The SAFI Pod

We’re adapting to the times and going remote.  This week I sat down virtually with Grant Powell, stuntman, coordinator, fight choreographer, storyteller, student and teacher. We went on many a tangent but really dug into the attitude, perseverance and passion required to make it in this industry.  

Make sure to follow Grant on Instagram @powell321 to check out the amazing fights he’s designed and phenomenal actors and stunt performers he’s trained. Always ready with a story and a laugh but serious business on the mat.

For any interested this was recorded via cleanfeed.net (no sponsor, just a cool program I discovered)

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook Instagram and Twitter @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

Nadine Theron is a dancer, stunt woman, actress and small business owner her in Cape Town.  She went from small town dreamer to successful freelancer in the film and entertainment industry.  When there wasn’t work she made it, she dove head first into stunts, acting and production management and hasn’t looked back since.  We talk about the joys of being a performer, learning to trust your training and stepping outside of the box.  She’s shares the tough choices and is really an example of what can be achieved if you believe in yourself, when failure is not an option you find away.  Find out more about the dance industry in South Africa and what is takes to run you own corporate entertainment company while also keeping up with the pace of the film industry.  

Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinetheron_dancer and on Facebook at Nadine Theron. 

Find out more about her company by checking out the website www.tuluentertainment.co.za or by following it on Instagram and Facebook @TULUentertainment.

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

This week I sat down with continuity and script supervisor Kim Robinson.  She is a ray of sunshine that like me just loves the idea of cerebrating the South African Film Industry and all the phenomenal people in it.  She has even created a book about just that called A World Behind The Camera.  We chatted about her job, what it actually means to be a script supervisor and continuity on a set and the multitasking and interpersonal skills required to be a pro.  We talk about her passion project of creating the photography book and how she just loves being a part of the South African Film Industry.

You can follow Kim on Instagram @kimwild1

Check out her personal photography pages on Instagram and Facebook @kimwildphotography

And finally keep up with her film book on Instagram @aworldbehindthecamera and on Facebook @thefilmbook

You can even pre-order you own copy on the website aworldbehindthecamera.com so go check it out

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

You may recognise her as Flea Van Jaarsveld in the new local series Trackers based on Deon Meyers crime novel of the same name but Trix Vivier joined me in all her inspirational glory chatting with us about her career, the journey to where she is today and the importance of hard work, perseverance and a solid grounding.  This interview is filled with great advice on moving towns, focusing on the work you do and just enjoying the process of becoming the best team player you can be.  You can find Trix on Instagram and Facebook @trixvivier to keep up with her career, and her new foray into producing, writing and creating the amazing characters she has been lucky enough to portray.

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

First episode of 2020 happens to be episode 20, coincidence, I think not.  This week we sat down with stunts and special effects coordinator Antony Stone.  We go through his amazing journey from athlete to student to stuntman to coordinator and look at some of the things he’s learnt along the way.  We also chat about his short film Fracked currently doing the festival circuit.  He is really passionate about the environment and the footprint we as humans are leaving behind and this project more than ten years in the making is his way of bringing awareness to more people.

Find out more about Fracked at frackedfilm.co.za and check out his amazing stunts and SFX company’s website bigbang.co.za to see some of the great work he’s done so far.

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

Welcome to the year 2020.  This episode is a chance to look back on the creation of the South African Film Industry Podcast.  See how far we’ve come, chat about what we want to achieve and the ideals we are hoping to keep promoting, especially the part about celebrating the amazing people in our growing industry.  We also open up to some topic requests from you the listeners and chat a little about entering the industry, finding an agent and dealing with budgeting and finances as a freelancer.  Lets hit the floor running and make this year an awesome one.

