Becoming a filmmaker does not happen in a day, that is something we can clearly see in Yousef Albagshi’s journey into concept art, animation, and filmmaking. He gradually and naturally grew towards it, and today we can see Yousef’s best creativity to date, with two award winning short films and a third one coming out soon at the start of next year, Yousef’s vision is shaping up beautifully to the point where we simply cannot look the other way!
A graduate from the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Kuwait, at 33, Yousef has already attained unforgettable success. It all started with drawing, a talent and a passion he takes very seriously as he says “It was simply drawing from childhood, something I enjoyed doing a lot. Plus, a child loves to watch animation, with time, in addition to drawing I wanted to start storytelling, and becoming a filmmaker happened naturally. So, the tool I had was drawing and that turned into animation.”
Yousef saw himself in filmmaking, and his inspirations do not come from a single source, but multiple sources. He enjoyed looking at the process of it all, the rough sketches of animators for characters, the levels of progress within a film from storyboards to coloring. With the help of advancements in technology, it gave Yousef the needed push towards creating animations and films.
The process of creating an animated film is exhilarating and intriguing, but definitely difficult especially when it’s being done by one person. Yousef says “Typically, each stage has experts, but because we don’t have the resources or the budget for it, I’m forced to do the whole process by myself. That’s why it takes a long time, up to a year for example.” The first stage is coming up with an idea and the scenario, and the following stage, which Yousef considers as the most difficult one, is creating a storyboard. “So, that part is difficult because within it I decide the method of the scene, the concept, the direction is almost entirely decided from the stage of the storyboard,” he explains.
Moving on towards the concept of characters, this phase usually takes time as Yousef is trying to push his own boundaries in creating a specific identity for the film. “I don’t like repeating the same themes I did before; I try to come up with something different,” he says. After placing the character designs, adding movements, detailed features, and lastly the stage of coloring, clean-ups, and adding backgrounds, sound effects and editing the visible material till the whole project comes to life is a process we truly admire.
It may sound simple, but it really isn’t. Take the film Naqlah for example, it was a challenging project for Yousef, both professionally and personally. “The story is dark and emotionally draining. So, for me to transfer these dark emotions into the character I personally got affected, it was tiring.” he says. Not only that, but the tough circumstances Yousef was also going through at the time he was producing the film took a toll on him. As much as he appreciates the immense support he is receiving, not many are aware of the excruciating decisions that had to be made behind the scenes. Yousef says, “I was in a position where it was either the film gets paused or my kids would fail in school. Ok, you all said ‘Bravo! You still continued with the project’ but did you know that my kids, they didn’t fail but let’s say their grades went really low because I had to choose between work or family.”
To this day, Yousef still contemplates the decision, whether it was right or wrong as the film also affected his health. He worked on it for ten months, 12 hours a day, and he emphasizes on how being overwhelmed with pressure is unhealthy. “You’re not supposed to pressure yourself that way. There are negative aspects to it, it’s not always in someone’s interest to say ‘I achieved it, that’s it,’ there are other angles to look at,” he says.
Yousef has tapped into contradictory and controversial topics that spark discussion by presenting the whole picture to allow the emergence of different perspectives, whether it was portrayed in art or as a specific character. He genuinely takes all angles into consideration, such as his piece titled Nasfa which is part of the Knots series. The work was a cultural take of the traditional societal norms we exist in.
Yousef expressed how he would like to see an identity of our own within the creative community “I believe we won’t have a Kuwaiti identity until we’re affected by it from the inside, not outside,” that’s also a goal he is trying to achieve himself. As he continues to create films and delve into the world of concept art, Yousef is already planning on making longer films, while also hoping to get into the traditional arts. But, for now, he is simply appreciating the importance of time and focusing on creating impeccable content with the resources he currently has.
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE
What do you most value about your friends?
Trust.
Which living person do you most admire?
Artist Faisal Al-Baghli.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
To prove people wrong when they said that my goal is silly.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Ignoring chances of financial gain that conflict with my goals.
What is your most treasured possession?
Work time.
What is your greatest fear?
That I don’t have something to distinguish me from others.
What is your most marked characteristic?
My solitude.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Authorship.
What is one trait you have that you are most grateful for?
My passion in what I love.
What is the human trait you most dislike about others?
Lying.
What is it that you most dislike?
Being forced to do what I do not want.
What are your favorite words to live by?
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to become great one day.”
لا يجب أن تكون عظيما كي تبدأ، لكن يجب أن تبدأ حتى تصبح عظيما يوما ما
Where would you most like to live?
Canada.
If you could have any job, what would it be?
A director and an animation filmmaker.
What would you consider your greatest achievement?
Ignoring temptations, and taking advantage of every moment to achieve my goal.
What do you hope for the future?
To see my kids as good people and to see them happy with their lives.
For more information, follow @userseef_albagshi on Instagram and Yousef Albagshi on YouTube for more film goodness in your life. Featured image by bazaar Studios and illustrated by Yousef Albagshi.
