One crew.
Everything that
burns, falls, or flies.
Special Effects
Practical in-camera effects at any scale. Atmospherics interior and exterior, rain from rain towers to overhead rigs with spinner nozzles, fire, wind from a leaf blower to V8 wind machines, snow, high-pressure pneumatics from air mortars and shit kickers to car cannons and lifters, and special builds. Imagine it and we can do it or build it.
Pyrotechnics
Licensed and geared up to do everything from single bullet hits to shootouts with multiple explosions, sparks, and squibs. Only restriction will be the budget and imagination — or lack thereof.
Stunt Coordination
Stunt teams customised to the needs of your production. Action design and pre-vis, fight choreography, vehicle work, high falls, fire gags, crowd sequences.
Stunt & Special Effects Rigging
Modern rigging equipment and technically engineered rigs, designed for every job's individual needs. No two jobs are ever the same, so as the requirements change so do our rigs and your specialised team to meet your requirements. Whether it's lifting, pulling, throwing, or safety — we've got you.
Stunt Performer
Stunt performance, doubling, and precision driving across a wide variety of looks and skills. Fights, falls, fire, vehicles — film, television and live shows.
Four departments.
One filmography.
120 credits across stunts, special effects, and acting — 1995 to 2026. The complete IMDb filmography, listed below.
Sniper: No Nation
2026They Will Kill You
2026Disaster at Sea: The Piper Alpha Story
2025Novocaine
2025G20
2025The Rats: A Witcher Tale
2025My Spy: The Eternal City
2024One Piece
2023The Woman King
2022Around the World in 80 Days
2021Invasion
2021The Last Days of American Crime
2020Bloodshot
2020Raised by Wolves
2020Spell
2020The Hot Zone
2019The Hot Zone
2019The Red Sea Diving Resort
2019Warrior
2019Deep State
2018Maze Runner: The Death Cure
2018The Congo Murders
2018The Scorpion King: Book of Souls
2018Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell
2018Imagine it
and we can do it
or build it.
Essential Stunts & Special Effects is a Cape Town based special effects and stunts company, founded and run by Paul Pieterse, with more than 25 years on set experience.
Paul progressed from stunt performer to stunt coordinator and crossed over into practical special effects as Special Effects Coordinator and Supervisor. He is a licensed and experienced pyrotechnician.
Essential Stunts and Special Effects now has access to all Special Effects gear to deliver world class service bar none, backed by a 550 square metre workshop set up for light engineering, steel work, wood work, mould making, general fabrication, and break aways.
From a single bespoke effect to a complete stunts and effects package — a team customised to the needs of each production, working with local and international crews on film, television, commercials, live shows and stills productions worldwide.
Read the full storyReal fire.
Real steel.
In camera.
From a single stunt performer to a complete stunts, special effects, pyrotechnics, and rigging department — built for film, television, commercials, live shows and stills productions.