‘Timelined’ is a series of articles dedicated to the postproduction storytellers, which are the editors. This time, thanks to The Rough Cut team, we are getting exposed to the timeline of Army of the Dead directed by Zack Snyder. Explore it below.

Timelined

The editing process is one of the most important parts of postproduction. Editors have a tremendous power to shape, maneuver, build and create the whole film. In reality shows, where there is a vast mass of footage, the editors are the kings, and sometimes they have more impact than the directors. Basically, professional editors use one of three software called NLE (Non-Linear Editor) that are: Avid, Premiere Pro, and FCP (Final Cut Pro). The majority of Hollywood films are cut on Avid. In recent years, Premiere Pro and FCP have joined the blockbuster party as well. In Y.M.Cinema Magazine we understand the importance of the editors in crafting the story, and indeed we have been writing a solid amount of articles in that matter. Now, it’s time to write more about the art of editing. Hence, we preset ‘Timelined’ which is a series of articles dedicated for the movie assemblers (=editors).

The timeline is the code behind the movie

If lines of code create software then timeline creates movies. The timeline is the movie’s pieces of code, like in software. The timeline contains segments of videos, audio layers, dialog, SFX sequences, and more. The timeline can be built of dozens of layers, that must be synchronized accurately in order to present the film as planned. One of the most satisfying parts of editing is when the timeline is finished. Then the whole film is presented as layers, lines, and stripes, which is a very cool sight. What’s even neater, is to see the timeline of high-budget films. Yeah, that is a pretty unique sight.

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.

Editor Dody Jane Dorn

Editing Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead

Thanks to the wonderful Youtube channel ‘The Rough Cut’, we can explore the timeline of Army of the Dead directed by Zack Snyder. We wrote a bunch of articles about the making of this film, however, we haven’t written about the editing of it. For those who are curious about the making, head over the referenced articles below:

• ‘Army of the Dead’ Trailer Is Out: Shot on RED Monstro by Cinematographer (and Director) Zack Snyder
• Zack Snyder Shot the Entire ‘Army of the Dead’ on Wide Open Aperture (f0.95)
• Viewers Noticed Dead Pixels in Snyder’s ‘Army of the Dead’
• Zack Snyder’s ‘Army of the Dead’ was Shot on Canon Rehoused Vintage Full-Frame Lenses

Army was edited by Dody Jane Dorn

What is interesting about Army (aka ‘Army of the Dead’), is that it was edited by a female editor, Dody Jane Dorn. As similar to cinematographers, female editors are not so common in our industry. In Y.M.Cinema Magazine we try hard to contribute to a change, by writing about female editors that broke the glass ceiling, which is quite rare, yet the progress is well noticed (Read – Women’s Cinema: Meet Editor Joanna Naugle, and Women’s Cinema- Meet Veteran Editor Shirley Thompson). Dody is not a conventional example of that since she is one of the veteran female editors in the industry, who has worked with acclaimed directors. Dody (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. Doby was the additional editor of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and the chief editor of Army of the Dead. In her field, Doby is one of a kind, but hopefully, there will be many more like her in the future.

It is still a commonly accepted notion that the editor just “cuts out all the bad bits.” I liken editing more to sculpture

Editor Dody Jane Dorn

Timeline Tours of Army of the Dead

In the video below, Dody shares her Avid Media Composer timeline for Army of the Dead while describing how her edit progressed from Zack Snyder’s hand-drawn storyboards to pre-viz and stunt-viz. Dody also discusses what Zack likes to see in the first assembly as well as the other AOTD projects that were in development during the production of the main film. As stated once by Dody: “It is still a commonly accepted notion that the editor just “cuts out all the bad bits.” I liken editing more to sculpture…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”. Indeed, these are well-said statements. Watch the tour below to reveal the complexity of editing:

Here’s the full interview with editor Dody Dorn ACE and assistant editor Carlos Castillón: 

Closing thoughts

The timeline presents the movie’s guts. It’s like surgery when you are able to dive into the film, explore all its layers, raw footage, sounds, effects, and more. Indeed, when thinking about it, the editor is like the film’s surgeon. All the creative power is in his hands. The editor’s suite is the real world, and the timeline is the Matrix. That’s an intriguing thought. Don’t you think?

Product List

Here’re the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers. 

• Avid Media Composer
  • BUY on B&H
  • BUY on ADORAMA
• Adobe Premiere Pro CC
  • BUY on B&H
  • BUY on ADORAMA