RIYADH: Many people want to make their dreams come true. Animator Mahmoud Zaini is making that dream a reality. He draws inspiration from his childhood movies and his respect for Saudi culture to create his imaginary world.
As a child, he developed an appreciation for caricatures and comics through newspapers, Japanese anime series, and movies such as “Finding Nemo,” “Toy Story,” and “Monsters, Inc.”
“Every Saudi newspaper used to have a last-page cartoon with some kind of social message,” he recalled in an interview with Arab News. “That cartoon grew into the popular Saudi YouTube animation series ‘Masameer’ in 2011.
“As Saudis, we grew up watching foreign cartoons dubbed in Arabic. These shows were mostly Japanese and had a mix of moral messages and cultural themes. Animation needs to be localized to tell stories that inspire the younger generation to become better human beings with a unique Saudi identity.”
Zaini also watched behind-the-scenes clips from Pixar movies to learn as much as he could about the art of animation. By the age of 10, he was making his own animated shorts.
“I’ve always dreamed of making my stories a reality since I was a kid,” he said.
Jaini believes that the beauty of animation is that it is universal and can appeal to both adults and children.
“Its abstract stylistic nature also allows it to cross-communicate with other cultures and people around the world. It is a preferred medium for children as it stimulates the senses and expands their imagination,” he said.
Zaini started his career at Kingdom in 2017 creating commercials after receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts and Animation degree from California College of Arts in San Francisco, USA. In 2018, he started Zaini Studios, which has grown thanks to investment and hard work.
From 2021 to date, Zaini Studios has produced two Red Sea Film Festival intro films and two Saudi Film Festival intro films, featuring both local and international talent.
“A breakthrough moment in my career as an animation director was when I worked on the introduction for the 2021 Red Sea Film Festival,” he told Arab News. “I had to pitch the idea of creating a high-quality animated promo for the festival with the help of Faris Godus and Sohayb Godus.”
Once the idea was accepted, Zaini reached out to artists from across the region to work on the project, including Raghad Baydas, Hussam Hamed, Riyad Aldosari, Youssef Al-Baghshi and Ahmad Shaouli.
“These artists are the best in their fields, and with their dedication, we created this festival intro from scratch in just three months. The intro had to express the feeling associated with following artistic inspiration and passion,” he said.
Zaini's work reflects his experiences growing up in Saudi Arabia, and he prides himself on creating animations that celebrate Saudi culture, heritage, and lifestyle.
“I love to incorporate all these authentic Saudi details into my stories and the environments I create my characters in,” he said. “I hate to see Saudi artists creating characters in foreign environments copied from well-known Japanese or American animations.”
He added that for art to be unique, it must reflect something authentic, and that this can only happen when it contains one's own story and memories.
“That doesn’t mean you always have to include Saudi symbols like palm trees in your work, but it should always be based on what resonates with you and reflect your own experiences rather than imitating what resonates with others,” he told Arab News.
“I like to reflect something real about me in my stories. I had a very happy and positive upbringing. I had many great stories to share with my uncles, aunts and cousins.”
Zaini advises animators to develop a genuine passion for their craft and “the emotions that the craft evokes in you while having a passion for the end result.”
“If this flame is kept burning with constant exercise and dedication to improvement, it will eventually bear beautiful fruit,” he said.
He added that the most important thing for animators is to have a story they want to tell, and stressed the importance of new ideas and stories.
“Animation is not just about moving lines and shapes, it's about imitating life, giving characters personality, and creating new worlds. Any aspiring animator must have a love of life and a genuine thirst for originality to develop their artistic sense.”
