Jon M. Chu, director of two Justin Bieber concert-movies, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Step Up Revolution, and Step Up Revolution, has lent his skills to Virgin America airline, to helm the first-ever domestic safety video set entirely to music and performed as dance. Rap and subtitles also feature.
The five-minute video features music and lyrics composed by ex-American Idol contestant Todrick Hall, and has among its all singing and dancing cast several members from the TV show “So You Think You Can Dance and lead choreographers Jamal Sims and Emmy-nominated Christopher Scott from Chu’s Step Up movies.
After launching Tuesday (Oct. 29) on Google Play, YouTube, and live on digital billboards across Times Square, the “VX Safety Dance” video will literally air on Virgin America flights by mid-November.
Virgin officials say the new video is meant to get passengers, some of whom may have flown many times before and think they know, everything about flight safety, to pay attention to potentially life-saving information.
“How many times have you been on a plane where nobody is watching the safety demonstration?” Steve Forte, Virgin America’s chief operating officer tells USA Today . “People are sitting there reading the newspaper.When you look at this video, you’ll see how it grabs people’s attention.”
Even though the safety video is fun and entertaining, the Federal Aviation Administration — which enforces safety briefings on all commercial flights — worked closely with the airline throughout the video-making process.
“We don’t care how you deliver it,” FAA spokeswoman Alison Duquette told USA Today, “as long as it’s imparted to passengers. Some of the airlines get a little creative but it’s all the same information that you have to provide.”
Members of the public have been invited to submit their versions of “#VXsafetydance” moves via Instagram video. The highest-voted for videos will be judged by Chu and choreographers, with the winner earning a spot in Virgin America’s official safety video on 2014 flights. For details visit here .
Chu’s second Bieber feature, Believe 3D, opens nationwide in US theaters on Christmas Day .
The movie-documentary is the follow-up to 2011’s mega-grossing Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.
So far, three teasers have been released as part of a Twitter drive dubbed “#FilmFridays” running alongside Justin’s 10-song “Music Mondays” campaign, in which fans get to view movie snippets if push the teen star’s singles into the Top Five on iTunes.
Fans have been asked register their request to see Believe in their city at the new, official website for the film. The movie will mix footage from Bieber’s Believe tour, candid material, and interviews with the singer, his family, friends and team.
Following screenings to select audiences at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, Island Records and possible elsewhere, Chu recently tweeted,
Yo @JustinBieber !! So pumped about #BelieveMovie ? ? testing HIGHER than Never Say Never!!! #ThisChristmas Let’s gooooooooo
— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) October 14, 2013