Dody Jane Dorn (born April 20, 1955) is an American film and sound editor. She is best known for working with director Christopher Nolan on several films including Memento (2000), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award.Nesselson, Lisa (2000). "Reviews: Memento", Variety September 14, 2000.
Dorn has also worked multiple times with director Ridley Scott.
Life and career Dorn was born into a film industry family, her father having worked as a set designer and film producer.Wood, Jennifer M. (2004). , MovieMaker Magazine February 3, 2007. Webpage archived at WebCite from this original URL on March 6, 2008. Dorn attended Hollywood High School 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 from this original URL on March 6, 2008. A job behind the scenes at a movie sound stage led her towards working in the film industry. Dorn appeared in two films as an actress (including a nude "Archbishop" in the 1976 satire Tunnel Vision), before moving behind the camera. She worked her way up the food chain (working as a production assistant, script supervisor, assistant location manager, and several other freelance jobs), before 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's The Abyss (1989) won the Golden Reel Award and was nominated for a best sound Academy Award.
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 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 Christopher Nolan on several films and has repeatedly worked with noted film director Ridley Scott. In addition to her credited editing on Scott's films, Dorn worked on the 2003 DVD releases of Alien (the "Director's Cut").Hunt, Bill and Dugan, Todd (2003). The Digital Bits Insider's Guide to DVD (McGraw-Hill Professional), p. 118. Dorn was selected for membership in the American Cinema Editors."American Cinema Editors > Members", webpage archived by WebCite from this original URL on March 4, 2008.
Selected filmography As film editor Year Film Director Other notes 1994 Floundering Peter McCarthy 1996 Guy Michael Lindsay-Hogg A Small Domain Britta Sjogren Short 1997 Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist Kirby Dick 1998 Prague Duet Roger L. Simon I Woke Up Early the Day I Died Aris Illiopulos 1999 Treasure Island Scott King Guinevere Audrey Wells Sleeping Beauties Jamie Babbit Short 2000 Memento Christopher Nolan Nominated—Academy Award for Best Film EditingNominated—ACE Eddie2001 The Sleepy Time Gal Christopher Münch Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows Robert Ackerman TV release. Nominated - Emmy, ACE 2002 Insomnia Christopher Nolan 2003 Matchstick MenRidley Scott 2005 Kingdom of Heaven Extended commentary by Dorn on Director's Cut DVD 2006 A Good Year 2007 Year of the Dog Mike White 2008 Australia Baz Luhrmann Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Editing2010 I'm Still Here Casey Affleck London Boulevard William Monahan 2012 End of WatchDavid Ayer 2014 Sabotage Fury 2016 Ben-Hur Timur Bekmambetov 2017 Power Rangers Dean Israelite 2019 Light of My Life Casey Affleck 2020 Come Away Brenda Chapman 2021 Zack Snyder's Justice LeagueZack Snyder Additional editor Army of the Dead 2023 Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire 2024 Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver2026 Mercy Timur Bekmambetov Heart of the Beast David Ayer
As sound editor / assistant sound editor Max Dugan Returns (1983) (assistant sound editor) Class (1983) (sound editor) The Big Chill (1983) (assistant sound editor) (uncredited) Racing with the Moon (1984) (Foley editor) Silverado (1985) (Foley editor) Children of a Lesser God (1986) (sound editor) The Big Easy (1986) (sound editor) Tapeheads (1988) (supervising sound editor) Powwow Highway (1989) (supervising sound editor) The Abyss (1989) (supervising sound editor) The Big Picture (1989) (supervising sound editor) State of Grace (1990) (supervising sound editor)
Accolades 1990 The Abyss (won) Motion Picture Sound Editors 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) Academy Award Best Editing 2002 - Memento (nominated) American Cinema Editors ACE Eddie Award Best Edited Feature Film - Dramatic 2002 - Memento (nominated) The American Film Institute 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 (nominated) Satellite Awards Golden Satellite Award Best Film Editing
In 2012, the Motion Picture Editors Guild 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