Podcasts about baobab studios

Maureen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Baobab Studios, a 10-time Emmy winning interactive animation company that blends cutting edge technology (AI, metaverse, mixed reality) with storytelling. Baobab Studios was named Fast Company's 2018 Most innovative company and the industry leader in merging gaming and Hollywood after winning 4 interactive Emmys. With Baobab, Maureen has created projects that have attracted incredible talent - including Oprah. John Legend, Kate Winslet and Ali Wong. Before founding Baobab, Maureen earned her bachelor's degree from Stanford University in a self-designed major that combined arts, computer science, and psychology. After Stanford, she held senior product and UI roles at ebay and also helped birth the social casual games revolution as Zynga's VP of Games, overseeing the original Farmville franchise.She also interned at Pixar while completing her master's degree at Harvard Business School.Maureen's work has earned her recognition as one of Ad Age's Most Creative People of the Year, Gold House's Top 100 Influential Asians, and Variety's Executive to Watch and Top Digital Creative lists.-----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | YoutubeCheck out the She Leads website-----In Today's Episode with Maureen Fan We Discuss:1. Maureen's Upbringing and Values Instilled 2. Early Adversity in Assimilation with Asian Identity3. Conflict between Passion and Job Security 4. Attending Stanford University: Creating Her Own Major 5. The Power of Champions and Mentorship6. How To Ask for a Mentor7. The Value of Business School: Is It Worth It?8. Doing the Dirty Work in Hollywood9. Transition into Tech at Ebay and Zynga 10. Founding Baobab Studies 11. Building Self-Esteem + Confidence as a Founder Please share She Leads with a friend and Leave a Review!

This Week the hosts are talking about OpenAI's Voice Engine, which can be trained on fifteen second recording, creating profound questions about privacy and security. The guest this week is Maureen Fan, co-founder and CEO of Baobab Studios, which for eight years has been creating original content for VR, the Metaverse, and traditional media. The company's co-founder and Chief Creative Officer is Eric Darnell, director of Dreamworks' Madagascar movies.Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @ThisWeekInXR!https://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we sit down with David Khan, creator of Galactic Catch for the Meta Quest 2. He's from the famous BaoBab studios, a studio which prioritises dynamic storytelling through VR, Mixed Reality, TV and more. We have a great chat about all things storytelling, with some Mixed Reality hype as well. BaoBab Studios https://www.baobabstudios.com Galactic Catch https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/8633589726666264?ranking_trace=0_8633589726666264_QUESTSEARCH_62eab8ca-062a-4cd8-a9fc-9e58bf17333f Get 10% off the beautiful VR movie, BonfireUse code: PORKBUN-41AE88 https://www.oculus.com/experiences/app/2658975244130479/?utm_source=oculus&utm_medium=shareLTO Discord: https://discord.gg/QWUuZAH66p Merch!  https://playtest-vr.creator-spring.com Want to be part of the show? Send in your questions at letstalkoculus@gmail.com Visit Patreon.com/letstalkoculus to help support the podcast and receive early access! Twitter: @playtest_vr | @samson143vr Main Channel: https://youtube.com/c/playtestvr  Spreading VR: https://youtu.be/9BCu3lnnCKU

Today we are joined by David Kahn, the head of product at Boabab Studios! Fresh of the release of their new game Galactic Catch - a VR story based fishing game on the Meta Quest- David carries a wealth of experience in the gaming industry including from his past time at Zynga and also his work on Baobab's previously titles like Bonfire and Baby Yaga. Listen as we get to know David, his background, more about the development of Galactic Catch, what's next for the game and studio, and much more!Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rufftalkvrTabor Radio: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2216985Baobab Website: https://www.baobabstudios.com/If you enjoy the podcast be sure to rate us 5 stars and subscribe! Join our official subreddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/RuffTalkVR/Discord: https://discord.gg/9JTdCccucSThis podcast was sponsored by Kiwi Design - the premier company for Oculus Quest accessories. Visit our affiliate link below to shop for your VR accessories including knuckle straps, lens protectors, head straps, link cables, and more while also supporting the podcast!Affiliate Link: https://www.kiwidesign.com/?ref=RuffTalkVRGet 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code RUFFTALKVR at MANSCAPED.com!*We are paid a commission through affiliate links to help support the podcast on the Kiwi links aboveGalactic Catch Store Link: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/8633589726666264/Store Description: ACHIEVEMENTS UPDATE:NEW! Unleash your potential and make your mark across the galaxy.

