Zainudeen Mohammad Jeeawody : Mushrooming of Young Mauritian Talent in Producing Videos

Zainudeen Mohammad Jeeawody is the winner in the Vida e Caffé competition 2018. Watching the small ad video, all indications point towards a professional videographer. Yet, he is only 20-years-old and is a part-time freelancer studying Digital Art at the University of Mauritius. With the support of his friends, he won the competition.

He was looking for an opportunity to demonstrate his talent and that of his team. Then his luck intervened and Zainudeen Jeeawody got the opportunity to participate in the Vida e Caffe short video a few weeks ago. It was only a couple of days before the competition’s deadline that he learned about it. “To do or not to do,” that was the question preoccupying his mind. Initially, he was pessimistic, as he had very little time to come up with a concept and execute it in a 30-second-video in just some days. “I finally flushed out my negativity when I realized that an opportunity to showcase your talent and to grow doesn’t knock on your door every day,” he emphasises. Within two hours, he brainstormed about several ideas and printed out a script ensuring that he would be able to create a good impression with his creativity. “The competition itself was one of a kind since they gave us the freedom to explore and play around with ideas,” explained Zainudeen.

As a content creator, he says that he has always taken up contracts that would expand his reach and exposure. “The videos I produce act as an advertisement for me, so I have to make sure that the final output is better than my previous work.  Not every day does a company welcome you to create videos with its products and services so when they do, we as beginners, we must give our best,” he asserts. Furthermore, this opportunity added more visuals and depth to his portfolio. However, the latter does not want to overshadow the works of the other participants. He confides that he has really enjoyed watching their works because each had their own style and personality. Zainudeen compares video production to the same as painting on a fresh canvas. “Both artists have the freedom to display compelling stories,” he adds. 

 Freelance videographer

When he started in this field, to develop his passion, Zainudeen needed projects. So he reached out to local businesses who would want an advertising video of their products and services for free. Gradually he established long lasting relationships with clients. His made his first video with his barber. To succeed, a freelancer, according to him, must have a good online presence with their social media accounts functioning as their portfolio. “Freelancing allowed me to put more content out there for a specific audience to appreciate and enjoy,” he says.

He has also worked as a video editor in FTT Media, which is based in New York, on their Facebook page 'Premier Football' which has an audience of 3.4 million, for six months, under the coaching of a successful entrepreneur: Adam Alfin. “I've been part of the Reinventing Chinatown project since a few months, producing videos to cover their progress and events and among others, produced Talent videos for three Nigerian players in Mauritius,” he adds.
With the right mindset, anyone can become a successful entrepreneur. “I think that relying on optimism and the advice of other entrepreneurs is better than trying to stand out alone. I communicate openly with my team and we have established a mutual trust which makes us more creative and comfortable working with each other. I think that having an entrepreneurial attitude means to lead by example,” advises the young winner. 

The birth of AFOZ

In a quest to spread happiness and positivism, five childhood friends came together to form a team: Ashfaq Madarbuccus, Farhaan Baichoo, Umar Aubdoollah, Zaafir Edun and Zainudeen Jeeawody amalgamated their ideas to create AFOZ. Initially started as a hobby, it gradually turned into a passion and brought forth a vision to expand it into a community where content creators can produce ‘Art’ through their lenses with a creative mindset. Their sole purpose was posting comedy content. Zainuddeen had known them since primary school. That's when he started producing video with a Smartphone. “Watching other content creators on YouTube take their crafts to new levels inspired us to grow the page. With AFOZ, I discovered my passion for video production. We formed a stable friendship which allowed us to be consistent on growing and opened our minds to creative strategies,” he narrates. 

They never knew they would reach over 10,000 followers, and now, they are aiming for over a million. “We are a bunch of young minds still attending school, and just like every other human being, we want to open doors of opportunity for our future,” he asserts. When they are not scribbling away on paper, they are always writing short stories but from a witty angle, which are mostly shot in their hometown, Triolet. When asked as to why they do it, Zainudeen and his team explain that they love giving a physical shape to their ideas. For them, the feeling of making thousands laugh is just awesome. “We do intend to market our content to help us financially in the near future, but it’s not the main focus at this current stage. This freedom to develop a keyword into a visual item is not available anywhere else,” he emphasizes.

In the near future, the team intends to create a network of video content creators in Mauritius where they can support and collaborate with each other to create better visuals. They wish to transform AFOZ into an internationally recognized platform. Zainudeen’s advice for success: Once you see life as an adventure, you are already halfway to achieving your goals.