Dody Jane Dorn (born April 20, 1955) is an American film and sound editor. She is best known for working with director

Christopher Nolan Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British-American filmmaker. Known for his lucrative Cinema of the United States, Hollywood blockbusters with complex storytelling, Nolan is considered a leading filmmaker of the 21st century. ...

on several films including '' Memento'' (2000), for which she was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

.Nesselson, Lisa (2000)
"Reviews: ''Memento''"
''Variety'' September 14, 2000. Dorn has worked multiple times with director

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...

as well as having edited '' SICK: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist'', a documentary film which chronicles the life of a

sadomasochistic Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...

man who struggles with

cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. O ...

Life and career

Dorn was born into a film industry family, her father having worked as a

set designer Scenic design (also known as scenography, stage design, or set design) is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but in recent years, are mostly trained ...

and film producer.Wood, Jennifer M. (2004). , ''

MovieMaker Magazine ''MovieMaker'' is a magazine, website and podcast network focused on the art and business of filmmaking with a special emphasis on independent film. The magazine is published on a quarterly basis. See also * List of film periodicals Film period ...

'' February 3, 2007. Webpage archived at WebCite fro
this original URL
on March 6, 2008. Dorn attended

Hollywood High School Hollywood High School is a four-year public secondary school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California. Histo ...

and it was there that she decided to pursue a career as a math teacher.Kaufman, Debra (2004)
"A Memento from Dody Dorn"
''Studio Daily'' July 1, 2004. Webpage archived at WebCite fro

on March 6, 2008. A fateful job working behind the scenes at a movie

sound stage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a soundproof, large structure, building, or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or ...

led her towards working in the film industry. Dorn appeared in two films as an actress (including a nude "Archbishop" in the 1976 satire '' TunnelVision'') before moving behind the camera. She worked her way up the food chain (working as a production assistant,

script supervisor A script supervisor (also called continuity supervisor or script) is a member of a film crew who oversees the continuity of the motion picture including wardrobe, props, set dressing, hair, makeup and the actions of the actors during a scene. The ...

, assistant

location manager The location manager is a member of the film crew responsible for finding and securing locations to be used, obtaining all fire, police and other governmental permits, and coordinating the logistics for the production to complete its work. They a ...

, and several other freelance jobs) eventually attaining the position of assistant film editor which she held until 1982. Finding it unusually difficult to move up to picture editing, Dorn made a lateral move to sound editing. Her work as a sound editor on

James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...

's ''

The Abyss ''The Abyss'' is a 1989 American science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron and starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. When an American submarine sinks in the Caribbean, a US search and recovery team ...

'' (1989) won the Golden Reel Award and was nominated for a best sound

. In 1986, she started her own sound company, Sonic Kitchen, but with time, got more and more disenchanted and distracted with the daily business grind. Dorn had begun to lose interest and was compelled to get back to her passion—feature film picture editing. It was the editing of the documentary

cult film A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage ...

'' SICK: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist'' and '' Memento'' which brought Dody Dorn's picture editing to the attention of the rest of the world. She has since continued to work with director

on several films and has repeatedly worked with noted film director,

. In addition to her credited editing on Scott's films, Dorn worked on the 2003 DVD releases of ''

Alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...

'' (the "Director's Cut"). Dorn was selected for membership in the

American Cinema Editors Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing. Members use the post-nominal ...

Quotes

*"It is still a commonly accepted notion that the editor just "cuts out all the bad bits." I liken editing more to sculpture. I don’t claim to be Michelangelo, but I like to think that when I am watching the dailies projected for the first time, I am seeing the pure essence of the film and that I work toward preserving and presenting that essence in a form that is accessible while still being artful." *"There is also a lot of trial and error in the editing room. Even if a director has a clear vision of what he wants, until the images are actually juxtaposed and the rhythm is defined by the editing, you never really know how it will work." *"I appreciate invisible editing, but it’s fun when editing can be conspicuous, provided it is adding to the narrative and not done for its own sake." *"Editing is making choices. During post-production, I work with the director to mine the best film out of the material that was shot. Leaving no stone unturned and going with my gut instincts, two seemingly diametrically opposed concepts, are techniques that I put to use on every film. That strange combination of hard work and divine inspiration probably means, inevitably, that I have left my stamp on the films I’ve edited." *"I see a finished film as a total product and I cannot separate (nor do I want to) the various aspects of the film. The images work in conjunction with the sound and the music and they need to be considered together, in just the same way that the rhythm and juxtaposition of the images need to be considered. I do use my experience in sound all the time. I work with temp sound and music in the AVID from day one. I may sometimes edit without sound for technical reasons, but putting sound in follows very close behind and will definitely affect how I evaluate what I have edited and will often stimulate changes."

