Richard Edlund

A true pioneer in the age of modern-day special effects, Richard Edlund oversaw the creation of visuals that defined fantasy/sci-fi films for a generation of moviegoers, including the original "Star Wars" (1977) and its sequels "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and "Return of the Jedi" (1983), as well as "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) "Poltergeist" (1982) and "Ghostbusters" (1984). Edlund helped build George Lucas' legendary Industrial Light and Magic effects company from the ground up, before moving on and opening his own effects company, Boss Film Studios. A photographer at heart who began his career shooting primitive rock videos with a 16mm camera outside of Los Angeles, Edlund was at the very forefront of a wave of artists who pushed traditional optical effects to their zenith before the arrival of computer-generated imagery. While his films varied, Edlund's work was often characterized by crisp, cool clarity of image, as evidenced by his work on slick blockbusters like "Die Hard" (1987) and "Ghost" (1990). A multiple Academy Award winner, Edlund remained active on several committees and advisory boards, and was honored by the American Society of Cinematographers. For true fanboys and girls of a certain age who devoured every issue of Starlog and Cinefantastique throughout the 1970s and '80s, the name Richard Edlund was well known and well regarded as one of the premier visual effects masters of all time.