The two-time Oscar winner talks to us about his early days in animation, and why he's not interested in directing movies yet.
Although the Oscars weren't quite so successful for Irish nominees as we'd have hoped for, there was one winner who was all but virtually certain before the whole thing even kicked off.
When we talked to Richard Baneham, one of the recipients on the Oscar for Best Visual Effects for 'Avatar: The Way of Water', it was almost a week before the ceremony. If he was nervous about the whole thing, he certainly wasn't showing it. Yet, intriguingly, when broached with the idea that he pretty much had it in the bag, Baneham was almost reproachful in his response. "I don't know if that's the right way to look at it," he began, then talking warmly about his fellow nominees before discussing the extensive work he and his colleagues went into.
Baneham's career has been an interesting one to follow. Initially a student of BCFE where he studied animation, he'd go on to work with Brad Bird on the modern classic 'The Iron Giant'. Baneham again speaks warmly of his time with 'The Iron Giant', discussing how to bring emotions into visual effects, and communicating verisimilitude with animation. He's quick to point out that 'Avatar: The Way of Water' has more than a few emotional beats, noting that as much as it's a three-hour blockbuster, "there's got to be something for audiences to connect with."
Given his extensive working relationship with a director who started off in visual effects in James Cameron, surely a directorial debut for Baneham himself must be on the way? After all, there's a well-worn pipeline from visual effects to directing. David Fincher and Neill Blomkamp are two of the most recognisable directors to start out in the field, but there's a swathe of newcomers too. Wes Ball, who's set to take on the new 'Planet of the Apes', began his career in visual effects. Gareth Edwards, director of 'Godzilla' and 'Rogue One', worked in the field and honed his work into his directorial debut, 'Monsters'. Baneham admits that he's been offered some directing work in the past, but feels that he'd be taking the work just for the sake of it. "I need it to excite me, I need to be invested in it in order for it to make sense to me," Baneham explained.
With two Oscars on his shelf, it looks like it's only a matter of time before that happens.
'Avatar: The Way of Water' is in cinemas now and is set for home release later this month.