RIYADH: Many people want to turn their dreams into reality – and animation director Mahmoud Zaini is doing just that, illustrating his own imaginary world inspired by childhood movies and his fascination with Saudi culture.
As a child, his love of cartoons and comics was nurtured by newspapers, Japanese anime series, and movies like Finding Nemo, Toy Story, and Monsters Inc.
“Every Saudi newspaper had a comic on the last page with some kind of social message,” he recalled in an interview with Arab News. “In 2011, these comics were turned into the popular Saudi animated YouTube series Mazamir.
“As Saudis, we grew up watching foreign cartoons dubbed into Arabic. These shows were mostly Japanese with mixed moral messages and cultural themes. Animation must be localized to tell the younger generations stories that inspire them to become better people with a unique Saudi identity.”
Zaini also watched behind-the-scenes clips from Pixar films, learning as much as he could about the art of animation. By the age of 10, he was creating his own animated short films.
“As a child, I always dreamed of making my own stories come to life,” he said.
Zaini believes that the most interesting thing about animation is that it is universal and accessible to both adults and children.
“It can also interact with other cultures and peoples from around the world due to its abstract stylistic nature. It is a preferred medium for children because it stimulates their senses and expands their imagination,” he said.
After graduating with a BA in Fine Arts and Animation from the California College of the Arts in San Francisco, USA, Zaini began his career in the Kingdom in 2017 by creating commercials. In 2018, he launched Zaini Studios, which grew through investment and a lot of hard work.
Between 2021 and today, Zaini Studios has created two screensavers for the Red Sea Film Festival and two screensavers for the Saudi Film Festival, featuring both local and foreign talent.
“The turning point in my career as an animation director was working on the opening part of the 2021 Red Sea Film Festival,” he told Arab News. “I had to – with the help of Faris Godus and Sohaib Godus – bring to the Red Sea Film Festival the idea of creating a quality animated promo.”
Once the idea was accepted, Zaini contacted artists from across the region to work on the project, including Raghad Baydas, Hussam Hamed, Riyad Al-Dosari, Youssef Albaghshi and Ahmad Shawli for the music.
“These artists are the best in their fields and with their dedication we have prepared this festival intro from scratch in three months. The intro had to reflect the feeling of being artistically inspired and following your passion,” he said.
Zaini's work reflects his experiences growing up in the Kingdom, and he prides himself on creating animated films that celebrate Saudi culture, heritage and lifestyle.
“I like to reflect all these authentic details of Saudi Arabia in my stories and in the environment I create the characters in,” he said. “I hate to see Saudi artists creating characters in a foreign environment copied from famous Japanese or American cartoons.”
He added that art must reflect something real to be unique, which can only happen when it includes your own stories and memories.
“It doesn't (mean) that you always include a Saudi Arabian symbol like a palm tree in your work, but you should always draw on what resonates with you and reflect your own experience, not copying what resonates with others.” — he told Arab News.
“I like my stories to reflect something authentic about me. I had a very happy and positive upbringing. With many uncles, aunts and cousins with whom I shared many wonderful stories.'
Zaini advises animators to cultivate a true passion for the craft and “the feeling it evokes in you, striving for the end result.”
He said, “If this flame is kept lit by constant practice and the desire to improve, it will eventually bear great fruit.”
He added that it is very important for an animator to have stories they want to tell, and emphasized the importance of new ideas and stories.
“Animation is not only about the movement of lines and shapes, it is also about imitating life, giving characters personality and creating new worlds. As an aspiring animator, you have to love life and have a real thirst for originality to develop your artistic sense.”
