Gorham native gets Oscar nomination for work on 'Avatar'

Jan. 24—Gorham native Eric Saindon received his third Oscar nomination for visual effects Tuesday for his work on "Avatar: The Way of Water."

Saindon was among four people named in the nomination for the "Avatar" sequel, along with Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham and Daniel Barrett.

The other films nominated for best visual effects are "All Quiet on the Western Front," "The Batman," "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "Top Gun: Maverick." The 95th Academy Awards are scheduled to be held on March 12 at 8 p.m.

Saindon, 53, has been nominated twice previously for a visual effects Oscar, for "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" in 2014 and "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" in 2013. He did not win either time.

Saindon spent more than three years working on $350 million sci-fi epic "Avatar: The Way of Water" at Weta FX studios in New Zealand and has helped create effects for some 20 films during his 25-year career.

In an interview from his home in Wellington, New Zealand before the announcement Tuesday, Saindon said he was trying to focus on his work rather than worry about the Oscar nomination. "You don't want to think about it too much and then nothing happens," he said.

Saindon graduated from Gorham High School in 1988, then took community college classes, and later studied architecture at Washington State University. He got a job out of college at a company that made animation software. After that, he worked at the animation company Santa Barbara Studios in California. In 1999, he went to work at Weta Digital — now Weta FX — and worked his way up to senior visual effects supervisor.

Saindon has been to the Oscars three times before and said he would definitely go to the ceremony in Los Angeles if nominated this year, he said. He plans to bring his wife, Beth Arko. The couple has four children.