Who I am
Hello!I'm:
Mir Tohid Razavi
میرتوحید رضوی
A 3D artist, director, and animation researcher based in Prague.
…And a freelance photographer!
My Story:
My love for art and 3D began in my teenage years — I've been self-taught since I was sixteen, and I've never been afraid to dive into the unknown and figure things out on my own. To strengthen my visual foundations, I trained in oil painting under a well-known realist painter, and later studied graphic design under several respected Iranian graphic designers. I also studied traditional animation, though for personal reasons I didn't complete the program — I chose to enter the industry early instead and learn from real-world experience rather than sit through more classes.
Over the years I've worked on a wide range of projects, from animation and modeling for governmental and cultural organizations to video games and TV series production. Directing and managing the team for the TV series "Tehraniha" was one of my key experiences, earning me a Best Director award, and collaborating with the Turkish studio Dusyeri on the series "Leliko" was one of the most intense and rewarding professional projects I've worked on. For many years I've also worked as a character artist and 3D modeler in the games industry.
My personal short film, My Ms. Rain, was my first independent project as a writer, director, character designer, and storyboard artist. I'm proud that it was officially selected and screened at prestigious international festivals, including:
Monstara Lisbon Animation Festival, Portugal 2017
Anifilm, Czech Republic 2016
2FICAE, Spain 2016
Golden Kuker, Sofia 2016
Gdansk, Poland 2015
Ankara International Film Festival, Turkey 2016
Khorshid Film Festival, Iran 2016
Tehran International Short Film Festival, Iran 2015
11th Chinese American Film Festival, USA 2015
Roshd Film Festival, Iran 2016
In 2010, together with my twin brother Omid, I co-founded Puyanama:
Puyanama.com
Over a decade of ongoing content creation — production, directing, animation projects, and creative and producer roles — alongside a podcast built around the book "The Illusion of Life." Today, Puyanama has grown into one of the most successful and comprehensive Persian-language resources for animation enthusiasts and students, and that success earned it recognition from Iran's national web festival as the best animation resource for Persian speakers — an honor I'm genuinely proud of.
Beyond my professional work, photography, art, and animation are deep, genuine passions of mine — not just my career, but part of how I see the world.
EDUCATION
Vije - School of Visual Arts
(2011-2012)
Graphic Design
Art Academy of Tehran
2005-2008
Traditional Animation
Academy of Realist Art Tehran
2012-2014
Oil Painting
.
Puyanama Podcast
Puyanama, the podcast, was launched in June 2010 together with my twin brother Omid, and it's been running continuously ever since. It's centered on the history of Disney and Pixar and on in-depth 3D animation education, with a significant portion of the content built around the book
The Illusion of Life
one of the field's foundational references.
Puyanama is Iran's first online animation database in Persian, and alongside the podcast, we publish in-depth articles on animation production that have drawn strong attention from Iranian artists and have kept growing steadily. The podcast is also available on the major platforms:
Over the years, Puyanama has received several festival nominations and a cultural commendation from the Tehran Municipality. It has also been recognized by Iran's national web festival, which named
the best animation resource for Persian speakers. I'm genuinely proud that Puyanama has grown into one of the most recognized and trusted Persian-language resources for animation enthusiasts, students, and professionals alike.
پادکست پویانما رو از خرداد ۱۳۸۹ (ژوئن ۲۰۱۰) به همراه برادر دوقلویم، امید، راه‌اندازی کردیم و از همون زمان تا امروز به‌صورت مستمر فعاله. محور اصلی این پادکست، تاریخ استودیوهای دیزنی و پیکسار و همچنین آموزش تخصصی انیمیشن سه‌بعدیه؛ بخش زیادی از محتوا هم بر پایه کتاب
The Illusion of Life
(توهم زندگی) شکل گرفته که یکی از مرجع‌های اصلی دنیای انیمیشنه.