NEW Quest 2 Game Galactic Catch is off to a GREAT START!! ENTER THEIR GIVEAWAY HERE: https://gleam.io/IYPZY/galactic-catchBaobab Studio's mission: To inspire you to dream, bring out your sense of wonder, and make YOU matter.Founded in 2015, nine-time Emmy® award-winning Baobab Studios is a world leader in independent interactive animation. Named Most Innovative Company by Fast Company (2018), the studio is creatively led by writer/director Eric Darnell (Antz and all four Madagascar films). In addition to Namoo (2021), Baobab has released: INVASION! (2016), ASTEROIDS! (2017), Jack (2018), Crow: The Legend (2018), Bonfire (2019) and Baba Yaga (2021). The studio also executive produced Paper Birds (Part I: 2020, Part II: 2021). Baobab Studios projects have starred Oprah, John Legend, Ali Wong, Kate Winslet, Daisy Ridley, Glenn Close, Lupita Nyong'o, Jennifer Hudson, Edward Norton, Diego Luna, Ethan Hawke, and many others. Its slate of original projects is currently being adapted into books, comics, films, games, series, and more.Baobab Studios, the Emmy® Award-winning company, is excited to announce a thrilling limited-time giveaway to celebrate the highly anticipated debut of their latest VR game, Galactic Catch!! Join here: https://gleam.io/IYPZY/galactic-catchGalactic Catch on Oculus: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/8633589726666264/Galactic Catch Twitter: https://twitter.com/galactic_catchBaobab Website: https://www.baobabstudios.com/Baobab Twitter: https://twitter.com/baobabstudiosBaobab Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baobabstudios/Baobab YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/baobabstudiosBaobab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/baobabstudios0:00 VR Podcast Intro0:40 What is Galactic Catch VR??1:33 Baobab Studios??3:00 The "Pixar of VR" 5:03 Some People STILL Haven't Tried VR6:17 Invasion was way back on GEAR VR7:51 The Nostalgia of these conjoined experiences10:15 Why the Aliens??11:23 Galactic Catch Looks GOOD!!14:15 Why Fishing?16:15 So FUN!17:19 Novel Attention To Detail18:00 Everyone Fishes DIFFERENTLY19:15 On the BIG SCREEN???21:44 Galactic Catch Costs $12.9923:15 Replayability24:24 Real Life Fishing Vs. VR24:50 25% off + Review Scores26:04 Achievements are COMING26:34 Multiplayer??28:09 GIVEAWAY??30:00 Thanks Again!This week's podcast was made in partnership with Asterion Products. Get 5% off the Aura headset or any other order $19.99 or more with the code FULLDIVE at https://www.asterionproducts.com Welcome to the Full Dive Gaming podcast, bringing a weekly dive of all the news, discussion, and insights you need for VR gaming! Each week, we release NEW EPISODES on all Your Favorite major platforms: Spotify, Apple, Google... etc. SUPPORT US: -https://www.patreon.com/fulldivegamingJoin The Discord Server: -https://discord.gg/VWGcT3GLISTEN TO FULL EPISODES:-SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BhFGZWRhobzEVsQ9csjhA?si=O_Zo3xtuS7eFJz5jNzbwdw-APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/full-dive-gaming-podcast/id1513469932-GOOGLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vZnVsbGRpdmVnYW1pbmc%3D-OVERCAST:https://overcast.fm/itunes1513469932/full-dive-gaming-podcast-TUNEIN: http://tun.in/pjRQF-PODCHASER: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/full-dive-gaming-podcast-1199646-RADIOPUBLIC: https://radiopublic.com/full-dive-gaming-podcast-8jyN49FOLLOW US:-Twitter: https://twitter.com/FullDiveGaming -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fulldivegaming/EMAIL...

