Richard Baneham from Tallaght celebrates winning his Oscar in 2023
Richard in the hunt for his third Oscar
Tallaght’s Richard Baneham has the chance to win his third Oscar at this year’s 98th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday evening.
From Old Bawn in Tallaght, Richard is in the hunt to secure the Best Special Effects award for his work on ‘Avatar: Fire And Ash.
Baneham’s work as a Visual Effects Supervisor on the billion-dollar blockbuster series has seen him win two previous Oscars in 2010 and 2023.
He recently scooped up his third BAFTA in February, all for James Cameron’s megahit movies.
Richard stated in an interview with The Echo that the accolades won and the recognition received is a team effort on the films – he heads a team of around 160 at Lightstorm Entertainment and they work alongside other companies to create the film’s worlds.
The two-time Oscar winner said: “We carry a very large, strong, cohesive team across a couple of different companies…so, it’s lovely to have that, you know, the continuity of the feeling of a single team.
“It’s a conscious effort, and it takes a lot of energy to make sure everybody stays on the same page but it’s by far, you know the most important thing, you know the act of inclusion – make everybody feel a part of the same film and you end up with a cohesive result.
“I think that’s where we ended up. So, it’s lovely to be recognised [for awards] in other words.”
He has previously worked on films such as Lord of The Rings and Iron Giant after he honed his craft in Ballyfermot College of Further Education.
