Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1061972
112 CINEMONTAGE / Q4 2018 112 CINEMONTAGE / Q4 2018 I am so happy that Lee is getting the recognition that he deserves, because we all know how special it is to work beside him. Eugene Gearty Friend/Colleague; Sound Editor n I was lucky enough to begin my career by working with some of the best filmmakers in New York City. The first feature I worked on was a Mike Nichols film and this is where I met Lee Dichter. I remember walking onto the mix stage at Sound One and being a bit intimidated by the amount of talent in that room. Lee treated me as if he had known me forever. He let me ask questions and encouraged me to sit in during the mix to see the process. I went on to work with Lee on many more films, including the Emmy Award- winning Angels in America. Each film was a gift. To work with him was a privilege — not only for his talent, but for his calming presence. He has become a great friend over the years, and to be around Lee is like being around your favorite uncle. You just want to hug him and sit and talk with him for hours. Congrats, Lee! I adore and admire you and am so proud to have been "in the mix" of your career! Ann M. Gray Friend/Colleague; Producer, Post- Production Supervisor, Actress n A s an LA-based Guild Board member, it gives me great pleasure to see Lee Dichter honored with our Fellowship and Service Award. I met Lee when I was a messenger for a commercial editorial company called, believe it or not, Splice Is Nice. As a messenger, my task was to deliver the mix elements to the mixing studio where a commercial was going to be mixed. On foot, I carried a small, white box containing work picture, production track, music track and a sound effects track to Photo-Mag at 222 East 44th Street, in the shadow of Grand Central Station. There, I was greeted by an assortment of friendly and boisterous relatives (brothers, sisters, aunts, fathers, etc.) of the Dichter family, whose shining star was Lee. Years later, I returned to Photo-Mag as an assistant editor on Four Friends, a film that Lee mixed because Barry Malkin and Marc Laub took a gamble that paid off well for the New York post-production community. No one is more deserving of this accolade than Lee! Dorian Harris, ACE Colleague; Picture Editor n L ee Dichter has been a re-recording giant and a strong union backer his whole career. He was a leader in getting Sound One to sign a contract with our union, and I can't think of a better recipient of this first Fellowship and Service Award to be given in New York City. He comes from a family of re-recordists and I was privileged to work with his father when I started as a young music editor in New York. Before I left for Los Angeles, I was lucky enough to mix Star 80 with Lee. So, in a way, my career was studded with Dichters, and I couldn't be more thankful. Alan Heim, ACE Friend/Colleague; Picture Editor; President, Motion Picture Editors Guild; Vice President, American Cinema Editors n T o know Lee Dichter is to learn generosity, patience, artistry, dedication, humility and love for one's craft. Just out of college, I rushed into a lead sound supervising job, mixing two days every week with Lee. I was seriously over my head, but what might have been intimidating turned into a personal master class. Playing the console like some super-charged electronic steel guitar, he taught me everything he could because he loves what he does and genuinely wanted me to do well — and he hadn't even known me for five minutes! We've mixed many features together since, and what was true then has remained true. He's an absolute pleasure to collaborate with. He will not stop until he achieves perfection on a scene, and he explains everything he's doing as he goes, bringing everyone along for the symphony. One time he jumped up onto the producer's desk and danced! Everyone who comes into his sphere is welcomed and nurtured. It is no mystery why Lee is one of the most beloved members of our New York film community. When Lee mixes, he doesn't scrutinize a word; he gets into every syllable. Treating a dialogue scene like an action scene, he builds it until it peaks. And when it comes to music, that's where his soul is. He finds the score for the film in his touch, mixing in subtle ways that you can't put your finger on. Ask Lee to take a break, and he's gone for the amount of time it takes to get up, take a half step, sit down again and continue orchestrating. But besides all that, as a friend Lee is pure gold. He listens, shares and contributes to your life like no one else. Lee, we all love you and treasure you. Robert Hein Friend/Colleague/Mentee; Sound Editor n T o me, Lee Dichter has been both mentor and inspiration. I also count him as a friend. It's rare to find a person as good and respected as Lee is at his craft, yet so humble and caring for those with whom he works. Most pictures you see of him are of the serious and professional Lee. But those of us who have worked with him through the years also know a Lee who can exhibit both a child's enthusiasm and a mischievous streak. Let me give a few examples. Lee as a man of enthusiasm: As a Dolby consultant, I was able to drift in and out of mixes over the weeks they take to complete, and was often called upon to listen with fresh ears to lines of difficult dialogue. One day, Lee stopped a final mix to have me listen to a certain passage.