Explore the world of Momoguro with Maureen Fan, CEO and Founder of Baobab Studios. Website: Momoguro.com Follow on Twitter @momoguroNFT

Bing Chen is an impact founder, investor, and new world builder. He is the Founder & Executive Chairman of AU Ventures, a family of companies that make dreams come true by creating and investing in stories and systems that rebalance socioeconomic equity for multicultural communities. As well, he is Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Co-founder of Gold House, the premier collective of multicultural leaders dedicated to systemically unlocking socioeconomic equity for new majority communities through unity, investments, and promotion. He is also General Partner and Co-founder of Aum Group, a multicultural film fund; and serves as a Board Director and Advisor to several leading digital media companies including Google's Global Marketing Board, Snap's Yellow Incubator, Omnicom's Sparks & Honey, Baobab Studios, Oura Health, Musely, and more. Previously, he was YouTube's Global Head of Creator Development and Management, where he was one of the original and principal architects of the multi-billion dollar influencer ecosystem that supports 300 million creators worldwide. He is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree; a Hollywood Reporter Next Gen Leader; a Hollywood Reporter Most Influential Agent of Change; ABC News History Maker; ADCOLOR Catalyst Honoree; Asia Society Asia 21 Young Leader; Magic Johnson's 32 Under 32 Leader; and Asian Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year. Bing is a third culture kid across North America and Asia, finally graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, which becomes obvious at $11.99 buffets. Host: Jamie Neale @jamienealejn Discussing rituals and habitual patterns in personal and work life. We ask questions about how to become more aware of one self and the world around us, how do we become 360 with ourselves? Host Instagram: @jamienealejn Podcast Instagram: @360_yourself Music from Electric Fruit Produced by Tom Dalby Composed by Toby Wright

#AutodeskAd Watch the full video on Patreon Patreon Link https://www.patreon.com/simplyrobotix Joshua is the creator of the highly anticipated cartoon, Team Supreme. The cartoon puts kids who have a special need, and or disability in the forefront, as their so-called disability doubles as their super power. “My goal is to normalize what society calls a disability, while also being inclusive and diverse as possible. He continues to expand his knowledge, skills, and abilities; and has created and developed character designs for: Illumination, Sony Immersive Studios, Netflix Animation, Nickelodeon, Baobab Studios, Drake, BearBack, Dymelyfe, Black Skullz, and more. Whenever he has time, he works out at his local gym. A former four sport athlete who had scholarships to play at D-1 schools, staying healthy, and spending time with his daughter is very important to him. Connect with Joshua Social Media: @imjoshualeonard - IG @imj0shuale0nard - Twitter Website: http://www.joshualeonardart.com/   Hosted by: Monique Henry-Hudson #Simplyrobotixpod Twitter - https://twitter.com/SimplyRobotix Instagram - instagram.com/simplyrobotix Simplyrobotix.com Discord Link https://discord.gg/C6HDucx4 Patreon Link https://www.patreon.com/simplyrobotix Amazon Production Wishlist https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3OSCTDCVF04P5?ref_=wl_share

Welcome back Academy Award nominated director Erick Oh and welcome to Baobab Studios CEO Maureen Fan. We chat about their new short animated film Namoo, embracing new technology, what the metaverse will mean for storytelling, and more! More about Namoo: Written and directed by Oscar®-nominated Erick Oh (Opera), Namoo is a hand-crafted, narrative poem come to life. Inspired by the passing of Erick's grandfather, Namoo -- which translates to “Tree” in Korean -- marks Oh's most personal work to date. The film follows the beautiful and heartbreaking moments of a man's life, from beginning to end. Watch Namoo now on HBO Max. Find us at www.werewatchingwhat.com Erick Oh can be found at instagram.com/erickoheart, twitter.com/ossmedia, facebook.com/erickohart and erickoh.com Maureen Fan can be found at baobabstudios.com THEDHK can be found at instagram.com/thedhk , twitter.com/thedhk, and facebook.com/thedhkmovies --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Where do you go if you were a Pixar animator, animated and directed for Tonko House and now produce Academy-nominated short films like last years, Opera and this years VR short Namoo (fingers crossed)? Well, The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast of course! The BBros sit down with the ever creative Erick Oh and talk about his ambitions for storytelling and animation, his new VR short with Baobab Studios and how he spent researching and animating a curious octopus named Hank! Oh, it gets real up in here!

