Tom Atkin, founding executive director of the Visual Effects Society (VES), has decided to step down at the end of his current contract, which expires on July 31, 2004. Atkin founded VES in ’93 and helped guide its growth to some 900 global members, nine festivals worldwide and an annual awards show….Director Kieran Walsh, formerly of bicoastal/international Chelsea Pictures, is coming aboard bicoastal Anonymous Content….Bicoastal Headquarters has signed director Maggie Zackheim, formerly of bicoastal HKM Productions….Composer Don Davis, whose music filmography includes The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and the upcoming The Matrix Revolutions, has signed with Groove Addicts, Los Angeles, for commercial representation. He has already wrapped his first ad assignment under the Groove Addicts banner, a three-spot Honda package directed by Rocky Morton of bicoastal/international Morton Jankel Zander for Rubin Postaer and Associates, Santa Monica. Groove Addicts has also signed composer Rob Dougan, creator of additional music on The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded, for commercials….RubberBand Music, a shop that crosses over recording artists, rock bands, DJs and film and TV composers into alternative media, has been launched in Los Angeles and has partnered with longstanding music/sound design house Primal Scream, Santa Monica, for spot music. Primal Scream will operate within the RubberBand group as the selected music company for RubberBand Commercials. The new relationship has already yielded two just-wrapped jobs: a Ford spot directed by Eric Saarinen of Santa Monica-based Plum Productions, and an SBC Yahoo! campaign helmed by feature filmmaker Robert Altman….Director Stefan Ruzowitzky has inked a deal with Neue Sentimental Film, Frankfurt, for representation in Germany….Flame artist Crawford Reilly, who spent the last eight years in London working for such shops as Glassworks, VTR and Rushes, has joined Vendetta Post, Santa Monica….Matt Ferrell has come aboard San Francisco-based animation studio Wild Brain as CG animation supervisor….Yessian Music has added composer Andy Grush to its roster. He is a multi-instrumentalist who was previously on staff at bicoastal tomandandy. Yessian maintains bases of operation in Farmington Hills, Mich.; Malibu, Calif.; and New York….
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