The directing team Blue Source—Rob Leggatt and Leigh Marling—has signed with Bob Industries, Santa Monica. The duo was previously with Blink USA, Venice, Calif.…Director Darren Grant has joined the rosters of bicoastal and Chicago-based X-Ray Productions and sister shop merge@crossroads, Los Angeles. Grant will helm commercials for X-Ray, while merge will handle him for music videos….Z group films, Venice, Calif., and Chicago, has added director Kohl Norville….Director Allen Coulter has just completed filming an episode of Rome for HBO, and is now available again for commercials through bicoastal/international Hungry Man….Director Dominic Savage, formerly of now defunct Large, has joined The Brave Film Company, London….Cleber Redondo has launched Wimze Studios, a shop specializing in 3-D character animation for the advertising, TV programming, home video, Web and gaming markets. Redondo, who will hold the title of president/animation director, will head up the company, which is based in Fairview, N.J. Additional Wimze staffers include senior animator/technical director James Gu, shading/ lighting supervisor Tacken Chae, 3-D character animator Ken Lee, technical director Inpyo Hong and character animator Joao G.N. Amorim….Mary O’Gara, who was producing at R!OT, Santa Monica, is the new director of visual effects and telecine at sister shop Company 3, also in Santa Monica.…Tony Smith has joined R!OT, Santa Monica, as senior colorist; he arrives from sister company Level 3 Post, Burbank, Calif.…New York-based sister companies Version2. Editing and Liquid Light (visual effects) are merging. The Liquid Light brand will no longer be used; the companies were already based in the same building….
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