Producer Sonny Grosso and Dean created a strong bond, with Grosso hiring Dean on many series and MOW’s in subsequent years, even bringing Dean to New York for one project, clearly showing the faith and trust he had in Dean. Dean’s work was noticed by U.S. producers -Grosso and others – at a time when few American shows would edit in Toronto. He was a ‘go-to’ editor for CBS, NBC and ABC as they shot pilots here and required a steady hand. He was fortunate to be an editor for CBS, NBC and ABC as they shot pilots here.

Dean became acclaimed not only for his editing work, but also for his role as a friend and mentor to many in the industry. His work has been varied and always of the highest quality, ranging from the cop shows with Sonny Grosso, to drama and science fiction. Dean has also cut musical variety and comedy as well as various forms of documentary, doc-series and factual productions, displaying one of the most versatile voices in editing in Canada. He was at the forefront of the evolution of editing from film to digital, working on the most advanced editing platforms of the day, including being an early user of Avid systems. Dean also served as 2nd Unit Director on various film and television projects.