In this episode we have the incredible honor to speak to Bing Chen on greatness - and trust us, the conversation is set to shake up your thoughts on this idea.The decision you're going to make after this episode will shape OUR future. This transmission is from the year 2061 - a world where your choice to be great gave birth to a planet of greatness, a world where every single human being chose to serve the good of the other and the whole. A world where streets are cleaner, neighborhoods are safer, and war no longer exists. It's a world where greatness is a value and everyone chooses to serve and serve and serve. It's a world worth sacrificing for, it's a world we all need.  About BingBing Chen is an impact entrepreneur and new world builder, leveraging storytelling and systems to deliver greater socioeconomic equity. He is President and Co-founder of Gold House, the premier collective of Asian founders, creative voices, and leaders dedicated to uniting the world's largest populace–Asians & Pacific Islanders–to enable more authentic multicultural representation and societal equity. He is also General Partner and Co-founder of AUM Group, a multicultural film fund; and serves as a Board Director and Advisor to several leading digital media companies including Google's Global Marketing Board, Snap's Yellow Incubator, Omnicom's Sparks & Honey, Baobab Studios, Oura Health, Musely, and more. Previously, he was YouTube's Global Head of Creator Development and Management, where he was one of the original and principal architects of the multi-billion dollar influencer ecosystem that supports 500 million creators worldwide. He is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree; a Hollywood Reporter Next Gen Leader; a Hollywood Reporter Most Influential Agent of Change; ABC News History Maker; ADCOLOR Catalyst Award Honoree; Asia Society Asia 21 Young Leader; Magic Johnson's 32 Under 32 Leader; and Asian Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year. Bing is a third culture kid across North America and Asia, finally graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, which becomes obvious at $11.99 buffets.

We're starting Season 2 off with a bang with https://www.linkedin.com/in/bingchen/ (Bing Chen). Bing is an impact entrepreneur and new world builder, leveraging storytelling and systems to deliver greater socioeconomic equity. He is President and Co-founder of https://goldhouse.org/ (Gold House), the premier collective of Asian founders, creative voices, and leaders dedicated to uniting the world's largest populace–Asians & Pacific Islanders–to enable more authentic multicultural representation and societal equity. He is also General Partner and Co-founder of https://www.linkedin.com/company/aumgrouphq/ (AUM Group), a multicultural film fund; and serves as a Board Director and Advisor to several leading digital media companies including Google's Global Marketing Board, Snap's Yellow Incubator, Omnicom's Sparks & Honey, Baobab Studios, Oura Health, Musely, and more. Previously, he was YouTube's Global Head of Creator Development and Management, where he was one of the original and principal architects of the multi-billion dollar influencer ecosystem that supports 500 million creators worldwide. He is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree; a Hollywood Reporter Next Gen Leader; a Hollywood Reporter Most Influential Agent of Change; ABC News History Maker; ADCOLOR Catalyst Award Honoree; Asia Society Asia 21 Young Leader; Magic Johnson's 32 Under 32 Leader; and Asian Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year. Bing is a third culture kid across North America and Asia, finally graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, which becomes obvious at $11.99 buffets. Connect with Bing on social media @BingChen, @GoldHouseCo, and @AumGroupHQ. ________ SUBSCRIBE TO US @leapuncaptalent on Apple Podcast / Spotify / Instagram / Twitter / Linkedin / Facebook Learn more about us at https://www.leap.org/ (leap.com) ________ This episode was edited by Catt Phan

ABOUT THE EPISODE SIGGRAPH Spotlight welcomes Larry Cutler, Co-founder and CTO at Baobab Studios, to talk with our SIGGRAPH 2021 Production Sessions Chair, John Kalaigian. In our second installment of our “Future of Production” podcasts, Larry talks about where he sees the future of production going, especially at Baobab, as he dives into Baobab's latest projects “Namoo” and “Baba Yaga.” || MUSIC Podcast theme, "SIGGRAPH," composed by Julius Dobos. || LINKS *Episode* https://www.baobabstudios.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-cutler-87580b1/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkalaigian/ | *Social Media* http://blog.siggraph.org/ | https://www.facebook.com/SIGGRAPHConferences | https://twitter.com/siggraph | https://www.youtube.com/user/ACMSIGGRAPH | https://www.instagram.com/acmsiggraph/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/acm-siggraph/ *Conference Websites* https://s2021.siggraph.org/ https://s2022.siggraph.org/