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

For my last interview of 2019 I bring you the beautiful and talented Jo Galloway.  Trained in Musical Theatre at the Waterfront Theatre School here in Cape Town she traveled the world with some amazing shows before packing her bag and taking the plunge into the big pool of LA.  That was 8 years ago and since then she has built her career as an actress, writer, producer and director, through her company ShoWorks Entertainment.  We chatted about the highs and lows of the industry, the ways we cope and the importance of having a support system and a place to step away from and not be overwhelmed by the work.  This interview is filled with a solid mixture of hope and practicality and I feel every actor will listen and see that they are not alone in their sometimes uncontrollable ups and downs.  She is a mine of information and experience and always open to share.

Check out her website www.jogalloway.com and find out more about her production company at www.showorksentertainment.com

Follow her on Instagram @jogalloway3 and on Facebook @jogallowayactress to keep up with her new projects and find out more about her plans for 2020.

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

This episode is about business, investors and marketing your craft but without losing that love of the art and the passion for growth in our industry and our beautiful country.  I sat down with Monica Rorvik the head of the Film and Media Department at Wesgro.  They are in charge of promoting the Western Cape as a filming location and media creation hub.  We talk about the importance of knowing your audience and selling your ideas to investors in a language that they understand.  We both agree that everyone in the industry should become involved in the associations, guilds and groups that exist here in order to find a support structure and to have your voice heard in the important business, government and legal decisions being made about our jobs, in the end communication is key.  One that we spoke about is SWIFT, Sisters Working in Film and Television, see what they’re all about here swiftsa.org.za

You can find out more about what Wesgro does by checking out their website wesgro.co.za and give Monica a follow on Instagram @monica_rorvik to see what she’s been up to to promote out awesome industry.

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

This week we chat with local actress Anlia van Rensburg.  We go through her journey from Musical Theatre training to children theatre, to indy film and television to well known villain in the Afrikaans soap Getroud Met Rugby.  We chat about her decision to leave the show and move full time to Cape Town to sink her teeth into the many international productions filmed here, the challenges that come with relocating and rebuilding a network in a different town.  She was recently cast in the Ridley Scott series Raised By Wolves and is eagerly awaiting the premier of local horror movie Last Sacrament.  We chat about Cape Town, work, the importance of always training and our excitement for what is to come in our blooming industry. 

Make sure to give her a follow on Facebook at Anlia van Rensburg and on Instagram and Twitter @anliastar

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

This week we talk the gaming industry in South Africa. The film and game industries have much more in common than you may think, there is so much we can learn from each other and there are countless ways we can look to collaborating and creating together.  I interviewed Nicholas Hall, founder of the Make Games SA forum and CEO of IESA, International Entertainment South Africa, the non profit trade body designed to help develop the industry and create trade relations with international associations.  We get to see whats going on behind the scenes when it comes to establishing our gaming industry on the international market and the amazing strides we are making in our relationships with big companies and other international associations.  Nick is the perfect mix of business realism and creative passion and it is so exciting to hear about the potential of the South African Gaming industry.  We talk about the upcoming gaming and creative technology event Playtopia happening in Cape Town during the African Games Week featuring international and local speakers, game developers, artists, musicians and innovations, and really just marvel at the great things to come in our blooming industry.

Follow Nick on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin @nickhallsa

Check out the Make Games SA forums to get in touch with and make connections with other creatives in the local gaming industry at makegamessa.com

Find tickets and the full schedule for Playtopia, the upcoming gaming and creative technology conference and festival being held at The Castle of Good Hope on the 5h 6th and 7th December this year at playtopia.co.za

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

Matt Esof is a stunt performer and entrepreneur here in Cape Town.  He was thrown in the deep end a short 5 years ago when asked to be a double for an actor on Resident Evil 6 die to his high level Taekwondo experience.  After that he was hooked and started working to build himself a career in the film industry.  He’s had some ups and downs, crazy moments and as you will discover some very insightful drunken conversations that led to him starting his own VR and Augmented Reality company Envisio.  We get serious, we laugh a whole lot, nerd out and share our own fangirl moments.

Keep up with his crazy skills and stunts on his instagram page @matt_esof and find out more about Envisio by heading to their website envisio.co.za and their instagram page @envisio.co.za you won’t regret it.

