Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1061972
107 Q4 2018 / CINEMONTAGE 107 Q4 2018 / CINEMONTAGE n I 've known Lee Dichter since the early '70s. He was a mixer at Photo-Mag, and I was an editor working at Editing Plus on commercials. My first major ad campaign was Dr. Pepper, and Lee was the man. He was friendly, patient and easy to please. He made the jobs go smoothly with his abilities to make the sound better than it ever was. In 1980, I then had the pleasure of working with Lee on features. Our first together was Rollover, then The Soldier, Sophie's Choice, The Muppets Take Manhattan, Dream Lover, Things Change, The Man in the Moon and Far and Away, to name a few. I loved working with Lee. It never felt like work. It was like putting icing on the cake. I can't think of anyone more deserving of this this award than Lee Dichter. Anthony "Chic" Ciccolini III Friend/Colleague; Sound Editor n A fter having had the privilege of working with Lee on three different films — The Shipping News, An Unfinished Life and Casanova — I can absolutely state that I wish we lived, and worked, geographically closer. Mr. Dichter is a master re-recording mixer, a fact that is not open to debate. That Lee consistently is able to preserve almost all the dialogue scheduled to be looped for technical reasons comes as no surprise to anyone who's ever worked with him. A great example happened while pre- dubbing dialogue on The Shipping News. An actor's line was changed mid-sentence. I was told we were going with production and it wasn't going to be looped. The A-side had the sound of office chair rollers under it. The character was pushing away from his desk on camera; the office chair was vintage, so the wheels rolling were a bit loud and had a great deal of rumble. The B-side of his sentence had no chair wheels under it. The abrupt end to the wheels rolling across the old wood floor was extremely obvious. I had prepped a continuation of the wheels, but there wasn't much in the clear, probably less than a second. I hoped we could play the repetitive handle down low, under the B-side of the line, and make it work. Lee managed to clean out a fairly broadband frequency to the point that you couldn't really hear the wheels anymore. The actor's line sounded like it was all one take. An amazing job! Lee is a pleasure to be around. Warm- hearted and wise. My memories of working together during pre-dubs, one-on-one, are some of the fondest of my career. David A. Cohen Colleague; Dialogue/ADR Editor n I don't exactly remember the circumstances in 1990 when I met Lee for the first time, but now I can't imagine a time when I didn't know him. Lee is a consummate professional, with an old- school work ethic and a most impressive breadth of knowledge. What has always struck me the most is that he is incredibly generous of spirit. I remember when we were mixing The Producers in 2005. Our director [Susan Stroman] was an old hat on Broadway, but a newbie when it came to film. Lee was so gentle with her, taking the time to answer every question she had, and accommodating her every wish as best he could — all with a smile. In 2006, we pulled an epic all-nighter. The job was fast and difficult, and we were all intensely stressed out. But that morning, Lee breezed into the studio smiling and set an environment of calm and expertise. The following morning, he left smiling after we broke. He has been very kind to me throughout my career, giving advice or encouragement or a hug when I needed it most. Lee is caring, charming, warm and hilarious. I am truly grateful to know him and to have worked with him, and I'm so proud to call him my friend. Missy Cohen, MPSE Friend/Colleague; Music Editor n I met Lee Dichter in 1983 at the start of my career. At that time, I was the new apprentice sound editor/messenger/ dubber guy working with Chic Ciccolini at Sound One, and he was the new guru mixer, recording dialogue with Meryl Steep at Photo-Mag. My assignment was to deliver some director's notes on cassette tapes. Meryl was on the ADR stage with Lee sipping coffee and going over some things. Lee was charming, greeting me with his award-winning smile, and Meryl was effervescent. I decided this was my chance to make a good impression. I asked Lee if I could borrow a cigarette. I reached for an already burning cigarette on Lee's console. I picked up his jacket and pushed the lit cigarette into it. The cigarette disappeared and the jacket was not harmed. They both applauded the trick, but I didn't learn until years later that Lee's great-grandfather was a famous magician in the early 1900s and Lee was a huge magic enthusiast. He has always been a leading figure in the film industry. Lee's mixing skills and gentlemanly disposition have made the New York film industry a better place. He raised the standard of quality for our entire community. He has coached me personally over the years when my work was lagging or not up to his ideals. He always spoke to me as a colleague. His ability to communicate with all levels of people is a testament to his outstanding character. Thank you, Lee Dichter, for being a shining light in an industry of stars. It has been my honor to know you as the mixer and as the mentor. I will always hold you in the highest respect! Marko Costanzo Friend/Colleague/Mentee; Foley Artist n A s a former colleague and friend, I can't think of a person more deserving of being honored with a Fellowship and