پویانما اولین پایگاه‌داده آنلاین انیمیشن به زبان فارسیه و در کنار پادکست، مقالات تخصصی درباره تولید انیمیشن هم منتشر می‌کنه که مورد توجه جدی هنرمندان ایرانی قرار گرفته و رشد پیوسته‌ای داشته. این پادکست روی پلتفرم‌های اصلی هم در دسترسه:
پویانما در طول این سال‌ها چند بار نامزد جشنواره شده و همچنین از طرف شهرداری تهران، لوح تقدیر فرهنگی دریافت کرده. علاوه بر این، جشنواره وب ایران هم وب‌سایت
رو به‌عنوان بهترین منبع انیمیشن برای فارسی‌زبانان مورد تقدیر قرار داده. برام باعث افتخاره که پویانما امروز به یکی از شناخته‌شده‌ترین و معتبرترین منابع فارسی‌زبان برای علاقه‌مندان، دانشجویان و حرفه‌ای‌های انیمیشن تبدیل شده.
Research History:
Since 2010, I have been conducting independent research into the history and craft of animation, and sharing it through Puyanama.com — a project I co-founded and co-run with my twin brother — in the form of written articles, videos, and a dedicated podcast. Over the years this ongoing research has resulted in more than 1,000 articles published on the website and over 80 podcast episodes, covering topics such as the production history of Disney and Pixar films, the working philosophy and habits of pioneering directors, and dedicated interviews with industry figures. This body of work has made Puyanama one of the most referenced Persian-language resources for students and enthusiasts of animation.
2020
• A Brief Look at "Onward" — single episode — March 7
First impressions and a short analysis of Pixar's "Onward" shortly after release.
• Pixar's Braintrust — single episode — August 29
An explainer on Pixar's Braintrust system, the internal feedback process used to critique and refine films during production.
• Animation DemoReel: DOs & DON'Ts — single episode — September 26
Practical guidance on building a strong animation demo reel — what to include and what to avoid.
• Inside Pixar: The Challenges of Making "Soul" — single episode — October 10
A behind-the-scenes look at the creative process and production challenges of Pixar's "Soul".
• "The Illusion of Life" Podcast (narrated), Parts 1–4 — October 28 – November 9
The opening chapters of a serialized narration of "The Illusion of Life" (Thomas & Johnston), tied to the Persian translation project.
2024
• "The Illusion of Life" Podcast (narrated), Parts 5–7 — April 7–19
The series resumed and concluded after roughly a three-and-a-half-year hiatus.
• Answering Your Comments — single episode — April 13
A listener Q&A episode responding to audience comments and questions.
• Walt Disney's Habits of Mind, Episodes 47–53 — April 22 – May 17
Part of a long-running numbered series exploring Walt Disney's mindset, working habits, and creative philosophy.
• What Happened at Hyperion, Parts 1–5 — May 19 – June 21
A five-part history series on the early years of Walt Disney Studios at its original Hyperion Avenue location in Los Angeles.
• How Pixar Came to Be, Parts 1–6 — June 28 – August 6
A six-part origin story tracing the founding and growth of Pixar.
• Announcement from Tohid Razavi — single episode — August 9
A short personal announcement episode.
• "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Parts 1–7 — September 8 – November 10
A seven-part deep dive into the making of Disney's first feature film.
• A Look at "Pinocchio," Part 1 — December 25 (continued into 2025)
The start of a series on the animation technique and production history of "Pinocchio."
2025
• A Look at "Pinocchio," Part 2 and Final — January 4 & February 14
The concluding episodes of the Pinocchio series.
• Directing at Disney (Script to Screen), Parts 1–9 — March 9 – October 26
The main, long-running season on directing at Disney, following the path from script to screen and the director's role in classic Disney productions.
• 90 Years of a Disney Musical Short — March 9
A bonus episode marking the 90th anniversary of one of Disney's musical animated shorts.
• Directing at Disney: The Lasseter Touch, Parts 1–3 — November 5 – December 20
A new sub-series focused on John Lasseter's approach to directing and creative leadership at Disney/Pixar.
• Steve Jobs and the Birth of Pixar: The Untold Story — November 22
A lesser-known account of Steve Jobs' role in Pixar's founding.
