Transforming Narratives into Landscapes: Lois He’s Emotional Odyssey

A New Dimension in Storytelling: The Journey of Lois He

Imagine stepping into a world where the environment around you responds to your emotions, where the sounds shift as you move, and where the narrative unfolds based on your interactions. This is not a scene from a futuristic film; it is the innovative approach to storytelling being pioneered by Lois He.

An Unconventional Path to Creativity

Lois He’s journey into the realm of immersive storytelling began in Beijing, where her passion for film quickly propelled her to the forefront of creative leadership. After graduating with a degree in Cinematography and Film Production from the Beijing Film Academy, she co-founded The Deep Ocean Image Cultural Media Co., Ltd. This company was dedicated to exploring visual storytelling across various formats.

During her time there, Lois directed and edited a diverse array of projects, ranging from narrative short films to branded content for prominent clients like Tencent, GQ China, and the CAFA Art Museum. These projects were more than just jobs; they were integral to her broader exploration of storytelling as an art form.

In parallel to her commercial work, Lois developed her own portfolio as a writer and director, gaining recognition in film festivals around the world, including the Cannes Industry Rendez-vous and the Beijing International Short Film Festival. Her creative efforts earned her several awards, including the First-Class Prize from the Agnès Varda Award for experimental cinema and the Gold Medal at the 13th Cinerent Filmmaking Competition.

A Transformative Experience

Despite her accolades, Lois felt a shift in her relationship with storytelling after experiencing a virtual reality piece titled Goliath at an XR showcase in Beijing. This was a pivotal moment for her; she realized that storytelling goes beyond mere observation—it is about creating an immersive experience that resonates with the audience on an emotional level.

“That moment changed how I thought about narrative,” she reflected. “It wasn’t just about capturing a story. It was about designing an experience that people could feel.” With this new perspective, Lois relocated to New York, embarking on a journey into immersive and interactive storytelling.

Merging Technology with Emotion at Hyz Studio

Currently based in New York, Lois co-leads Hyz Studio LLC, a creative practice dedicated to developing immersive and interactive media. As both the creative director and creative technologist, she utilizes a range of formats, from virtual reality to physical installations. The unifying goal of her projects is to evoke emotional responses through interactive design.

Utilizing cutting-edge technologies like generative AI, motion capture, and real-time rendering software such as Unreal Engine and TouchDesigner, Lois maintains a strong focus on storytelling and emotional engagement. Her interactive artworks have been showcased at prestigious venues, including:

• SIGGRAPH 2025 Immersive Pavilion, Vancouver, Canada
• GEN-AI Summit at the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco
• ARTECHOUSE NYC
• La MaMa Gallery in New York
• The Holy Art Gallery in London and Athens
• CICA Museum in Korea

One standout project involved a collaboration with the Buzsáki Neuroscience Lab at NYU, where they created an interactive installation that visualized brainwave data through light and sound. This innovative work, displayed at the New York Academy of Sciences, is now touring various festivals.

Exploring AI in Storytelling

Lois’s creative exploration also delves into the role of artificial intelligence in media. An AI-generated film she created gained recognition at the China AI Gala in 2024, where it reached an audience of over 37 million viewers. It was also nominated for the Creative Usage of AI Award at MIT’s AI for Filmmaking and featured in Re–Fest 2024, showcasing the works of over 200 artists from more than 90 countries.

Her approach to AI is driven by curiosity and caution, focusing on its impact on creative decisions rather than the technology itself. “AI is trained on our collective past,” she explains. “It reflects what we’ve already said and done. The question is, what do we bring forward?” At Hyz Studio, Lois seeks to explore AI-driven storytelling systems that enhance creativity while preserving the human touch.

Future Aspirations

In addition to her leadership role at Hyz Studio, Lois recently completed her studies at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP). Her academic and studio work emphasizes how interactive systems can enhance emotional storytelling through design, sound, space, and audience engagement.

Lois is currently developing hybrid narrative systems that seamlessly blend story structure with responsive environments, aiming to create experiences that adapt in real time to audience interactions. Her research focuses on international collaboration in immersive media and emotional interactivity through spatial and sensory design, alongside the integration of AI tools to support small creative teams.

“I want to stay close to the work,” she asserts. “The goal isn’t to chase every new tool. It’s to shape the process in ways that still feel personal.”

Lois believes that as storytelling has evolved—from text to theater, to film, to games, and now to virtual reality and AI—the lines between story and reality continue to blur. She envisions a future where narratives are not confined to a single format but exist as a cross-media space, fostering fluid creation and exchange across various artistic forms.

Looking ahead, she is working on an expansive cross-platform storytelling universe that encompasses games, live performances, and video art. Her ambition includes developing an interactive live experience where audiences can engage directly with characters in real time, alongside a VR version of the project.

Lois He is on a mission to redefine how stories are told, inviting audiences to become active participants in the narrative journey.