Editor – Dody Dorn, ACE
For Heart of the Beast, editor Dody Dorn, ACE was tasked with cutting a survival thriller built around one man, one dog and an unforgiving wilderness. Reunited with director David Ayer more than a decade after their work together on Fury, Dody helped shape a film that combines large-scale action and physical danger with a much more intimate story about trauma, loyalty and the bond between two combat veterans trying to make their way home.
Directed by David Ayer and written by Cameron Alexander, Heart of the Beast stars Brad Pitt as James Belmont, a Special Forces veteran traveling with his retired combat dog, Odin. After a plane crash leaves them stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness, the two must rely on their training and on each other as they battle the elements, injury and the lasting psychological effects of their military service. The film also stars J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe.
Heart of the Beast gave Dody the challenge of maintaining tension and momentum while much of the film rests on the relationship between Belmont and Odin. The movie also uses flashbacks to gradually reveal the shared history between man and beast, allowing the edit to move between the immediate physical struggle for survival and the experiences that continue to shape Belmont in the present.
DODY DORN, ACE
Dody Dorn, ACE is an Academy Award-nominated editor whose credits include Memento, Insomnia, Fury, Kingdom of Heaven, Australia, End of Watch, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Army of the Dead and Rebel Moon.
Dorn got her start in sound editorial before moving into picture editing, bringing an understanding of both image and sound to a career that has ranged from intimate character-driven films to large-scale action and visual-effects productions. Dody received an Academy Award nomination and an ACE Eddie nomination for her work on Christopher Nolan’s Memento.
The Credits
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Hear Dody discuss editing Zack Snyder’s four-hour director’s cut of ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE.
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