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

This week we sit down with actor/director Daniel Lasker. After moving to Cape Town from his home town of Bulawayo Zimbabwe two years ago he has gone from strength to strength as an actor, director, writer, casting assistant and so much more. We talk about getting into the film industry, the importance of surrounding yourself with like minded people and how we must never stop learning, training and developing our skills across the board of filmmaking. This interview has been a great reminder to look back at why we got into the industry in the first place and I hope an inspiration to keep working at it if it is truly what you want no matter what stage you are in your career.

Follow Danny on Instagram @danny_lasker to find out more about the exciting projects he’s working on including his feature film directing debut.

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

Part 2 of our interview is filled with crazy stories and a tonne of inspiration for young actors and filmmakers. We chat about Ryans directing style, get a look into the making of Fried Barry and he gives some great insight into the Festival system and how directors can use it to their advantage. All in all we realised we’re the same type of nerd and probably need to find some hobbies, but not really, and I left feeling positive about the future of our industry. Remember why you do what you do, don’t forget to have fun and don’t be afraid to support one another because in the end all we all just want to make great movies.

Follow him and share the love on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @aryankrugerthing and keep up with Fried Barry’s progress on Instagram @friedbarrymovie.  You can also see some of his amazing work on his website ryankruger.tv

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

Ryan Kruger decided eleven years ago to make South Africa his home base and hasn't looked back since.  He is and actor and director most known for his unique directing style that has helped create some really memorable music videos for our local artists and has really taken control of his career by starting to direct his own experimental short films.  The most recent is Fried Barry which has been turned into a full length feature film due to be released in 2020.  In Part 1 we chat about his journey, and he shares some great pieces of advice for young filmmakers wanting to pursue a career in the film industry.  He is so passionate about the potential of our local industry but also realistic about the work we still need to put in to make ourselves known on an international scale.

Follow his journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @aryankrugerthing and learn more about his feature film debut on Instagram and Facebook @friedbarrymovie.  You can also see some of his amazing work on his website ryankruger.tv 

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

Sadly our Horror Fest special must come to an end but Part 2 of my interview with Paul Blom and Sonja Ruppersberg is filled to brim with festival chat, horror cinema discussions and a few rabbit holes. We talk about violence in cinema, the unfair labels placed on lovers of alternative media, the life of an independent freelance creative, meeting your idols and the importance of just being a nice person.

You can check out the full Horror Fest schedule, running from the 29th October to the 7th November 2019, and book tickets at horrorfest.info 

Reach out to Paul and Sonja through their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @SAHorrorFest.

Check out the Flamdrop Productions and Terminatryx YouTube channels to see all the promo’s and music videos we talked about and help spread the word about this amazing couple who 15 years ago decided to create a space to celebrate the horror genre.

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also reach out to me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

October means Halloween and what better way to celebrate than by interviewing the founders of our very own South African Horror Fest Paul Blom and Sonja Ruppersberg.  We chat about where it all started and how the Horror Fest has grown into an internationally recognised film festival.  We go on many a tangents about horror movies, music and our appreciation for young filmmakers who are able to do some amazing things with small budgets and big hearts.

There are so many great screenings happening this year at the Labia Theatre in Cape Town from the 29th October to the 7th November so check out their website horrorfest.info for the full schedule, trailers and info.  You can book tickets for all the screening at quicket.co.za

To all my horror nerds, give them a follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @SAHorrorFest and stay tuned for part 2 next week where we chat about music, the movies that scare us and the perception of the horror industry.

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also get in touch with me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

This week we head behind the scenes with unit stills photographer Graham Bartholomew.  We chat about what his job entails, researching cinematic styles, finding the right moments on set for the best shot and capturing the unique experience of filmmaking.  It has really given me a new appreciation for what he does and will make you look at his beautiful photographs with new eyes.  

