Virtual Reality Films: Emmy Award winner to inspire VR films

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Turning to the VR world. Maureen Fan, who runs an Emmy-award winning animation studio in San Francisco, is at the forefront of creating virtual reality films. CGTN's Connie Lee sat down with the lady who has strived to make her childhood dreams come true.

"Something is out there. If the fire doesn't scare it off, things could get really ugly."

What's out here is a created world, experienced through your senses-otherwise known as virtual reality, or VR.

And creating THIS VR world, is the reality of Maureen Fan-CEO and Co-Founder of Baobab Studios.

MAUREEN FAN, CEO & CO-FOUNDER BAOBAB STUDIOS "The mission is to inspire the world to dream by bringing out your sense of wonder. And we do that by introducing you to characters that you could fall in love with, taking you into a world that you could never imagine and making you matter."

And making YOU-or ME-matter by making us the main character of their interactive films?

MAUREEN FAN, CEO & CO-FOUNDER BAOBAB STUDIOS "When I watch animation or play an animated game, I'm brought back to that 5-year-old sense of self where I thought anything was possible.

I love animation and I've always loved animation since I was young and wanted to be an animator all my life.

But my parents, being immigrant Asian parents, said I would be poor and destitute if I followed my crazy dreams in Hollywood.

So I actually took the more practical path when I graduated, and went to eBay and was a UI designer."

But on nights and weekends, she was taking animation classes-which eventually led her to Baobab.

MAUREEN FAN, CEO & CO-FOUNDER BAOBAB STUDIOS "It's been a long path to it, but I'm really happy doing what it is, what I always wanted to do."

And she is extra happy these days, with the studio's win this year of four Emmys for the short film, Crow: The Legend.

MAUREEN FAN, CEO & CO-FOUNDER BAOBAB STUDIOS "For this particular piece Native Americans In Philanthropy was our adviser because it was one of the first-ever indigenous worldview animations out there."

But beyond creating award-winning pieces, Fan is actively using her role to bring more diversity into the media industry through her work with Gold House.

MAUREEN FAN, CEO & CO-FOUNDER BAOBAB STUDIOS "Our mission is to shine a light on Asian Americans. Because we know that there are people who want to consume content created by different perspectives.

It's been very clear throughout my career that I have a unique perspective being Asian American and being female in very male-dominated industries.

I realized being a woman and being Asian American gave me strength, because I was different. I could see things other people couldn't necessarily see."

And her motivation for all that she does goes back to bringing out that "dreamer" inside every person.

MAUREEN FAN, CEO & CO-FOUNDER BAOBAB STUDIOS "I really believe people in general can do much more than they think they can. Maybe it's my childhood growing up of feeling like 'I can't do art! But I can!' If they would just realize that, they would go for their dream."

Connie Lee, CGTN, San Francisco.