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{{short description|American visual effects artist (born 1940)}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Richard Edlund
| image              = Richard Edlund 1 (2).jpg
| caption            = Edlund at an exhibition of his photographs in 2008
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1940|12|6}}
| birth_place        = [[Fargo, North Dakota]], U.S.
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| othername          = 
| alma_mater         = [[USC School of Cinematic Arts]]
| occupation         = Visual effects artist
| yearsactive        = 
| organization       = {{ubl|
* [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]
* [[American Society of Cinematographers]]
* [[Visual Effects Society]]
}}
| known_for          = Co-founding [[Industrial Light & Magic|ILM]] and [[Boss Film Studios]]; pioneering opticals & motion control photography
| notable_works      = {{ubl|
* [[Star Wars|''Star Wars'' series]]
* [[Poltergeist (franchise)|''Poltergeist'' series]]
* ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]''
* ''[[Ghostbusters (1984 film)|Ghostbusters]]''
}}
| title              = 
| spouse             = Rita Kogan (m. 1993; died 2019)
| domesticpartner    = 
| website            = {{url|https://www.richardedlund.com/}}
| awards             = [[#Awards and honors|See awards]]
}}

'''Richard Edlund''', {{small|[[A.S.C.|ASC]]}} (born December 6, 1940) is an American [[visual effects]] artist and inventor. He was a founding member of [[Industrial Light & Magic]], having already founded [[Pignose]] amplifiers, and later co-founded [[Boss Film Studios]] and DuMonde VFX. He has won two [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]] (1978, [[Star Wars (film)|''Star Wars'']]; 1982, ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]''), as well as two [[Special Achievement Academy Award|Special Achievement Awards]], two [[Academy Scientific and Technical Award|Scientific and Technical Awards]], and the [[John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation|Medal of Commendation]]. He is also a [[BAFTA Award|BAFTA]] and [[Emmy Awards|Emmy Award]] recipient.

== Life and career ==
[[File:RIT yearbook 1978 page 74 (cropped).jpg|left|thumb|Edlund in 1978]]
Edlund was born in [[Fargo, North Dakota]] and raised in [[Fergus Falls, Minnesota]]. After first joining the [[United States Navy]], he developed an interest in [[experimental film]] and attended the [[USC School of Cinematic Arts]] in the late 1960s. 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 on ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' for which he shared an Academy Award.

Edlund continued to work with Dykstra on ''[[Saga of a Star World|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 [[Compositing|composite]] miniatures against a white background resulting in a second Academy Award. Edlund also did distinguished work for Lucas and ILM on ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' and ''[[Poltergeist (film series)|Poltergeist]]''.

In 1983, following the completion of ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'', Edlund set up his own effects company, [[Boss Film Studios|Boss Films]], whose credits include ''[[Ghostbusters]]'', ''[[Big Trouble in Little China]]'', ''[[Die Hard]]'', ''[[The Hunt for Red October (film)|The Hunt for Red October]]'', ''[[Cliffhanger (film)|Cliffhanger]]'', ''[[Outbreak (1995 film)|Outbreak]]'' and ''[[Air Force One (film)|Air Force One]]''. Boss Film Studios was one of the first traditional effects houses that successfully transitioned from "tangible world" visual effects, to computer generated imagery, with many notable CGI artists beginning their careers at Boss.

Aside from film-work, Edlund also developed and manufactured the [[Pignose]] portable-style guitar amplifier (co-designed by Wayne Kimball).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pignose History |url=http://pignoseamps.com/pages/pignose-history |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20161105173158/http://pignoseamps.com/pages/pignose-history |archive-date=2016-11-05 |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=Pignose Amps |language=en}}</ref> He is a Governor of the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]], a founder of the Academy's visual effects branch and is chair of the Branch Executive Committee, also chairman of the Academy’s Science and Technology Council. He also serves as board member of the [[Visual Effects Society]] and on the board of directors of the [[American Society of Cinematographers]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Richard Edlund, ASC - About |url=https://www.richardedlund.com/about.html |access-date=May 25, 2022 |website=www.richardedlund.com}}</ref>

Edlund was married to Rita Kogan, the only daughter of entrepreneur [[Michael Kogan]],<ref>{{cite web |date=April 22, 1993 |title=Thanks a Million, DARE Donors |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-04-22-vw-25618-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123024625/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-04-22-vw-25618-story.html |archive-date=January 23, 2021 |access-date=November 20, 2016 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> before her death in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 5, 2019 |title=Estate of Late Space Invaders Heiress Lists Three Brentwood Ranches |url=https://variety.com/2019/dirt/real-estate/rita-kogan-house-brentwood-1203259771/ |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706045623/https://variety.com/2019/dirt/real-estate/rita-kogan-house-brentwood-1203259771/ |archive-date=July 6, 2019 |access-date=December 4, 2019 |publisher=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>