• Reviewing Your Emails and Comments — November 29
An interactive episode reviewing listener emails and feedback.
• From Pixar to Iran: Revisiting Steve Jobs' Words — November 30
Steve Jobs' own words revisited and connected to the Iranian context, narrated by Tohid Razavi.
• Interview with Pete Docter: The Wizard of Emotion at Pixar — December 7
An interview with Pixar director Pete Docter on the craft of emotion-driven storytelling.
من میر توحید رضوی هستم، انیماتور، کارگردان و پژوهشگر انیمیشن، ساکن پراگ. عشق من به هنر و سه‌بعدی از همون نوجوانی شروع شد؛ از شانزده سالگی خودآموز بودم و همیشه از یادگیری و ورود به مسیرهای ناشناخته نترسیدم. برای تقویت پایه‌های بصری‌ام، دوره نقاشی رنگ‌روغن رو زیر نظر یک استاد واقع‌گرا گذروندم و بعد هم وارد حوزه گرافیک شدم و از چند طراح گرافیک شناخته‌شده ایرانی آموزش دیدم. در کنارش تحصیل در رشته انیمیشن سنتی هم بخشی از مسیرم بود، هرچند به دلایل شخصی این دوره رو کامل نکردم و ترجیح دادم زودتر وارد بازار کار بشم و از تجربه واقعی یاد بگیرم.
در طول سال‌ها در پروژه‌های متنوعی فعالیت داشتم؛ از انیمیشن و مدل‌سازی برای سازمان‌های دولتی و فرهنگی گرفته تا کار روی بازی‌های ویدیویی و تولید سریال‌های تلویزیونی. کارگردانی و مدیریت تیم برای سریال «تهرانی‌ها» یکی از تجربه‌های مهم من بود که جایزه بهترین کارگردانی رو برام به همراه داشت، و همکاری با استودیوی ترکیه‌ای Dusyeri روی سریال Leliko هم از فشرده‌ترین و پرتجربه‌ترین پروژه‌های حرفه‌ای‌ام بود. سال‌ها هم به عنوان هنرمند کاراکتر و مدل‌ساز سه‌بعدی در صنعت بازی‌سازی مشغول بودم.
انیمیشن کوتاه شخصی‌ام با نام
My Ms. Rain
اولین تجربه مستقل من در نویسندگی، کارگردانی، طراحی کاراکتر و استوری‌بورد بود و افتخار داشتم که در جشنواره‌های معتبر بین‌المللی زیر پذیرفته و نمایش داده بشه:
Monstara Lisbon Animation Festival, Portugal 2017
Anifilm, Czech Republic 2016
2FICAE, Spain 2016
Golden Kuker, Sofia 2016
Gdansk, Poland 2015
Ankara International Film Festival, Turkey 2016
Khorshid Film Festival, Iran 2016
Tehran International Short Film Festival, Iran 2015
11th Chinese American Film Festival, USA 2015
Roshd Film Festival, Iran 2016
از سال ۲۰۱۰ به همراه برادر دوقلویم، امید، پویانما رو بنیان‌گذاری کردیم:
بیش از یک دهه فعالیت مستمر در تولید محتوا، کارگردانی، پروژه‌های انیمیشن و نقش‌های خلاقانه و تهیه‌کنندگی، همراه با پادکستی که بر پایه کتاب «توهم زندگی» شکل گرفته. پویانما امروز به یکی از موفق‌ترین و جامع‌ترین منابع فارسی‌زبان برای علاقه‌مندان و دانشجویان انیمیشن تبدیل شده و همین موفقیت باعث شد از طرف جشنواره وب ایران، به عنوان بهترین منبع انیمیشن برای فارسی‌زبانان تقدیر بشه؛ افتخاری که براش ارزش زیادی قائلم.
فراتر از کار حرفه‌ای، عکاسی، هنر و انیمیشن علاقه‌ای عمیق و واقعی برام هستن؛ چیزهایی که نه‌فقط شغلم، بلکه بخشی از نگاه من به زندگی‌ان