I started working in the General TD department as a lighting TD supporting the lighting department on Tangled. I wrote a number of software tools to support various departments at the studio and developed tools that would be used to animate large numbers of characters using simulation. I used these tools to animate all the crowds shots in Game Central Station of Wreck-it Ralph. This eventually morphed into the Crowds Department.

As a Crowds Supervisor, I lead the creative team behind all the background animations we see in our beloved films. This includes everything from human crowds, to animals, to vehicles, and more. My role is to work closely with directors, production designers, animators, character designers, and various creative teams to populate the world of our films to make it feel alive.

My favorite thing about working at Disney Animation is how diverse the backgrounds are of every individual that contributes to our films at Disney Animation. We have people from all around the world from various backgrounds and expertise coming together to make our films great. I love working with artists, technicians, scientists, managers, and more. Everyone is so friendly, fun, and excited to be here, and that makes me excited to be here too.

My career advice would be to always chase what you are truly passionate about. If you love your work, you will naturally be good at it. Focus on building quality relationships with your co-workers and colleagues. Be persistent and keep yourself sharp and knowledgeable about everything that goes on industry wise.

My favorite movie growing up was Aladdin. My background is Egyptian and I enjoyed seeing similar cultural themes featured. The story resonated so strongly with me. I fell in love with the animation and the role of Robin Williams played as Genie. This came full circle for me when I got the chance to work with Ron Clements and John Musker on Moana and let them know how much Aladdin had an impact on me.