Victor Chu (’08) sees the world differently.
It all started when he got his first digital camera in high school and learned how to edit silly photos of his friends. His interest in photography continued once he enrolled at Baruch College, leading him to join The Ticker, Baruch’s student newspaper, as photo editor. “My work ethic started at The Ticker,” says Chu, who attributes much of his entrepreneurial hustle and tenacity to the late nights he’d spend working on the newspaper before taking a long subway ride home to the Bronx.
After graduation, while working as a photojournalist for the New York Daily News, Chu began tinkering with remote control planes. This led to a fascination with drones—small, aerial devices that allow for breathtaking landscape photos and videos. And in 2014, that fascination paid dividends: he went viral with a drone video of New York City, racking up more than 700,000 views on YouTube. While several other drone videos of the city had already been done, Chu’s was the only one to showcase landmarks from all five boroughs. “I take pride in being the first to have done that,” says Chu. “I really like to be different.”
The success of that video inspired Chu to launch Sky Tech One, a company that specializes in a futuristic technique known as first-person view (FPV) drone videography. “The pilot/photographer actually wears a set of goggles where they can see exactly what the drone sees—and, as a result, get a lot more control,” Chu explains. Sky Tech One has attracted prestigious clients including the New York Public Library and Adolescent, the production company behind Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, a popular immersive art exhibition in Manhattan.
Chu believes that drone videography can tell stories in a unique way: “A still image is just one slice of what you see, and drone videography is movement,” he says. “It’s revealing. It can show more emotion.”
Outside of drone photography, Chu is no stranger to other forms of art. He has produced a romantic comedy feature film that is currently in post-production, and he continues to build up the social-media presence of his photography and videography services.
It’s safe to say that Chu’s creativity, like his drones, pushes boundaries.
—Molly Turner