Born in Berkeley, California, Jake Schreier attended the New York University Tisch School of the Arts.

After graduating, he directed music videos, including one for Francis and the Lights, a performer/songwriter with whom Schreier also played keyboard for several years.

In 2012, he released his first feature film, Robot & Frank, based on the screenplay by his Tisch classmate and friend Christopher Ford.

Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan called it "exceptionally polished for a first-time effort",[5] and Rolling Stone gave it three out of four stars.

[8] In 2021, frequent collaborator Chance the Rapper released Magnificent Coloring World, a concert film made from special performance footage Schrier directed in 2016.