Phil Dodds
Encyclopedia
Philip V.W. Dodds credited as Phil Dodds, was an audio engineer
who appeared in the 1977 motion picture Close Encounters of the Third Kind
. Working for ARP Instruments, Inc.
, Dodds was on the set to install and manage the ARP 2500
synthesizer used in the movie to play the five alien tones, and to program it for the sounds the filmmakers wanted. He had performed a similar function on other science fiction films, such as Logan's Run
, and some of the early Star Trek
movies.
Steven Spielberg
, liking his looks, offered him a part in the movie on the spot; he spent the next nine weeks filming the now-iconic final scenes of the movie. He has considerable screen time for an extra, playing the notes on the synthesizer
under the direction of several scientists and musicians, and gazing raptly up at the alien spaceship. In the film's credits, Dodds's name appears twice — once as "Jean Claude" (as Philip Dodds) and once as "ARP Musician" (as Phil Dodds), though we don't know which said his one line: "What are we saying to each other?". In his original script, with the working title "Watch The Skies", Spielberg had written these as two separate parts, but combined them into one character during filming.
Later vice president of R&D
for Kurzweil Music
(developer of digital keyboard products), Dodds was a project analyst with Randall House Associates, Inc. in Annapolis, MD. He was the chief architect of the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM)
under the guidance of the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL)
Initiative, a project of the United States Department of Defense
. The ADL SCORM is widely perceived as a means to achieve interoperability, accessibility and reuse of the component pieces of web-based instruction, irrespective of Learning Management System
s. Philips work on SCORM will continue as hundred of organizations around the world continue their collective efforts to resolve remaining issues associated with SCORMs Simple Sequencing Models, such as lack of common instructional strategies and taxonomies (common definitions) for learning objects.
Philip Dodds died on October 6, 2007.
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
who appeared in the 1977 motion picture Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, and Cary Guffey...
. Working for ARP Instruments, Inc.
ARP Instruments, Inc.
ARP Instruments, Inc. was an American manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, founded by Alan Robert Pearlman in 1969. Best known for its line of synthesizers that emerged in the early 1970s, ARP closed its doors in 1981 due to financial difficulties...
, Dodds was on the set to install and manage the ARP 2500
ARP 2500
The ARP 2500, built from 1970 through the mid-70's, was ARP's first product. A monophonic analog modular synthesizer equipped with a set of sliding matrix switches above each module. These were the primary method of interconnecting modules. There were also rows of 1/8" miniphone jacks at the end...
synthesizer used in the movie to play the five alien tones, and to program it for the sounds the filmmakers wanted. He had performed a similar function on other science fiction films, such as Logan's Run
Logan's Run
Logan's Run is a novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, it depicts a dystopic ageist future society in which both population and the consumption of resources are maintained in equilibrium by requiring the death of everyone reaching a particular age...
, and some of the early Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
movies.
Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, liking his looks, offered him a part in the movie on the spot; he spent the next nine weeks filming the now-iconic final scenes of the movie. He has considerable screen time for an extra, playing the notes on the synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
under the direction of several scientists and musicians, and gazing raptly up at the alien spaceship. In the film's credits, Dodds's name appears twice — once as "Jean Claude" (as Philip Dodds) and once as "ARP Musician" (as Phil Dodds), though we don't know which said his one line: "What are we saying to each other?". In his original script, with the working title "Watch The Skies", Spielberg had written these as two separate parts, but combined them into one character during filming.
Later vice president of R&D
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
for Kurzweil Music
Kurzweil Music Systems
Kurzweil Music Systems is a company that produces electronic musical instruments for professionals and home users. Founded in 1982 by Raymond Kurzweil, a developer of reading machines for the blind, the company made use of many of the technologies originally designed for reading machines and...
(developer of digital keyboard products), Dodds was a project analyst with Randall House Associates, Inc. in Annapolis, MD. He was the chief architect of the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM)
SCORM
Sharable Content Object Reference Model is a collection of standards and specifications for web-based e-learning. It defines communications between client side content and a host system called the run-time environment, which is commonly supported by a learning management system...
under the guidance of the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL)
Advanced Distributed Learning
Advanced Distributed Learning is the product of the ADL Initiative, established in 1997 to standardize and modernize training and education management and delivery. The Department of Defense Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness oversees the ADL Initiative...
Initiative, a project of the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
. The ADL SCORM is widely perceived as a means to achieve interoperability, accessibility and reuse of the component pieces of web-based instruction, irrespective of Learning Management System
Learning management system
A learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content...
s. Philips work on SCORM will continue as hundred of organizations around the world continue their collective efforts to resolve remaining issues associated with SCORMs Simple Sequencing Models, such as lack of common instructional strategies and taxonomies (common definitions) for learning objects.
Philip Dodds died on October 6, 2007.