Set designer from Krugersdorp creating space in Canada

Sean Pretorius, a Krugersdorp High School alumnus, packed his bags and moved to Vancouver, Canada, a year ago to further his career in the film industry.

He is now proud to report that he is working on the new Twilight Zone series as a set designer. It’s a very important series for CBC and he has the honour of working with some of the best designers around.

So from running a set building company, art directing for Neil Blomkamp and Trevor Noah and now working on Hollywood sci-fi movies, it’s been quite a trip for a boy from Krugersdorp.

Sean completed a BA in Motion Medium Picture at AFDA: the School for the Creative Economy in 2001. He has since designed films, commercials, TV shows, theatre productions and award-winning marketing concepts.

He garnered several local and international awards such as a Golden Lion at Cannes in 2007 with Neil Blomkamp’s Halo 3 commercial. Seeing the need in the market for a new style of set construction company, Sean started Space Craft set design and construction in 2009.

Space Craft quickly built a reputation for quality and creativity, seeing return clientele from production companies such as Black Brain, Rous House, Urban Brew and Burnt Onion. Space Craft has set designed, art directed and manufactured a multitude of SABC productions over the last decade. Space Craft is still up and running and doing business.

Here are some of Sean and his Space Craft team’s accolades:

• 3 South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) for best art direction: Ga Re Dumele and Gauteng Maboneng

• 6 SAFTA nominations: High Rollers, Ses’Top La x 2, Sekhulu and Partners, Muvhango, Abo Mzala and Sam-sokolo

• 1 South African Music Award (SAMA): Zonke – Best Video

• 1 Assegai: Redd’s Trailer – Marketing Award

• 1 Golden Lion: Neil Blomkamp – Halo ‘3 – Advertising Award Cannes

• (2007) SAFTA Nominee: Best Art Direction Soap Opera

• (2006) SAFTA Nominee: Best Art Direction Comedy Series – Pure Monate

• (2003) Bronze Loerie Award: A world without Sasol

• (2003): SAMA Award: Best Music Video – Thembi

• (2001) IBDAA Dubai Film Festival: Winner of Best Short Film: Triomfeer

• (2001) M-Net EDIT Competition: Best Production Design, Sound and winner of Special Craft Award

• (2001) Merit Award Production Design

• (2001) AAA Award: Nali Commercial – Student Category

• (2001) IBDAA Dubai Film Festival – Nominated for Best Short Film: Requiem for Broken Toys

• (2000) NTVA Avanti Gold: Best Animation

• Recent set designs include Trevor Noah’s Nationwide (2015), It’s My Culture (2013), That’s Racist (2012) and Crazy Normal (2011)

• (2011) Healthline (TV Series) (set designer – 13 episodes) (Skin, Fertility, Sickle Cell Anemia and the Blood, HIV and Infectious Diseases)

(2013) Blitzpatrollie

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