Animation
that hits
different.

Featured / Red Sea Film Festival
Studio / Global
Status / ● Taking briefs
High-End 2D Animation Storyboards Motion Graphics Character Design Art Direction Feature Films Visual Storytelling High-End 2D Animation Storyboards Motion Graphics Character Design Art Direction Feature Films Visual Storytelling
Selected Work

Our Projects

Showing 06 of 30+
Red Sea Film Festival
Red Sea Film Festival
Animated Ident
2022

A phoenix shatters the silver screen and carries our heroine to Jeddah's festival shoreline. Inaugural animated ident for Saudi Arabia's first international film festival.

Director · Boards · Animation: Mahmoud Zaini / Compositor: Raji Shalabi
Saudi Film Festival
Saudi Film Festival
Animated Intro
2024

A surreal traveller crosses a desert of void toward infinite galaxies of filmmaking, guided by the festival's golden ribbon. Commissioned by Ithra for the 10th edition.

Director: Mahmoud Zaini / 14 Animators / Music: Andrea Iris
Anjez
Anjez
Animated Commercial
2025

Bold, character-led animated commercial for the Anjez platform — punchy storytelling with a distinctive visual style.

Director · Animation: Mahmoud Zaini
Jeddah Season
Jeddah Season
Animated Intro
2024

A dreamy shooting star carries the spirit of Jeddah Season on a magical journey through the city's events. Original cinematic score.

Director: Mahmoud Zaini / Agency: Asmara / Client: NEC
Arat
Arat
Commercial
2025

Animated commercial built around Zaini Studio's signature expressive style — made for a fast-growing Saudi consumer brand.

Director · Animation: Mahmoud Zaini
NEC Founding Day
NEC Founding Day
Animated Spot
2024

Animated spot for the National Entertainment Center's Founding Day celebrations — high-energy, culturally anchored.

Director: Mahmoud Zaini / Client: NEC
View All Projects & Case Studies →
Our Clients

Trusted by the Industry

Netflix
Ithra
Red Sea Film Fest
Saudi Film Fest
Jeddah Season
Diriyah Season
NEC
STC
Arat
Anjez
SDA
Thmanyah
CITC
Domino's
Little Caesars
Zain
Who We Are

We Actualize
Dreams!
Authentic Ideas.
International
Quality.

A Saudi animation studio founded and directed by Mahmoud Zaini. We specialise in 2D animation — from cinematic intros, creative commercials and explainers to feature-film sequences.

We do the whole thing — concept, storyboards, design, animation, sound — with utmost care. We listen carefully, negotiate meaningful additions, and deliver on-time. Made by people who genuinely care about every frame, and about what you need.

Trained at California College of the Arts, including Pixar's visual storytelling programme. Zaini returned to Saudi Arabia to build a studio rooted in meaningful stories with international quality.

30+
Projects shipped
7+
Years telling stories
1
Netflix credit
What we do

What we offer

/ 01
High-End Animation
Cinematic 2D for screen, festivals & broadcast
→
/ 02
Motion Graphics
Explainers, Corporate Communication, and Shorts
→
/ 03
Storyboards
Director-led boards and animatics
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/ 04
Creative Concept
Story development & production bibles
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/ 05
Writing
Scripts for commercial & original work
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/ 06
Art & Illustration
Character design, key art, posters & visdev
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Storyboards

Boards
that sell.

Director-led storyboards are our core capability. Every project is boarded before a single frame is animated — mapping scenes, cuts, timing, and emotion. We develop briefs into pictures.

Commercials Title Sequences Feature Films Music Videos Animatics Explainers
View Portfolio →
Storyboard sample — event planning sequence
Storyboard sample — road trip sequence
Storyboard sample — character dialogue sequence
How We Work

Story First.
Always.

Every project starts with a storyboard led by the director. We sell ideas with a pencil before touching a single frame in production.

01
Brief & Concept
+

You bring the brief. We bring the story. Together we figure out what the project needs to say — and how to say it in a way nobody forgets.

Deliverable
Creative Concept Doc
02
Storyboards & Animatic
+

Director-led boards map every scene, cut, and camera move. Then we animate it rough as an animatic to lock the timing before a cent goes into production.

Deliverable
Boards + Animatic
03
Design & Colour
+

Characters, colour scripts, background paintings. Your world — built from scratch, in your palette. Every design decision serves the story.

Deliverable
Colour Script + Style Guide
04
Animation
+

Frame by frame — this is where everything comes alive. Our collective of artists bring characters and elements to life, adhering to the principles of animation.

Deliverable
Rough + Clean Animation
05
Finish & Deliver
+

Compositing, colour grade, sound, final cut. Ready for screen, festival, or broadcast. We don't hand off until it's exactly right.

Deliverable
Final File Package

Got a brief?
Send it.

mahmoudzaini@zainistudios.com
Reply within 24 hrs / Mon–Fri