Dune: Prophecy is a prequel TV series to the widely acclaimed Dune feature films by Denis Villeneuve. The HBO series is set 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, and follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, as well as establish the sect that will ultimately become known as the Bene Gesserit.
Sarah Reeves and Mark Hartzell both served as editors on the show, with Reeves cutting Episode 1 and Hartzell editing Episode 3. Together, they co-edited Episode 5.
"Our job was to help showrunner Alison Schapker bring her vision to the screen, starting with the script," note the editors. "From the very first pages, we understood the emotions, themes and story beats Alison wanted to convey, ensuring that these elements translated seamlessly to the audience.”
When they received dailies, the editors evaluated them through this lens, assembling scenes to reflect the intent of the script while also adapting to the natural evolutions that occur during production.
"Not everything matches what’s on the page, and part of our job is to shape performances, pacing and tone to make everything work cohesively," they explain. "At this stage, we also bring our own creative instincts to the cut, testing ideas that we may later refine with the director and producers."
The editors used Avid Media Composer 2018 to cut their respective episodes, running on Mac Pro desktops. For remote work outside the cutting room, they used Jump Desktop to stay connected and keep the workflow seamless.
"I edited the pilot episode, 101, 'The Hidden Hand,' and co-edited episode 105 with Mark," recalls Reeves. "I first worked with showrunner Alison Schapker on Westworld, Season 4, where we developed a strong rapport and shared sensibilities. That foundation made working on the pilot an absolute joy. She trusted my instincts, valued my input, and we had an established shorthand from the start."
Reeves says that what made Dune: Prophecy particularly exciting was being brought in a few weeks early to cut together reels for director Anna Foerster.
"Anna and I had never worked together before, so this was a fantastic way to connect," she explains. "She was shooting costume and set reels, and we also did early R&D on the visual style for the Voice and truthsaying. When we cut together the sizzle reel for truthsaying, sound design played a crucial role in shaping the visual-audio palette. My assistant, Brian Santistevan, and I had the chance to collaborate with Anna early on, which created a strong creative relationship that carried through the rest of the series.”
Foerster directed both episodes that Reeves worked on.
"I edited Episode 103, 'Sisterhood Above All,'" adds Hartzell. "I was thrilled to work on any episode, but 103 was particularly exciting because it’s largely a flashback episode that fills in crucial character history outside the main narrative arc of the season. I approached it as its own unique story within the story, carefully analyzing the actors' and director’s choices to find what resonated most. Crafting these moments was both rewarding and challenging, especially as the season evolved in unexpected ways — sometimes shifting elements earlier than originally scripted or obscuring details for later reveals."
For Episode 105, "In Blood, Truth," which he co-edited with Reeves, Hartzell says his partner had already assembled the editor’s cut with help of Yoni Reiss and Brian Santistevan.
"But with her working deep in the pilot, they needed someone to get 105 ready for the director’s cut process," he reveals. "That’s where I came in. Coming in with fresh eyes, I was able to refine the cut and then collaborate with director Anna Foerster, who had fantastic ideas and was incredibly open to creative discussion. Together, we made some bold and exciting choices. Later, when Sarah was available again, she and I worked closely with Alison Schapkerand and Jordan Goldberg, continuing to fine-tune and shape the episode into its final form."