Selected filmography

As film editor

As sound editor / assistant sound editor

*''

Max Dugan Returns ''Max Dugan Returns'' is a 1983 American comedy-drama film written by Neil Simon and directed by Herbert Ross. It stars Marsha Mason, Jason Robards in the titular role, Donald Sutherland, and Matthew Broderick (in his film debut). It is the last ...

'' (1983) (assistant sound editor) *''

Class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...

'' (1983) (sound editor) *''

The Big Chill Big Chill can refer to: *The Big Chill (music festival), an annual music and comedy festival held in England * ''The Big Chill'' (film), a 1983 American film directed by Lawrence Kasdan *The Big Chill at the Big House, a 2010 U.S. college ice hock ...

'' (1983) (assistant sound editor) (uncredited) *''

Racing with the Moon ''Racing with the Moon'' is a 1984 American drama film starring Sean Penn, Elizabeth McGovern, and Nicolas Cage. It was directed by Richard Benjamin and written by Steve Kloves. The original music score was composed by Dave Grusin. The film's t ...

'' (1984) (foley editor) *'' Silverado'' (1985) (foley editor) *'' Children of a Lesser God'' (1986) (sound editor) *'' The Big Easy'' (1987) (sound editor) *''

Tapeheads ''Tapeheads'' is a 1988 comedy film directed by Bill Fishman and starring John Cusack, Tim Robbins, Sam Moore and Junior Walker. The film was produced by Michael Nesmith, who briefly appears as a bottled water delivery man. Plot After losing th ...

'' (1988) (supervising sound editor) *''Powwow Highway'' (1989) (supervising sound editor) *''

'' (1989) (supervising sound editor) *'' The Big Picture'' (1989) (supervising sound editor) *'' State of Grace'' (1990) (supervising sound editor)

Accolades

*1990 ''

'' (won)

Motion Picture Sound Editors Motion Picture Sound Editors (M.P.S.E.) is an American honorary society of motion picture sound editors founded in 1953. The society's goals are to educate others about and increase the recognition of the sound editors, show the artistic merit o ...

MPSE Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects w/ co-editor Blake Leyh *2001 - '' Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows'' (nominated) Emmy Award *2002 - '' Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows'' (nominated) ACE Eddie Award Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special *2002 - '' Memento'' (nominated)

Best Editing *2002 - '' Memento'' (nominated)

ACE Eddie Award Best Edited Feature Film - Dramatic *2002 - '' Memento'' (nominated) The

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...

AFI Film Award AFI Editor of the Year *2002 - '' Memento'' (nominated) Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards PFCS Award Best Film Editing *2002 - '' Memento'' (won) Las Vegas Film Critics Society Film Awards - Sierra Award Best Editing *2003 - ''

Insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, ...

'' (nominated)

Satellite Awards The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...

Golden Satellite Award Best Film Editing In 2012, the

Motion Picture Editors Guild The Motion Picture Editors Guild (MPEG; IATSE Local 700) is the guild that represents freelance and staff motion picture film and television editors and other post-production professionals and story analysts throughout the United States. The Moti ...

listed ''Memento'' as the fourteenth best-edited film of all time based on a survey of its membership.

References

External links

*
New York Times: "Dody Dorn: Film Editor" credits The Digital Review - Sick: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist - DVD Review
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorn, Dody American film editors American women film editors 1955 births Living people American Cinema Editors People from Santa Monica, California 21st-century American women