Method Studios, a Deluxe Entertainment Services Group company, has added three animation artists to its creative team–Erik-Jan de Boer and James Jacobs who join Method’s Vancouver office as animation supervisor and creature supervisor, respectively; and animation supervisor Keith Roberts who will work out of the Los Angeles studio.
Born in Amsterdam, de Boer has been creating animations and visual effects for nearly a quarter of a century. He has worked at many top British VFX houses, including the Moving Picture Company. In 1996 he joined Rhythm & Hues where his credits included The Golden Compass (an Academy Award winner in the visual effects category), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and Night at the Museum. This year he was among the core Rhythm & Hues team honored with a Visual Effects Oscar for his work on Life of Pi.
Jacobs is another Oscar-winning artist who received the 2013 Scientific and Engineering Academy Award for character simulation software used in Avatar. A creature expert nominated for a 2013 Visual Effects Society Award for his work on the Goblin King (The Hobbit), Jacobs has credits on numerous films, including Prometheus, The Adventures of Tintin and King Kong. A Toronto native, Jacobs has spent the bulk of his career focused on the unique challenges involved with creating compelling characters. From Method Studios in Vancouver, he is currently at work on director Wes Ball’s thriller The Maze Runner.
And Roberts, a long-time member of the Rhythm & Hues ensemble, is versed in all styles of CG animation, and his credits include “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “The Cabin in the Woods” and “The Incredible Hulk.” Originally from Yorkshire, England, Roberts most recently oversaw extensive visual effects work on the upcoming feature “R.I.P.D.” Roberts noted that at Method he is looking to divide his time between high-end feature film and commercial VFX work.
Christian Kubsch, president of Method, said that the hiring of de Boer, Jacobs and Roberts is well timed given that Method is “in the process of expanding the character animation talent across our global network.”
Method has facilities in Los Angeles, Vancouver, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, London, Sydney and Melbourne.
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