RIYADH: Many people would like to turn their dreams into reality, and animation director Mahmoud Zaini is doing just that, illustrating his imaginary world inspired by children's films and an admiration for Saudi culture.
As a child, his appreciation for caricatures and comics was fueled by newspapers, Japanese anime series, and films such as “Finding Nemo,” “Toy Story,” and “Monsters, Inc.”
“Every Saudi newspaper had a back-page comic strip that had some kind of social message,” he recalled in an interview with Arab News. “These comic strips grew into the popular Saudi YouTube animated series ‘Masameer’ in 2011.
“As Saudis, we grew up watching foreign cartoons dubbed in Arabic. These shows were mostly Japanese with moral messages and contrasting cultural themes. Animation needs to be localized to tell younger generations stories that inspire them to become better human beings with a unique Saudi identity.”
Zaini also watched behind-the-scenes clips of Pixar films, learning as much as he could about the art of animation. By the age of 10, he was creating his own animated shorts.
“As a child, I always dreamed of bringing my own stories to life,” he said.
Zaini believes that the beauty of animation is that it is universal and can reach both adults and children.
“It can also communicate cross-culturally with other cultures and peoples around the world because of its abstract stylistic nature. It is a favorite medium for children because it stimulates their senses and expands their imagination,” she said.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation from California College of Arts in San Francisco, USA, Zaini kicked off his career in the Kingdom in 2017, creating commercials. In 2018, he launched Zaini Studios, which has grown through investment and hard work.
Between 2021 and today, Zaini Studios has produced two Red Sea Film Festival introductions and two Saudi Film Festival introductions, featuring both local and international talent.
“A turning point in my career as an animation director was when I worked on the intro for the Red Sea Film Festival in 2021,” he told Arab News. “I had to, with the help of Faris Godus and Sohayb Godus, propose to the Red Sea Film Festival the idea of having a high-quality animated promo.”
Once the idea was accepted, Zaini contacted artists from across the region to work on the project, including Raghad Baidas, Husam Hamed, Riyad Al-Dossari, Yousef Albagshi and Ahmad Shawli for the music.
“These artists are the best in their respective fields and with their dedication we produced this festival intro from scratch in three months. The intro had to convey a feeling of artistic inspiration and following your passion,” he said.
Zaini’s work reflects his experiences growing up in the Kingdom and he takes pride in creating animations that celebrate Saudi culture, heritage and lifestyle.
“I love reflecting all these authentic Saudi details in my stories and in the environments in which I place the characters I create,” he said. “I hate to see Saudi artists create characters in foreign environments copied from well-known Japanese or American animations.”
He added that art must reflect something authentic to be unique, and this is only possible when it involves one's own stories and memories.
“This doesn’t mean you always have to include a Saudi symbol like a palm tree in your work, but you always have to rely on what resonates with you and reflects your experiences without copying what resonates with others,” she told Arab News.
“I like my stories to reflect something authentic in me. I had a very happy and positive upbringing. With many uncles, aunts and cousins with whom I shared many beautiful stories.”
Zaini advises animators to cultivate a true passion for the craft and “the feeling it evokes in them as they strive for the end result.”
He said, “If this flame is kept alight with constant practice and commitment to improvement, it will eventually bear wonderful fruit.”
He added that it is essential for an animator to have stories that they want to tell and stressed the importance of new ideas and stories.
“Animation is not just about making lines and shapes move, it is also about imitating life, giving personality to characters and building new worlds. As an aspiring animator you must love life and have a true thirst for originality to cultivate your artistic sense.”
