I take influences some of the world best filmmakers and DPs. Most of lighting crew guys usually are more like technicians, but I’m more like an artist. I could give your clients more western style and communication, I understand more how in western use for lighting. And over all my personal taste and style is moody/dark/contrast/shadows. My approach for lightning is like painting. To me important is aesthetics, feeling and mood.
I’m best when I could work independently and self-directed and give my “effort/vision/knowledge/creativity” to project. To me best situation is that DP and director trust me and I have good best boy. My strength is visuality.
I also working on my own feature film projects. The films are based on my stories and I have been guided/directed screenwriters to write these stories. I will be director on these films and I producing films also with Hollywood producing partners.
My voice as a filmmaker is dark and deep. I want to tell meaningful stories that are also very entertaining and commercial.
Currently I am a full time 1st Assistant Director , operating on a freelance basis for many of Dubai’s top production houses. However I also Direct content for clients who specifically reach out to me .
Most recent FEATURE FILM jobs include :
“MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 7 ” (3rd Assistant Director – UAE Crew)
“6 underground” with Michael Bay and Ryan Reynolds (3rd Assistant director – UAE Crew)
“Star Wars VII ” (3rd Assistant Director – UAE Crew)
“Star Trek Beyond ” (3rd Assistant director – UAE Crew)
“Deliver us from Evil ” (2nd Assistant Director – UAE crew) ,
“the Bourne Legacy” as 2nd assistant Director for the Dubai Unit.
I have also Directed many short films for the 48hour film project. A yearly international competition for filmmakers to write ,script shoot and edit a short film within 48hour time period .
My films ” the Pillow-Case” won “1st place for “Best Film” , “Best Actor” and ” Best use of Prop” “Coraje” won 3rd place overall , as well as “best cinematography” “No Cuts No glory” 2nd place
“Dead weight ” 2nd place , and “Best Director”award
The film industry is changing , and I have worked on hundreds of TV commercials in the past 15 years and the need for smaller teams of skilled film makers to gather content is real . I am no stranger to the ever changing demands of this regions film industry as a matter of fact, I revel in it .
Whether you hire me to Direct or 1st Assistant Direct your film project , i can assure you i bring years of skill and experience to the table .
I am a recent graduate in Film Directing from the University of West London and before that I had the chance to study and work in the UAE for 8\9 years. Those years have been the most formative of my life and that is why I consider Abu Dhabi to be my second home. After getting a scholarship from the Crown Prince Court to study at Sorbonne I worked on Abu Dhabi’s Major events till I finally switched industries and became a media analyst for a government think tank.
That allowed me to understand the important role the press plays in shaping public opinion but it also gave me the motivation to leave all this life behind and take on a career in film and that is why i moved to Berlin to do my Masters in film directing. Now it’s been a year since I graduated and I hope to be able to mix my knowledge in law, politics and dramaturgie to write and direct films that are relevant to the region but in the meantime it is essential for me to collaborate on projects to improve my skills and work alongside a group of like minded people.
Below is a modest list of projects i have worked on:
–Cast for “Incendies” (2010) directed by Denis Villeneuve
-Extra for ”Rosewater” (2014) directed by Jon Stewart
-PA for Stand-up comedy shows with “Jamel Debbouze” and “Gad Elmaleh” (2014)
-Writer/Producer/Director of short documentary “Dhahiyet al-Hussein” (2019)
-Writer/Director/Editor of commercial “2020: Toilet Paper Space Odyssey” (2020)
-PA, DIT & Assistant Editor for Feature film “Spectre” (2021) directed by Saeed Rashed
I’m a freelancer and I have skills like Director / Cameraman / DOP / Steadicam Operator, with my own steadicam equipment.
I have 20 years experience as Director, 25 as Steadicam Operator and over 30 as Cameraman/dop.
I have experience in : feature films, drama , commercials (tvc), documentaries, corporate, video music, tv series, tv events, reality show’s, entertainment, live broadcast, eng, efp, sports, news, aerial shooting, underwater shooting (with padi), inline skating shooting, octocopter shooting (drone)…
I also have aerial filming and aerial branding/advertising services.
Holder of an MFA from the New York Film Academy in Hollywood California, a BA in Communication Arts and a minor in Psychology from the Lebanese American University in Beirut. Apart from his own film projects, Zaid worked internationally for well-established TV shows as an Assistant Director, Director, writer and Producer. His experience covered a wide range of entertainment such as high-powered Entertainment TV’s (E!) Golden Globes coverage (2013, 2014), a Soccer reality-competition show featuring Diego Maradona, children’s educational Sesame Street NY produced Amman, to name a few. And on camera, Zaid worked as a TV correspondent for MBC group in Hollywood. In 2009, Zaid established his company Zaha Productions, producing 6 award winning short films to date creating strong work relationships with prestigious production houses in Los Angeles, and the Gulf. His Directorial debut film Baram & Hamza won International awards and distribution, and his next films continued on the same track. His other films include Love…Older (of 2 parts) and & the 2012 Oscar-qualified film Bahiya & Mahmoud, after winning “Best of Fest” at the Palm Springs Int. Shortfest. Zaid is currently freelancing between Hollywood, Abu Dhabi and Dubai while developing his first feature film Daughters of Abdul-Rahman in partnership with The Doha Film Institute, Torino Film Lab, Royal Film Commission of Jordan and other international film organizations like the RAWI-Sundance screenwriter’s lab.
Services offered:
Writing, producing, directing and developing content for TV and Film
