Jumanah Shaheen(I)
- Visual Effects
- Producer
- Animation Department
Born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and raised between the United States and Saudi Arabia, Jumanah
Shaheen grew up moving between countries, shifting between cultures acclimating to new
societal norms. In 2003 Jumanah's family relocated indefinitely in Jeddah Saudi Arabia.
attended a Manarat International school where she was able to condense her high school years
into one. At grade 10 and at the age of 15 Jumanah graduated high school in 2009. During her
years at Manarat, her love for Literature and Computer Science grew. Post her graduation she
interned at Destination Jeddah as an assistant, working directly with the Editorial Director
Michael Bou-Nacklie. The exposure to the inner workings of the magazine company really
intrigued her, but what excited her more was the ability to share stories with a large market that
she related to. Her curiosity led her to compare what type of media she consumed and why some
type truly resonated with her to the point that it influenced her. After her internship Shaheen
attended College of Business and Administration in Jeddah for a year where she studied the
fundamental classes for Accounting, Psychology, Economics, and Sociology. Attending these
classes Jumanah would constantly think about the links connecting the different industries
together and how they all work cohesively. She would discuss her thoughts among her friends,
they would converse for hours on how media truly shaped how people view others. That summer
Jumanah attended a two-week course in Lebanon with Faisal Al-Qassim at Al-Jazeera, this
course covered TV production and live broadcasting. She enjoyed learning about the inner
workings of the news channel, she had the chance to speak with Mr. Al-Qassim and pick his brains
on the influence of media. He emphasized the importance of art in a society, as artists are able to
convey visually what we aren't able to in words. That night Jumanah applied to Academy of Art
University to study Animation and Visual Effects production with an emphasis 3D modeling. It
combined her love for computers, storytelling, animation, and film.
Jumanah moved to San Francisco summer of 2010 and graduated with a BFA from the Academy
of Art Spring of 2015. Both Film and Animated films were a huge part of her life; they have
helped her view perspectives differently and live in a new way. Film and animation convey a way
of thinking, a way of life. To know a society, you look at their art to gain a deeper understanding
and Jumanah wanted to be able to gain the skill to be able to communicate effectively with a
multitude of people. The oldest form of entertainment there is, is theatre. It has helped the
world evolve and Shaheen has always wanted to be part of that evolution.
She moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles pursue her love for Film and Animation, studying
at the Academy of Art University, she has been presented with a range of opportunities which
include Oscar-nominated film, Theeb, Independent Spirit Award, Fruitvale Station, Sundance
Award, Advantageous, and MTV VMA nominated best visuals Taylor Swift - Look What You
Made Me Do breaking record of the most watched video on YouTube. Working alongside
recognized Hollywood figures like Ryan Coogler, Joseph Khan, and Kenya Barris. All this
experience has extended her knowledge in the industry.
Jumanah's exposure to a multitude of diverse cultures and environments resulted in giving her a
unique insight. This has broadened her ability to understand and communicate with all her
fellow team members. Due to the diversity of cultures she grew up in, has now as an adult,
allowed her to flourish in different work environments while supporting and leading a team
filled with their own experiences, strengths, and weaknesses as we set out to achieve our goal as
a team.