Richard Edlund, born on December 6, 1940, in Fargo, North Dakota, in the United States, is a highly acclaimed visual effects photographer from the US, recognized with multiple Academy Awards.
His journey began with service in the Navy, after which he cultivated an interest in the realm of experimental film, leading him to enroll in a California film school during the latter part of the 1960s. Based on the strength of a few short films, John Dykstra selected him to serve as the primary cameraman at the then-developing Industrial Light & Magic for the initial Star Wars movie, an effort that earned him a shared Academy Award.
Edlund collaborated further with Dykstra on Battlestar Galactica, but George Lucas requested his return to contribute to The Empire Strikes Back. On this particular film, Edlund faced the significant technical hurdle of optically compositing miniatures against a white backdrop, which led to his second Academy Award. Edlund also provided outstanding work for Lucas and ILM on Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Poltergeist film series.
After completing the original Star Wars trilogy with Return of the Jedi, Edlund established his own visual effects company named Boss Films, which is credited with projects such as Ghostbusters.
His portfolio also includes contributions to other films including Masters of the Universe, Die Hard, Ghost, and Alien³.
- Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (as 1st cameraman)
- Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back (in the area of 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)