Check out his website http://grahambartholomew.co.za. and follow his adventures and photography on Instagram @grahambart

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also get in touch with me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

Part 2 of our interview with stunt woman Lana Katz.  We chat about her joining the board of SASA, the South African Stunt Association, what it has done for the stunt community in South Africa and what we are hoping for in the future of our industry.  We touch on her adventurous turn as a reality TV start in The Longest Date where she to her own surprise found love.    We enjoy many targets talking about the industry we love and just needing out on how lucky we are to do what we do.  Lets take a leaf out of her book and learn how to take a breath and appreciate every moment, enjoying sunsets and following your dreams, no matter what the universe throws at you to check if you're ready yet.

Follow Lana on Instagram and Facebook @lanalynxkatz or check out her website www.lanalynzkatz.com

Follow the adventures of Lindelana on Instagram @lindelana_ and on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzNN0kGykYmhI6ck6NMRmZQ

Find out about the South African Stunt Association by following them on Instagram @sastuntcrew or through their website www.sastuntcrew.co.za

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also get in touch with me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

Settle in for Part 1 of my interview with South African stunt woman Lana Katz.  We had such a great time I couldn't possibly cut it down to just one episode.  This week we talk about how Lana got into the industry, her amazing leap out of a ten year career in advertising into her dream job of being a super hero in cinema.  The universe threw some personal trials her way and she came out stronger than before.  She is so passionate about what we do you just can't help being inspired by her joy and positive outlook on the film industry in South Africa.

Check out her website https://lanalynxkatz.com

Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @lanalynxkatz

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

You can also get in touch with me personally on Facebook and Instagram @ToniJeanErasmus

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

Shana Mans is an up and coming South African actress to watch out for.  We chat about her unique path into becoming a full time actress, the value of understanding what goes on behind the scenes in the pre production process of film making and some great insight into staying positive and always working on yourself as a person in order to portray fully rounded characters.  She knows what she wants and seems to always find ways to make sure she is ready for whatever challenges this industry throws at her.

Give her a follow in Instagram @shanamans to keep up with all her exciting adventures.

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

I know it looks long but it is totally worth it.  Accent and dialect coach Richard Wright Firth (known for playing Muldoon in the series Black Sails) sat with me to talk about his work on set helping actors find their voices.  We talk about the South African Film Industry, what makes South African performers unique and his hope for the future of accent coaches on film sets.  We also go far off the beaten path talking about Star Wars, Dungeons and Dragons and his hilarious failures at social media.  You can follow him on Twitter @RichWrightFirth and on Instagram @richiewrightfirth as he continues to try keep up with "the socials".  Make yourself comfortable for this fun, crazy but in the end inspiring interview.

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

Brian Wentzel is an armorer at Hire Arms in Cape Town, a company dedicated to providing weapons to the film industry.  We talk about his favourite part of the job, some of the intricacies of guns through the ages and why South Africa is an industry to be reckoned with.  He shares some amazing stories of working all over the world and how someone would get into the industry to be an armorer on set.  

You can check out some of the amazing films Hire Arms has worked on as well as behind the scenes photos, weapons tests and the huge collections of guns they have on the Hire Arms and Hire Arms Cape Town facebook pages or head to their website hirearms.co.za for more info.

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

David Wayne Smith is an independent film maker as well as a storyboard artist and creative researcher at Egg Films in Cape Town.  In this interview we talk about how he got into storyboarding and the advertising industry.  The things he has learnt along the way and the connections he has made that have helped him pursue his own passion of making movies.  Let him inspire you the way he inspired me with his outlook on making movies and the way it can effect all people, both in the making and in the watching.

You can find David on Instagram @davidwaynestories

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

Shaun Verth is a parkour and free running athlete and a talented South African stunt performer.  In this interview we talk about his start in the film industry, his first opportunities as a stunt man and lead stunt double on some amazing productions and his recent international adventures.  We have a great chat about staying humble, always learning and knowing your limits when entering the stunt world.  

You can find Shaun on Instagram @shaun_verth

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram

A short intro episode to share a little bit about who you are listening to and how this podcast came to be in the first place.

Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com 

Follow us on Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod

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Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl"

Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram