities that have come my way so far. As a full-time student, it can be challenging to manage my film work while trying to fulfill the academic expectations of my classes. I often have to squeeze in homework assignments between consecutive twelve-hour work days, occasionally pulling off all-nighters in between days on set. Although this takes a temporary toll on my physical health, it is hard to say no to opportunities that could potentially impact the trajectory of my career. Recently, I have been trying to avoid overbooking myself to achieve a better work balance in my lifestyle. Even though I spend the majority of my time and brainpower on my career, ultimately it is all directed towards something I love.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Currently, I am pursuing directing and cinematography. In my senior year of high school, I wrote and directed “Pho” (2021), a personal story about Vietnamese-American life and the struggles of balancing the two cultures. The story follows a man who must come to terms with the melancholic truth that he has detached from his Vietnamese culture and, subsequently his grandmother, both of which he once held a close relationship with. His grief pushes him through a journey of reflection which reveals to him the perfect recipe to restore the once lost connection. The film was a YoungArts 2022 Film Finalist, won nine film festival awards, and was an official selection at over twenty-one film festivals. In May 2022, I also traveled to the Cannes Film Festival 2022 in France to watch it screen as a part of the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmakers Showcase.

I am also constantly amazed by the power of visual storytelling and cinematography’s ability to transform an audience’s emotional response. In December 2022, I was presented with an opportunity to shoot “Mad Dreams”, my first feature film as the director of photography. I teamed up with director Tamara Farsadi,  and producer Kayvon Derak Shanian to shoot an 88-page script in 11 days. I led a five-person camera and lighting team and worked in freezing temperatures through wind, rain, and snow in the high desert for two weeks. It was a very challenging yet rewarding experience for myself educationally and creatively, as I learned how to collaborate with new filmmakers and discover a visual style and workflow for the full production. Although it was difficult, the process of creating the film was so fun that it did not feel like work. I loved every moment on set and cannot imagine myself doing anything but filmmaking in my future career.

As a director and cinematographer, I cherish every moment on set. They are both amazingly artful and collaborative positions that offer new challenges to face every day. I believe overcoming these challenges with determination and teamwork is one of the greatest joys of filmmaking. There are an endless amount of things to learn and I cannot wait to continue exploring these art forms.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I believe persistence is an essential quality for success in the film industry. Setbacks arise inevitably when working on films, but I believe my response to those setbacks can determine success or failure. Additionally, persistence has allowed me to continue learning and adapting, which is essential in this constantly evolving industry.

In my work, I believe it is important for me to communicate authentic messages that are true to my voice. In the last few months, I have had opportunities to shoot several narrative shorts of varying genres as the director of photography. I also recently wrapped production on a psychological thriller short film that I wrote and directed. These are all projects that I am genuinely excited about and I cannot wait to see the final products come together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ethanlchu.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethanlchu/

Image Credits
Michael Burian, Ian Chen, Mitchell Flanigan