About Us
About Waldemar Coetsee
Waldemar Coetsee started his professional career in the film industry 18 years ago while studying at AFDA In Johannesburg. He did so by assisting on every student film he possibly could. With his father’s trusty Land Rover ensuring he could make it from set to set (and years of sleepless nights), he gained as much experience as possible.
After his studies, Waldemar advanced to set-decorating on several international and local projects, including ‘White Light’ (date), ‘Tornado’ (date), and the commercially successful teen comedy ‘Bakgat 1’ (date). After his first break as Head of Department on the set of the M-Net series ‘Innocent Times’ in 2007, Waldemar has never looked back. Subsequently, he has been the Production Designer on 31 feature films and five television series, including two seasons of ‘Getroud met Rugby’ (date-date) as well as 12 Kyknet TV Film
He has also gained valuable experience as Art Director and Special Effects Technician on a number of commercials, local TV & film productions, and international projects (including ‘District 9’ (date), ‘Mandela’s Gun’ (date), ‘Meerkat Maantuig’ (date) and ‘Toorbos’ (date). Waldemar has been nominated for 6 SAFTA and two Silwerskerm Fees awards for his work on ‘Roepman’ (date), ‘Faan se Trein’ (date), ‘Room 9’ (date), ‘Vaselinetjie’ (date) , ‘Meerkat Maantuig’, ‘Getroud met Rugby’, and ‘Toorbos’. He was also a member of the art team working on ‘Getroud met Rugby’ and was awarded by The Royal Soap awards.
He received the SAFTA Award for ‘Faan se Trein’ in 2015. His awards and nominations prove his definitive attention to and eye for detail, colour, form, and balance. Apart from his passion for period pieces, Waldemar is able to combine aesthetic elements with a wealth of practical knowledge and on-set production experience. When he tackles a new project, his aim is not only to portray stories visually, but to ensure the seamless execution of all aspects of film production within a budget- and time-conscious framework. Waldemar has a deep respect for the vision of the Director and enjoys translating this into a visual feast aided by his own translation of the script, character analysis, and the nature of the story itself. His ability to keep long-term goals in mind while executing short-term strategies to realise this vision, makes Waldemar a trusted leader to his team and a confidant to film directors & DOPs alike.
Our Team