(Character Designer | Animator | Creator of Team Supreme) discusses his introduction into animation and how he decided to use his art to change the landscape of entertainment through his project "Team Supreme." ABOUT JOSHUA Character Designer - Creator Born in Miami, Florida to a Military family. His passion for drawing was first noticed and evident at a very young age. His artistic abilities and skills, were head turning as early as grade school. Now currently at Netflix Animation, he always had a love and appreciation for animation. It inspired him to pursue his passion, graduating with a college degree in Animation. The accomplishment was not an easy undertaking, he went from being a homeless, hurricane Katrina victim, to graduating at the top of his class maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Her currently resides in Atlanta, GA, and plans to create compelling characters that are diverse, inclusive, and that drive the story. He's the creator of the highly anticipated cartoon, Team Supreme. The cartoon puts kids who have a special need, and or disability in the forefront, as their so-called disability doubles as their super power. “My goal is to normalize what society calls a disability, while also being inclusive and diverse as possible. He continues to expand his knowledge, skills, and abilities; and has created and developed character designs for: Sony Immersive Studios, Netflix Animation, Nickelodeon, Baobab Studios, Drake, BearBack, Dymelyfe, Black Skullz, and more. Whenever he has time, he works out at his local gym. A former four sport athlete who had scholarships to play at D-1 schools, staying healthy, and spending time with his daughter is very important to him. CONNECT WITH JOSHUA: https://www.joshualeonardart.com/ https://www.leonardstudios.com/ https://www.instagram.com/imjoshualeonard/ **** CONNECT WITH AUDRA: https://www.instagram.com/audraabryant/ https://www.audrabryant.com/ Coming Soon!!! Audra's New Book: "I've Got Scars Baby! How to Embrace Your Scars and Power Your Purpose  Get on the Pre-Order List Here: https://www.audrabryant.com/bookpreorder

Maureen Fan, CEO and Co-founder of the Baobab Studios, talks about networking as an introvert, managing her teams as both a businesswoman and artist, and the themes behind the studio’s Emmy award-winning projects.

Episode 24: Bing Chen (@bingchen) has a stacked resume. After serving as the Global Head of Creator Development at YouTube, where he spearheaded the now-famous Partner program, Bing founded the start-up Victorious, which was acquired by Headspace in 2018. He's served as an advisor for over 10 top companies, including Google, Snapchat, and Baobab Studios. In 2018, Bing founded Gold House, the largest collective of pioneering Asians across the cultural industries, and continues to lead the non-profit in supporting and connecting the Asian diaspora. And he's still moving - the AUM Group is Bing's newest project, a multicultural film fund that invests in the next generation of storytellers.But every activity he engages in is intentional, and every step in his career leads him closer to his life's purpose. Listen in on this week's episode of the Why You No Doctor podcast, where we converse with Bing about how he developed Gold House's and AUM Group's missions, figured out the meaning of life at the tender age of 16, and determined his qualitative goals in life and used them to mold his career.Show Notes:0:00 - Introduction to Bing Chen and the Gold House Collective: how Asians can support one another + the organization's mission and Bing's personal goals6:03 - Bing's origin story + how his parents' experiences shaped his perspective9:26 - The meaning of life, from Bing's point of view + how being Asian does and does not play into his purpose16:50 - Bing's new project: the AUM Group Multicultural Film Fund - what it is, and what he hopes for it to become20:54 - A deeper dive into AUM's philosophy and criteria for investing in stories24:22 - What role Gold House plays in supporting films27:56 - Bing's interest in franchises, explained32:50 - How to create a franchise34:29 - The number one item Bing recommends everyone to put on their bucket list + advice on how to determine your qualitative goal and turn it into a career39:52 - The difference between the present-day Bing and the Bing from ten years ago43:12 - Bing's best and worst habitJoin the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)

Listen in as we interview Maureen Fan (CEO, Baobab Studios) and Julissa Caulderon, Karrie Martin, Annie Gonzalez, Carlos Santos, J.J Soria (Netflix's Gentefied). We also review the film Critical Thinking. Hosts Gerry O. and Benjamin P. are joined by KF! Film Critic, Rohan. Before you spend your hard earned dollars at the movies, be sure to listen to what our youth reporters have to say.

Listen in as we interview Maureen Fan (CEO, Baobab Studios) and Julissa Caulderon, Karrie Martin, Annie Gonzalez, Carlos Santos, J.J Soria (Netflix's Gentefied). We also review the film Critical Thinking. Hosts Gerry O. and Benjamin P. are joined by KF! Film Critic, Rohan. Before you spend your hard earned dollars at the movies, be sure to listen to what our youth reporters have to say.

Tonko House has been blessed with tremendous support from this amazing community of animation industry. One thing we love talking about is "animation and filmmaking." And another thing we are most grateful is our talented circle of friends. Tonkocast is all about what we love about---talking animation with our friends once a month. **Tonkocast is a total DIY operation recorded with non-professional equipment. So excuse our home made quality everyone!

