Executive producers Jonathon Ker, Don Block and Rich Carter make for a Tight management team in Santa Monica. Tight is the moniker of a just launched production house that is a sister shop to Santa Monica-headquartered GARTNER….Director Frank Samuel, formerly of Santa Monica-based harvest, has joined bicoastal Headquarters….Director Mathew Lamb has come aboard bicoastal Notorious Pictures. He recently wrapped his directorial debut, a spot for TaylorMade Golf Clubs, for agency NYCA, Encinitas, Calif. At press time, he was about to embark on his second project for NYCA. Lamb first established himself as a visual effects artist, most recently with CreoCollective, Santa Monica…. Director Liz Hinlein has signed with New York-based Free Market Films, for U.S. representation….stimmüng, Santa Monica, and RMI, New York, have merged to become a bicoastal shop. The New York office—with owner/composer Robert Miller—will be titled RMI stimmüng, while the West Coast shop retains the stimmüng name, with Reinhard Denke as sound designer….Editor Val Thrasher, formerly of Rock Paper Scissors, Los Angeles, has joined Mad River Post, Santa Monica….Motion graphics designer and animator Zack Kinney has joined Click 3X, New York. He had previously been freelancing.…Siggy Ferstl has joined R!OT, Santa Monica as senior colorist. Prior to joining R!OT, Ferstl was head of telecine and film services at Digital Pictures Sydney for eight years….Shira Boardman has come aboard Los Angeles-based computer animation and visual effects shop SWAY Studio as its executive producer. She formerly served as executive producer at Los Angeles production house Japanese Monster….Producers Kathy Cogar, Dave Skaff and Anna McClelland have joined Radium, the digital effects studios with bases of operation in Santa Monica and San Francisco…..Discreet, the Montreal-headquartered subsidiary of Autodesk, saw the departure of general manager/Autodesk executive VP Paul Lypaczewski, who headed Discreet for roughly four years. According to a company spokesperson, Autodesk COO Carl Bass is overseeing Discreet, and a senior management search is underway….Director Jeff Brown, best known for his work with kids, has signed with Tag Team Films, Los Angeles, for exclusive representation….Another Country, Chicago, has promoted Ben Keller to sound designer/mix engineer….XL Films has added four directors for U.S. representation. Jim Barham, Dan Blust, Rodrigo Escobar Rodriguez and Ron Pippin will all be available for commercials via the Houston-based shop. Rodriguez will continue to maintain Rio Bravo Pictures, Pharr, Texas, while Pippin recently launched Shiny Object, a broadcast design firm in Austin, Texas. XL Films is headed by partner/director Scott Hulan Jones and president/executive producer Ken Kosub….
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