In my line of work, I meet people who have something to say, stories they want to tell. My job is to help them tell their story by taking care of all the details – from planning and storyboarding to executing their ideas and packaging them into a product that puts their message across to their audience.

 

Here is my story.

 

2017

Became an award-winning director for Madayen, a first-of-its-kind found-footage thriller set in Saudi Arabia’s infamous Madain Saleh that tells the story of 3 filmmakers scouting for a movie location and ending up entangled in the city’s deep secrets. The film won many awards in the international independent film festival circuit, notably in Barcelona, Los Angeles, and Lagos.

 

2015

Opened SL8HOUSE PICTURES, a Saudi production company where I was a Managing Partner and Film Director. Under its banner, our team worked on Madayen, several corporate documentaries including Salvador Dali in Saudi Arabia, event photography, and advertisement videos for clients in the major cities of Saudi Arabia.

 

2012

My first foray in film production when I worked as a Film Director, Cinematographer, and Studio Manager at UNIVERSAL LEGENDS, a major Saudi production company based in Jeddah. Here I learned to manage a studio, direct and lead a film set, and produce multiple film projects at once – all valuable skills I’ve had the opportunity to sharpen with time and experience. I worked with several Arab and Saudi celebrities in the creation of their music videos, national and multinational companies in the production of their corporate videos, and industry leaders and influencers in Saudi Arabia for their videography and photography needs.

 

2009

I started out as a Set Assistant and Runner for a well-known photographer at DOTCAPTURE, where I learned the basics of composition, photography, and videography. My story starts here. In my search for my calling, I have worked as a shopkeeper in a wood shop in the industrial area of Jeddah, attended a business college, composed for and recorded a music album, and worked as a teacher. While I gave up on all of them, my experience in each field has been valuable and has led me to my one true passion: film.

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Now tell me your story. E-mail me at
aymanidrisstamano@gmail.com