== Filmography ==

=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Contribution
!Director
!Notes
|-
|1964
|''[[The Creeping Terror]]''
|Opening & closing titles designer
|Vic Savage
|Uncredited
|-
|1977
|[[Star Wars (film)|''Star Wars'']]
|Director of photography: VFX unit
|[[George Lucas]]
|[[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects]]
|-
|1979
|''[[The China Syndrome]]''
| rowspan="7" |VFX supervisor
|[[James Bridges]]
|
|-
|1980
|''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]''
|[[Irvin Kershner]]
|[[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects]]
|-
|1981
|''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]''
|[[Steven Spielberg]]
|[[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects]]
|-
|1982
|[[Poltergeist (1982 film)|''Poltergeist'']]
|[[Tobe Hooper]]
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects]]<br>Nominated- [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects]]
|-
|1983
|''[[Return of the Jedi]]''
|[[Richard Marquand]]
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |1984
|''[[Ghostbusters]]''
|[[Ivan Reitman]]
|Nominated- [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects]]<br>Nominated- [[BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects]]
|-
|''[[2010: The Year We Make Contact]]''
|[[Peter Hyams]]
|Nominated- [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects]]
|-
|1985
|''[[Fright Night]]''
|VFX producer
|[[Tom Holland (filmmaker)]]
|
|-
| rowspan="5" |1986
|''[[Poltergeist II: The Other Side]]''
| rowspan="2" |VFX supervisor
|[[Brian Gibson (director)|Brian Gibson]]
|Nominated- [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects]]
|-
|''[[Legal Eagles]]''
|Ivan Reitman
|
|-
|''[[Big Trouble in Little China]]''
| rowspan="2" |VFX producer
|[[John Carpenter]]
|
|-
|''[[Solarbabies]]''
|[[Alan Johnson (choreographer)|Alan Johnson]]
|
|-
|''[[The Boy Who Could Fly]]''
| rowspan="3" |VFX supervisor
|[[Nick Castle]]
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |1987
|[[Masters of the Universe (1987 film)|''Masters of the Universe'']]
|[[Gary Goddard]]
|
|-
|''[[The Monster Squad]]''
|[[Fred Dekker]]
|
|-
|''[[Date with an Angel]]''
| rowspan="5" |VFX producer
|[[Tom McLoughlin]]
|
|-
|''[[Leonard Part 6]]''
|[[Paul Weiland]]
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |1988
|''[[Die Hard]]''
|[[John McTiernan]]
|Nominated- [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects]]
|-
|''[[Big Top Pee-wee]]''
|[[Randal Kleiser]]
|
|-
|[[Vibes (film)|''Vibes'']]
|[[Ken Kwapis]]
|
|-
|1989
|''[[Farewell to the King]]''
|Director of photography: VFX unit
|[[John Milius]]
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1990
|[[Ghost (1990 film)|''Ghost'']]
|VFX supervisor
|[[Jerry Zucker]]
|
|-
|[[Solar Crisis (film)|''Solar Crisis'']]
|Producer
|[[Richard C. Sarafian]]
|
|-
|1992
|''[[Alien 3]]''
|VFX producer
|[[David Fincher]]
|Nominated- [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects]]<br>Nominated- [[BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects]]
|-
|1995
|[[Species (film)|''Species'']]
| rowspan="5" |VFX supervisor
|[[Roger Donaldson]]
|
|-
|1996
|[[Multiplicity (film)|''Multiplicity'']]
|[[Harold Ramis]]
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1997
|[[Turbulence (1997 film)|''Turbulence'']]
|[[Robert Butler (director)|Robert Butler]]
|
|-
|[[Air Force One (film)|''Air Force One'']]
|[[Wolfgang Petersen]]
|
|-
|1998
|[[Desperate Measures (film)|''Desperate Measures'']]
|[[Barbet Schroeder]]
|
|-
|2000
|[[Bedazzled (2000 film)|''Bedazzled'']]
|VFX supervisor/[[Second unit|2nd unit]] director
|Harold Ramis
|
|-
|2004
|[[The Stepford Wives (2004 film)|''The Stepford Wives'']]
|VFX consultant
|[[Frank Oz]]
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2007
|[[Anamorph (film)|''Anamorph'']]
| rowspan="5" |VFX supervisor
|Henry S. Miller
|
|-
|[[Charlie Wilson's War (film)|''Charlie Wilson's War'']]
|[[Mike Nichols]]
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2012
|[[21 Jump Street (film)|''21 Jump Street'']]
|[[Phil Lord and Christopher Miller|Phil Lord<br>Christopher Miller]]
|
|-
|''[[Bullet to the Head]]''
|[[Walter Hill]]
|
|-
|2015
|''[[Barely Lethal]]''
|[[Kyle Newman]]
|
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Contribution
!Notes
|-
|1967
|[[Star Trek: The Original Series|''Star Trek'']]
|'The Companion' design
|Episode: "[[Metamorphosis (Star Trek: The Original Series)|Metamorphosis]]"
|-
|1978
|[[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|''Battlestar Galactica'']]
|Director of photography: VFX unit
|Episodes: "[[Saga of a Star World|Saga of a Star World Parts 1, 2, 3]]"<br>[[Primetime Emmy Awards|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement - Creative Technical Crafts]]
|-
|1988
|''[[The Magical World of Disney]]''
|VFX producer
|Episode: "Earth Star Voyager: Part 1"
|-
|1989-95
|[[Tales from the Crypt (TV series)|''Tales from the Crypt'']]
|Producer
|5 episodes:

