Executive producers Carl Swan and Lizzie Schwartz have teamed to launch Community Films. The new venture opens with a directorial roster consisting of Seth Gordon, Jared Hess, Michael Patrick Jann, Matt Smukler and Pam Thomas.
Swan and Schwartz previously served as exec producers at Hello! and Moxie Pictures, respectively. Community’s lineup includes directors who were formerly with those two houses as Smukler and Jann were with Hello, and Gordon, Hess and Thomas had been repped by Moxie.
Smukler is a prolific spot helmer. Commercial and TV director Pam Thomas has credits that include Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives. Jared Hess directed such features as Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre. Gordon’s endeavors include the documentary King of Kong and the comedy feature Horrible Bosses. And Jann has Reno 911 and Drop Dead Gorgeous among his credits. Hess, Gordon and Jann additionally have considerable spotmaking experience.
Together, Swan and Schwartz have more than 30 years experience producing commercials, web films, shorts, music videos, and features. Swan served as executive producer at Hello! and predecessor house HKM for 10 years. Earlier he served as head of production at Harmony Pictures.
Schwartz worked with producer Cary Woods at Miramax on features like Scream and Citizen Ruth, before going on to executive produce at Moxie Pictures for 15 years.
Community has already turned out several spots, including Smukler-directed fare for Robitusson via Grey and McDonald’s out of Moroch; a Pam Thomas-helmed job for Amica from agency Cronin & Company; and a Hess-directed assignment for Direct Auto and agency Cramer-Krasselt.
The production company’s sales team consists of Reprizent (Michael Arkin, Anna Triggs, Taina Torres-Wirth) on the East Coast, MJ Companies (Marguerite Juliusson) in the Midwest, and Amy Jones on the West Coast. Community is repped in the U.K. via London production house Independent.
Gene Hackman Died Of Heart Disease; Hantavirus Claimed His Wife’s Life About One Week Prior
Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference. "Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease," Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death." Authorities didn't suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative. Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighborhood that afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday. Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18, the day he likely died, Jarrell said. Although there was no reliable way to determine the date and time when both died, all signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said. "It's quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer's disease and unable to deal with his wife's death in the last week of his life. "You are talking about very severe Alzheimer's disease that normal people would be in a nursing home or have a nurse, but she was taking care... Read More