Los Angeles’ business tax reform package, which includes an initiative that would provide potential relief to many small and medium-sized production houses that lens in L.A. (SHOOT, 10/29, p. 1), cleared a major hurdle last week when it unanimously passed the city’s Ad Hoc Committee on Business Tax Reform. The measure must next gain the approval of the Budget and Finance Committee, and then the full Los Angeles City Council in order to take effect on July 1, 2005. The business tax reform has received the endorsement of Mayor James K. Hahn (D-Los Angeles) and the Association of Independent Commercial Producers….Director Phil Joanou has joined bicoastal/international Morton Jankel Zander. He had previously been with bicoastal Villains….Director Thomas Kloss, formerly of Chased by Cowboys, Venice, Calif., has come aboard Santa Monica-headquartered Reactor Films…. Director Leslie Libman has joined Los Angeles-headquartered Form for commercials….Director Tom Schiller has signed with bicoastal Go Film. He had previously been with now defunct Coppos Films….Editorial house Cut + Run, which has shops in London and Los Angeles, is set to open an office in New York under the aegis of partner/editor Chuck Willis….Directors Per Dreyer and Brendan Donovan have joined A Band Apart, Los Angeles…. The directing team of Matt Donaldson and Matt Leal has come aboard Redtree Productions, Boston and New York. The helming duo has already wrapped its first job at the company, a four-spot package for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay….Director Peter Siaggas, who was formerly with Pogo Pictures, Atlanta, has launched Spots Films, Atlanta….Ty Montague has left Wieden+ Kennedy, New York, where he was co-creative director, to take a top creative position at J. Walter Thompson. Kevin Proudfoot has been promoted to co-creative director at Wieden+Kennedy, joining co-creative director Todd Waterbury….John Hunt, the New York-based worldwide creative director of TBWA, has been named president of the film, press and outdoor juries for the 2005 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival….Colorist Laura Jans-Fazio, formerly of Company 3, Santa Monica, has joined Encore, Hollywood….
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