Director Max Joseph has joined the roster of Hungry Man which was initially drawn to his “Follow the Frog” work for the Rainforest Alliance. A clever approach to short-form advocacy filmmaking, “Follow the Frog” has garnered industry acclaim, the most recent recognition being its winning Gold at the EPICA Award show in the Public Interest category. The three-minute romp through Central America was written, directed and edited by Joseph.
As a triple threat–conceptualizing, directing and editing–Joseph last year saw his Toms Shoes’ “Get Out And Play” spot earn inclusion into SHOOT‘s “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery (7/8/11). And our end-of-year readers’ poll had that project tied for second as the best of “The Best Work You May Never See” entries for 2011. This spot gave new meaning to the phrase “concert in the park” as folks strip down to white and black skivvies/sweats and lay down in the grass in a configuration that resembles a piano keyboard. Each person in this keyboard is wearing white classic summer Toms shoes. The alternating black and white “keys” move to seemingly produce a piano riff that’s easy on the ears. A super reads, “Get out and play,” with a tag touting Toms’ classic summer shoes.
Joseph made his first mark as creative director of video at GOOD Mag for two-and-a-half years. He honed his filmmaking skills at GOOD, where he wrote and directed over 60 films for clients such as Pepsi, Prius and Ford. He went on to helm the short films Saab Story and Atomic Alert which then screened at festivals such as Sundance and Telluride. His work has screened at LACMA, BAM, The Gagosian Gallery in New York and has been featured many times on the front pages of YouTube, FunnyOrDie, and DailyMotion accumulating over 30 million views so far. He’s also directed and edited commercials for Starbucks and Nike.
Currently Joseph is co-starring in MTV’s new docu-series Catfish, a modified version of–and with the same title as–the noted documentary released in 2010 and directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (a.k.a. Henry & Rel who are handled by Moxie Pictures for spots and branded content).
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