What better publicity could a VR company ask for, than to have an Avenger demo your product in prime time, on one of the most-watched talk shows in America? That’s exactly the kind of lucky break Beat Saber had, and today’s guest – Zambezi Partners co-founder, and long-time occupant of the XR space, Jenna Seiden – was instrumental in making that happen. She regales Alan with the tale at the top of this new episode of the XR for Business Podcast. Alan: Today’s guest is Jenna Seiden and she’s an entertainment and emerging technology consultant in VR, AR artificial intelligence, and IOT, and she’s a social impact investor. Jenna has a proven executive leadership in entrepreneurship, with demonstrated startup and high growth business experience. She has broad experience in traditional film, TV, digital media, augmented reality, virtual reality and video games. She has an innate ability to lead diverse groups, including creative, financial, and engineering teams. She has outstanding content and business development, success on a global stage, and a sophisticated board of directors, to production-level experience. She’s worked for some amazing companies; Venture Advisor for LUMO Labs Beat Saber, Springboard VR, Felix & Paul Studios, Baobab Studios, Exit Reality VR. She’s the former head of content acquisition and partnerships for VIVE Port at HTC VIVE, and she used to be the V.P. of content development and strategic partnerships for the worldwide business development for Microsoft Studios. It’s my absolute pleasure to welcome Jenna to the show. Welcome, Jenna. Jenna: Thank you so much for having me. Alan: And one thing I failed to mention; people can find you at Zambezi Partners.com. Welcome to the show. You have done so many amazing things in your career; where do we begin? Jenna: I’m exhausted, hearing you give me such an amazing intro there. I’m just this person who likes to help people tell their stories. And I started off in sports, then went into traditional Hollywood, and somehow found myself being an explorer in all these new tech platforms and went, “wait a minute, these great storytellers have all these other places to tell different branching storylines. They can do this on YouTube, and they can do this on an XBox. They can do this now in VR.” And I sit right in the middle of the tech side, and the storytelling narrative side, and the business side. So I’m thrilled that I now have a narrative, because once upon a time I had employers go, “you make no sense, you move around too much.” And I go, “well, I’m not my grandfather that worked at IBM for 50 years.” This is a world where people do bounce around every two-to-four years, and we get to try things. And I love that I had such great experiences with some of these amazing consumer products companies. They were all challenging — sometimes were great, sometimes were not so great. And now, it’s the first time I’ve been on my own. But I’ve never been happier. Alan: So, Zambezi Partners is a small consulting firm, but it seems like you’re consulting for some really big brands. I mean, let’s just take Beat Saber. Beat Saber was just on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Here’s a VR/AR game that is now in the forefront of mainstream media. How did that happen? Jenna: I’m thrilled how that happened. I will caveat it with, I was on Jimmy Fallon’s team of agents back in the day. I worked on a mobile game with him. I used to work at NBC. But none of that was initiated when this opportunity came up, which is what I love so much. It was a nice thing to throw in there, when people who didn’t know me were like, “who are yo

What better publicity could a VR company ask for, than to have an Avenger demo your product in prime time, on one of the most-watched talk shows in America? That’s exactly the kind of lucky break Beat Saber had, and today’s guest – Zambezi Partners co-founder, and long-time occupant of the XR space, Jenna Seiden – was instrumental in making that happen. She regales Alan with the tale at the top of this new episode of the XR for Business Podcast. Alan: Today’s guest is Jenna Seiden and she’s an entertainment and emerging technology consultant in VR, AR artificial intelligence, and IOT, and she’s a social impact investor. Jenna has a proven executive leadership in entrepreneurship, with demonstrated startup and high growth business experience. She has broad experience in traditional film, TV, digital media, augmented reality, virtual reality and video games. She has an innate ability to lead diverse groups, including creative, financial, and engineering teams. She has outstanding content and business development, success on a global stage, and a sophisticated board of directors, to production-level experience. She’s worked for some amazing companies; Venture Advisor for LUMO Labs Beat Saber, Springboard VR, Felix & Paul Studios, Baobab Studios, Exit Reality VR. She’s the former head of content acquisition and partnerships for VIVE Port at HTC VIVE, and she used to be the V.P. of content development and strategic partnerships for the worldwide business development for Microsoft Studios. It’s my absolute pleasure to welcome Jenna to the show. Welcome, Jenna. Jenna: Thank you so much for having me. Alan: And one thing I failed to mention; people can find you at Zambezi Partners.com. Welcome to the show. You have done so many amazing things in your career; where do we begin? Jenna: I’m exhausted, hearing you give me such an amazing intro there. I’m just this person who likes to help people tell their stories. And I started off in sports, then went into traditional Hollywood, and somehow found myself being an explorer in all these new tech platforms and went, “wait a minute, these great storytellers have all these other places to tell different branching storylines. They can do this on YouTube, and they can do this on an XBox. They can do this now in VR.” And I sit right in the middle of the tech side, and the storytelling narrative side, and the business side. So I’m thrilled that I now have a narrative, because once upon a time I had employers go, “you make no sense, you move around too much.” And I go, “well, I’m not my grandfather that worked at IBM for 50 years.” This is a world where people do bounce around every two-to-four years, and we get to try things. And I love that I had such great experiences with some of these amazing consumer products companies. They were all challenging — sometimes were great, sometimes were not so great. And now, it’s the first time I’ve been on my own. But I’ve never been happier. Alan: So, Zambezi Partners is a small consulting firm, but it seems like you’re consulting for some really big brands. I mean, let’s just take Beat Saber. Beat Saber was just on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Here’s a VR/AR game that is now in the forefront of mainstream media. How did that happen? Jenna: I’m thrilled how that happened. I will caveat it with, I was on Jimmy Fallon’s team of agents back in the day. I worked on a mobile game with him. I used to work at NBC. But none of that was initiated when this opportunity came up, which is what I love so much. It was a nice thing to throw in there, when people who didn’t know me were like, “who are yo

