When you set out to tell the story of a man like Jeff Fenech, you don’t get to cut corners. You don’t get to “fake it” and hope the audience buys it. This film lives and dies by authenticity — not just in performance, not just in boxing, but in the world we build around Jeff: the arenas, the crowds, the lights, the sweat in the air, the chaos backstage, the pressure-cooker atmosphere of fight night. That’s why we’re incredibly proud to welcome Marty Waters to the FENECH team as our Special Effects Supervisor — and why his presence is a huge statement about the level we’re aiming for.

Marty is one of those rare department heads whose résumé doesn’t just look impressive on paper — it represents a lifetime of high-stakes, high-pressure filmmaking, where precision, safety, and realism have to coexist. He’s worked on some of the biggest productions in the world, including The Martian (Matt Damon), Venom (Tom Hardy), and Argylle (Henry Cavill, John Cena, Dua Lipa), as well as major titles like Captain America, Kingsman, Downton Abbey and many more. These aren’t productions where you can wing it. They are films built on elite-level crews, exact planning, and effects that must work flawlessly — often on the day, in front of the camera, with no second chances. Marty comes from that world, and that experience is invaluable for what we’re building with FENECH.

Why Special Effects Matters More Than People Realise

There’s a misconception that “special effects” means big explosions or flashy spectacle. On FENECH, the opposite is true. Our special effects department is about believability — and believability is what makes the difference between an audience simply watching a boxing film and an audience feeling it. Great SFX is often invisible. It’s the controlled haze that catches the arena light exactly right. It’s the subtle smoke burst that sells the scale of a Las Vegas entrance. It’s the way a ring environment breathes and moves, the way atmosphere sits in the air, the way practical elements interact with lenses, lighting, and bodies in motion.

In a film like this, you’re not just filming fights — you’re filming events. Fight night is a machine: entrances, walkouts, cues, timing, atmosphere, and pressure. Every element has to feel alive and coordinated, but also messy and real. The SFX department is central to creating that reality — because it sits at the intersection of so many other departments: cinematography, lighting, production design, stunts, armoury (where relevant), props, safety, and the AD department. The SFX team helps ensure the film doesn’t just look good — it looks true.

The Stadium Problem — and Why We’re Solving It Properly

FENECH demands scale. We need the feeling of packed venues, the electricity of a crowd, the glare of fight lights, and the raw tension that only exists when thousands of people are locked in on one man. That means building and controlling environments that feel like Las Vegas arenas and major international fight venues — not just dressing a room and hoping post-production can “fix it later.”

A boxing arena is one of the hardest environments to recreate convincingly because audiences instantly know when it’s fake. They know when the light doesn’t behave like real stadium light. They know when there’s no atmosphere in the air. They feel when the space doesn’t have depth, or when the crowd doesn’t have weight. That’s why we’re approaching this film the right way: practical first — as much in-camera as possible — so what you see on screen is anchored in reality. Post can enhance, but it can’t invent truth. Not in a film where the entire story is built on the audience believing every punch, every roar, every breath.

“In-Camera” Isn’t a Buzzword — It’s the Difference Between Real and Artificial

Doing effects practically and in-camera is more than tradition — it’s about emotion. When haze, smoke, lighting interaction, and practical atmosphere are physically present, actors respond differently. The crew responds differently. The camera captures something organic — imperfections, depth, texture — the things that make a scene feel lived-in instead of manufactured. Practical special effects create constraints, and constraints create realism.

It’s also about control and safety. When you’re working with fight choreography, crowds, extras, moving cameras, rigging, lighting towers, walkout staging and high-energy sequences, you need an SFX supervisor who understands how to run a set where things are coordinated, safe, and repeatable — while still feeling spontaneous on screen. That’s where Marty’s experience becomes priceless.

What Marty Brings to FENECH

Marty Waters doesn’t just bring technical ability — he brings systems, planning, and an elite mindset. He understands how to collaborate across departments, how to pre-empt problems before they happen, and how to deliver effects that hold up under the scrutiny of modern cinema cameras — where everything is sharper, clearer, and less forgiving than ever.

He’s also coming from films where the audience expectation is global — where the work must stand beside the best in the world. That’s exactly the standard we want for FENECH. We are building a film that honours Jeff properly — not as a small local story, but as a world-class cinematic experience. Jeff fought on the world stage. This film needs to feel like it belongs on the world stage too.

The Azumah Nelson Fight — Where Everything Has to Be Perfect

There are moments in this film that carry enormous emotional and historical weight — and the Azumah Nelson fight is one of them. It’s not just a fight sequence. It’s a crucible: intensity, controversy, exhaustion, pressure, injustice, legacy. The kind of moment audiences remember long after the credits roll.

To get that fight right, we need the environment to feel exactly right: the ring build, the lighting, the entrances, the smoke, the crowd, the sense of spectacle and danger. The special effects department plays a massive role in selling that scale — not with gimmicks, but with precision. When the atmosphere is right, every punch lands harder. Every moment feels heavier. The audience isn’t watching a reenactment — they’re in it.

Why Having the Best in the Industry Matters

This is the heart of it: FENECH is a film built on truth. And truth is fragile. One wrong detail can pull an audience out. One moment that feels staged can dilute the power of an entire sequence. That’s why having the very best in the industry isn’t a luxury — it’s essential. Because the best crews don’t just make things look cool. They make them look real, and they do it safely, efficiently, and consistently under pressure.

Hiring an elite special effects supervisor is also about leadership. It sends a signal to every department: this production is serious, this production is aiming high, and this production respects craft. Marty’s involvement strengthens the entire team because great department heads elevate everyone around them — they push standards, improve planning, and bring confidence to complex days.

Welcome to the FENECH family, Marty

Marty Waters joining our film is a genuine milestone — and we’re honoured to have him on board. His experience, his precision, and his commitment to doing things properly will help us deliver fight-night cinema at the level this story demands.

Because Jeff Fenech didn’t become a legend by doing things halfway — and neither will we.