Richard Edlund (born December 6, 1940 in Fargo, North Dakota, USA) is a multi-Academy Award-winning US visual effects photographer.
After first joining the Navy, he developed an interest in experimental film and enrolled in film school in California in the late 60s. On the strength of a couple of short films he was picked by John Dykstra to work as first cameraman at the embryonic Industrial Light & Magic on the production of the first of the Star Wars films for which he shared an Academy Award.
Edlund continued to work with Dykstra on Battlestar Galactica but was invited back by George Lucas to work on The Empire Strikes Back. Edlund's considerable technical challenge on this film was to optically composite miniatures against a white back ground resulting in a second academy award. Edlund also did distinguished work for Lucas and ILM on Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Poltergeist series.
Following the completion of the original Star Wars films with Return of the Jedi, Edlund set up his own effects company, Boss Films, whose credits include Ghostbusters.
He also worked on other projects such as Masters of the Universe, Die Hard, Ghost, or Alien³.
Sources[]
- Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (1st cameraman)
- Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back (special visual effects)
- The Jedi Master's Quizbook
Light & Magic Trailer, Official Poster Debut on StarWars.com (backup link)
"Launchpad" — Star Wars Insider 213
Jedi at 40 | ILM Legend Thomas G. Smith on the Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi on StarWars.com (backup link)
Jedi at 40 | Into the Rancor Pit with Dennis Muren and Phil Tippett on StarWars.com (backup link)