* "The Man Who Was Death"
* "What's Cookin'"
* "The Pit"
* "The Assassin"
* "You Murderer"
|-
|2003
|[[Angels in America (miniseries)|''Angels in America'']]
|VFX supervisor
|Miniseries; 4 episodes<br>Nominated- [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special]]
|}
== Awards and honors ==
{| class="wikitable"
!Institution
!Category
!Year
!Work
!Result
|-
| rowspan="13" |[[Academy Awards|Academy Award]]
|[[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]]
|1978
|[[Star Wars (film)|''Star Wars'']]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Special Achievement Academy Award|Special Achievement Award]]
|1981
|''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]''
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Academy Scientific and Technical Award|Scientific and Technical Award]]
| rowspan="2" |1982
|''The Empire Strikes Back''{{efn|for "the Empire Motion Picture Camera System" and "the concept and engineering of a beam-splitter optical composite motion picture printer."}}
|{{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |Best Visual Effects
|''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]''
|{{won}}
|-
|1983
|[[Poltergeist (1982 film)|''Poltergeist'']]
|{{nom}}
|-
|Special Achievement Award
|1984
|''[[Return of the Jedi]]''
|{{won}}
|-
| rowspan="3" |Best Visual Effects
| rowspan="2" |1985
|''[[Ghostbusters]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
|''[[2010: The Year We Make Contact]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |1987
|''[[Poltergeist II: The Other Side]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
|Scientific and Technical Award
|''Poltergeist II: The Other Side''{{efn|for "the Zoom Aerial (ZAP) 65mm Optical Printer"}}
|{{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |Best Visual Effects
|1989
|''[[Die Hard]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
|1993
|''[[Alien 3]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation|Medal of Commendation]]
|2007
|{{N/A}}
|{{won}}
|-
|[[American Society of Cinematographers]]
|President's Award
|2008
|{{N/A}}
|{{won}}
|-
| rowspan="4" |[[BAFTA Award]]
| rowspan="4" |[[BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects|Best Special Visual Effects]]
|1983
|''Poltergeist''
|{{won}}
|-
|1984
|''Return of the Jedi''
|{{won}}
|-
|1985
|''Ghostbusters''
|{{nom}}
|-
|1993
|''Alien 3''
|{{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Primetime Emmy Awards|Primetime Emmy Award]]
|Outstanding Individual Achievement - Creative Technical Crafts
|1979
|[[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|''Battlestar Galactica'']] {{small|("Saga of a Star World")}}
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects|Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special]]
|2004
|[[Angels in America (miniseries)|''Angels in America'']]
|{{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="11" |[[Saturn Awards|Saturn Award]]
| rowspan="11" |[[Saturn Award for Best Special Effects|Best Special Effects]]
|1981
|''The Empire Strikes Back''
|{{won}}
|-
|1982
|''Raiders of the Lost Ark''
|{{won}}
|-
|1984
|''Return of the Jedi''
|{{won}}
|-
|1985
|''2010: The Year We Make Contact''
|{{nom}}
|-
|1986
|''[[Fright Night]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
|1987
|''Poltergeist II: The Other Side''
|{{nom}}
|-
|1988
|[[Masters of the Universe (1987 film)|''Masters of the Universe'']]
|{{nom}}
|-
|1991
|[[Ghost (1990 film)|''Ghost'']]
|{{nom}}
|-
|1993
|''Alien 3''
|{{nom}}
|-
|1994
|[[Solar Crisis (film)|''Solar Crisis'']]
|{{nom}}
|-
|1996
| rowspan="2" |[[Species (film)|''Species'']]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Sitges Film Festival]]
|Best Special Effects
|1995
|{{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Visual Effects Society]]
|VES Fellowship
|2012
|{{N/A}}
|{{won}}
|-
|Lifetime Achievement Award
|2013
|{{N/A}}
|{{won}}
|}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cci}}
* {{IMDb name|0249430}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Richard Edlund
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Visual Effects}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Special Effects}}
{{Special Achievement Academy Award}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edlund, Richard}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Fargo, North Dakota]]
[[Category:People from Fergus Falls, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Best Visual Effects Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Visual Effects BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:American special effects people]]
[[Category:Special Achievement Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Recipients of the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation]]
[[Category:USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni]]
[[Category:United States Navy sailors]]
[[Category:Industrial Light & Magic people]]