Richard Baneham

Baneham is from Tallaght in Dublin and went to secondary school in Old Bawn before training in Ballyfermot Art College.{{cite web|url = https://www.echo.ie/old-bawn-past-pupil-richard-is-reaching-for-ultimate-stars/ | website = echo.ie | publisher = The Echo | title = Old Bawn past pupil Richard is reaching for ultimate stars | date = 30 January 2023 | accessdate = 4 February 2023 }}{{cite web|url = https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/irishmen-get-nod-for-work-on-avatar-and-star-trek-111198.html | website = irishexaminer.com | publisher= Irish Examiner | title = Irishmen get nod for work on Avatar and Star Trek | date = 3 February 2010 | access-date = 31 May 2018 }} In the 1990s, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career with his then girlfriend (and now wife) Ashling.{{cite web|url=http://www.thepost.ie/story/text/eyqlmhausn/ |publisher=Sunday Business Post |title=In living colour |date=14 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001045657/http://www.thepost.ie/story/text/eyqlmhausn/ |archive-date=1 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}

Upon moving to Los Angeles in the 1990s, Baneham worked as an animator on several films including The Iron Giant and as animation supervisor on Cats & Dogs. He also worked with Rhythm and Hues on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and as animation supervisor (overseeing the animation of the character of Gollum) on The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

His work also featured in the 2009 movie Avatar. For his work on Avatar, Richie, along with Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum and Andrew R. Jones, won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 82nd Academy Awards and the visual effects category at the 2010 BAFTAs.{{cite web|title=Film Awards Winners - Film - Awards - The BAFTA site |url=http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/film-awards-nominations,949,BA.html#jump19 |publisher=BAFTA |archive-date=9 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109171153/http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/film-awards-nominations%2C949%2CBA.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/arts/2010/0308/oscars.html |title=Dubliner among the Oscar winners |date=8 March 2010 |publisher=RTÉ Entertainment |archive-date=11 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311184455/http://www.rte.ie/arts/2010/0308/oscars.html |url-status=dead }}

Baneham reportedly signed up to work on the planned Avatar sequels, and in an interview on The Tommy Tiernan Show which aired on 12 January 2017, Baneham confirmed that he was in pre-production on Avatar 2, 3, 4 and 5.{{cite AV media |date= 12 January 2017 |title= The Tommy Tiernan Show Extras: Richie Baneham |url= http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/the-tommy-tiernan-show-extras-30004519/10673480/ |access-date= 14 January 2017 |minutes=9 |publisher=RTÉ }}

At the 16th Visual Effects Society Awards in February 2018, a team of visual effects artists, including Baneham, was recognised for its work on Avatar: Flight of Passage - an attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom.{{cite web|url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2018-visual-effects-society-awards-winners-list-full-1078507 | title = Visual Effects Society Awards: 'War for the Planet of the Apes' Wins Big | date = 13 February 2018 | access-date = 31 May 2018 }} In 2019, he was credited for visual effects work on Alita: Battle Angel.{{cite web|url = https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bbc5d781a |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170426062127/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bbc5d781a |url-status = dead |archive-date = 26 April 2017 | website = bfi.org.uk | publisher = British Film Institute | title = Richard Baneham | accessdate = 4 February 2023 }}

In 2023, together with Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett, he won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 95th Academy Awards for his work on Avatar: The Way of Water.{{cite web|url = https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/oscars-2023-who-is-dubliner-richard-baneham-as-he-scoops-award-at-the-oscars-for-a-second-time-42383058.html| website = independent.ie | title = Oscars 2023: Who is Dubliner Richard Baneham as he scoops award at the Oscars for a second time | date = 13 March 2023 | accessdate = 13 March 2023 }}

• The Iron Giant (animator)
• Cats & Dogs (animator)
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (main animator)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (main animator)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (main animator)
• Avatar (animation producer)
• Alita: Battle Angel (visual effects supervisor)
• Avatar: The Way of Water (visual effects supervisor, producer)

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Category:1970 births

Category:People in the computer animation industry

Category:Irish animators

Category:Living people

Category:Visual effects supervisors

Category:Best Visual Effects Academy Award winners

Category:Best Visual Effects BAFTA Award winners

Category:People from Tallaght

Category:Artists from County Dublin