Born on May 14th, 1982 in Manila, Philippines, John Tan's passion for filmmaking developed gradually from youth. Although he had always enjoyed movies, he didn't cultivate a true understanding or passion for the medium until his high school years. With the prospect of entering college under the “undeclared” label looming tediously on the horizon, John realized that not only did the possibility of the daily 9 to 5 grind make his stomach turn but he also yearned for the creative expression lacking in most professions. It was then that he decided to enroll in film school.

John Tan began writing screenplays as a sophomore at Cal State University Los Angeles. Although he intended to become a director at first, he soon found that his talent and passion lay in screenwriting and so he decided to concentrate on that aspect of the creative process. After writing a handful of short screenplays, John started writing the first draft of Stature of Limitations in the Spring of 2004. In early 2005 John began collaborating with his good friends Ryan DeRamos and Jason Loya on a feature length screenplay. It was during this process that the seeds were planted for the formation of Mutiny Universe.