Maureen Fan, co-founder and CEO at Baobab Studios, shares how she blended her creativity and technical savvy in founding her virtual reality animation company. Undeterred by naysayers and an unforged path ahead, she encourages those with big imaginations to buck traditional career paths and to be persistent in asking for what you want.

Maureen Fan, co-founder and CEO at Baobab Studios, shares how she blended her creativity and technical savvy in founding her virtual reality animation company. Undeterred by naysayers and an unforged path ahead, she encourages those with big imaginations to buck traditional career paths and to be persistent in asking for what you want.

Maureen Fan, co-founder and CEO at Baobab Studios, shares how she blended her creativity and technical savvy in founding her virtual reality animation company. Undeterred by naysayers and an unforged path ahead, she encourages those with big imaginations to buck traditional career paths and to be persistent in asking for what you want.

ABOUT THE EPISODE SIGGRAPH 2018 Production Sessions Chair Emily Hsu (associate producer, Blizzard Entertainment) sits down with a panel of independent creators in production and animation to chat about what led them to go “independent.” The group discusses the challenges — and joys — of financing and producing projects as well as what keeps them motivated to push the limits of storytelling, and offers advice for the next generation of creators. The amazing group of guest innovators includes Rex Grignon (CEO and co-founder, Nimble Collective), Larry Cutler (CTO and co-founder, Baobab Studios), Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi (founder, Tonko House), Bobby Pontillas (art director, TAIKO Studios), Andrew Chesworth (head of development, TAIKO Studios), and Keika Lee (founder, greyscale animation). || MUSIC Podcast theme, "SIGGRAPH Theme," composed by Julius Dobos. || LINKS *Episode* https://s2018.siggraph.org/conference/production-and-animation/ | https://nimblecollective.com/ | http://www.tonkohouse.com/ | https://www.baobabstudios.com/ | http://www.taikostudios.com/ | http://greyscaleanimation.com/ | http://bit.ly/OddDogIndieGoGo | https://s2018.siggraph.org/conference/conference-overview/production-sessions/ | *Social Media* http://blog.siggraph.org/ | https://www.facebook.com/SIGGRAPHConferences | https://twitter.com/siggraph | https://www.youtube.com/user/ACMSIGGRAPH | https://www.instagram.com/acmsiggraph/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/acm-siggraph/ | "siggraph" on Snapchat *Conference Website* http://s2018.siggraph.org/

We hear Maureen Fan’s answers to those pressing questions on today’s episode! Maureen Fan is the COO and co-founder of Baobab Studios, a virtual reality animation company that makes animated shorts and films! She founded the company with Eric Darnell, the writer, and director of all four Madagascar films, and the movie Antz. Baobab’s third co-founder is Larry Cutler, who was the technical director for Toy Story 2 and Monster’s Inc. and was also the global head of character technologies for DreamWorks Studios. They all handle differently, but equal, parts of the company with Maureen managing the business aspect, Eric steering Baobab’s creative direction, and Larry representing technical. Together they have turned Baobab into the top VR animation studio, and won the 2017 Daytime Emmy for “Outstanding Interactive” for their first animation, INVASION; which will soon become a feature film! For Maureen, animation has been a love of hers for as long as she can remember. She even designed her own undergrad major for animation studies at Stanford called Art, Computer Science, and Psychology. Despite her passion for animation, she said her immigrant parents didn’t see it as a practical career path. So after college, she became a UI designer for eBay, and while she said she loved it, she still couldn’t shake her desire to become an animator. To continue to pursue her dream career, she began taking classes on nights and weekends at De Anza College, where a lot of George Lucas’ animators taught. She also started to save money so she could eventually apply for a masters program at a fine arts school. After five years, she was ready to finally apply but found that all the deadlines for the programs she wanted had passed. However, round three of business school was available at Harvard, and due to the pressures from her mother, she applied and got in. Before she completely gave up on animation, though, her boss at eBay told her to try out Hollywood and see what it would be like to work as an animator. So she quit her job and took on as many internships and jobs as she could out in L.A. She ended up landing positions as Zach Braff’s assistant and Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s talent manager. From those positions, and during her time in Hollywood, she learned that everything is a business no matter what you do, and decided to start at Harvard. In between her time at school, she took an internship at Pixar and ended up working on Toy Story 3. She said she learned that animation was a mature industry full of mature businesses, so a lot of emphasis was on decreasing costs in order to increase margins. But Maureen wanted to create something new because she knew it would be hard to compete against Pixar or Disney without a lot of money or unfair distribution advantages. That’s when she decided to join forces with Zenga, because it was still entertainment, but it was also a pioneer in an entirely new industry focused on connecting the world through games. After six years with Zenga, she became VP of Games, and overlooked the Farmville franchise. Not able to keep her hands away from animation, though, she worked with art directors from Pixar on an a film called the Dam Keepers; which was nominated for an Oscar. She continued to find new ways to innovate the industry, which eventually led to her venture into virtual reality. She said the first time she put on a VR headset she hated it because of it’s low resolution and bad pixilation. It was when Zenga hacked into the headset with their games, that she was convinced that VR was the future of animation, because it allowed her to be transported into a fantasy world. She said it also made sense business-wise because it was a new industry, and no one had an advantage. Naturally an introvert, she didn’t want to be a COO, but there weren’t any companies in VR to join. But she knew she had to be a part of the VR industry, and began to pave her own way through it! Hear more of Baobab’s story, how she found the courage to pursue her dreams, and created her own system! In this episode you will… Know how to have confidence in pursuing your dream career Learn how to find the perfect co-founders Be able to work your network to help you start your business See how to educate men on the female experience in the work place Get over what society deems as attractive in women at work Figure out a way to come up with the perfect name for your company INSIGHTS “[Virtual reality] spoke to me creatively because the reason I love animation is it takes you to completely different worlds, and world’s that are only limited by the directors' imagination…and it makes you believe that the world is so real, you can reach out and touch it. And that’s also the definition of virtual reality.” – Maureen Fan “Animation makes me feel like I’m 5 years old again when I believed I could do anything. And for VR, if it takes you totally to that world, it brings out that 5 year-old in me even more, and makes me feel like I’m invincible. Creatively it was like magic, and I knew I needed to do it.” -Maureen Fan “It’s so great having co-founders, because starting a company is incredibly emotional and stressful. You have these moments [of] intense happiness, and incredible misery, and having the co-founders there, not only to share the load of work with you, but also there for you emotionally.” -Maureen Fan RESOURCES Baobab Studios Website Baobab Studios Facebook Baobab Studios Instagram Baobab Studios Twitter Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss without Losing your Humanity by Kim Scott

Virtual Reality is transforming storytelling and animation. Maureen Fan, CEO and co-founder of Baobab Studios, explains what VR is and its role in film making. We talked about the technical challenges, how the team works, and how she evaluates VR experiences.

Larry Cutler, Baobab Studios, the leading VR animation studio. Topic: A discussion of AR, VR, animation, and a lot more, with one of the pioneers in the field. Issues: The differences between AR and VR; creationg VR animation; the evolution of the technology behind VR; Baobab’s Emmy Award winning “Invasion,” from the director of “Madagascar” […] The post The Evolution of VR Animation and What’s New appeared first on Mr. Dad.

Part 3 of 3 of our summer Female Founder series