Directors Lisbon Okafor and Frank Ockenfels III have joined greatguns:USA, Santa Monica….Director Michael Fueter has joined Thomas Winter Cooke, Santa Monica, for U.S. representation….Director Gavin Bowden has signed with BlueYed Pictures for U.S. representation. The company has also added Brent Coert as executive producer. BlueYed has offices in Los Angeles, Tokyo and London….Director Stephen Kessler and Trio Films, Venice, Calif., have parted ways….Cut+Run, Santa Monica and London, has launched a music video division under the aegis of Endy Hedman, who will serve as executive producer of music videos. The new arm features editors Javier Alvarez, Giles Bury, Jeff Grippe, Jon Grover, Leo King, Jay Nelson, Philip Owens, Johanna Scott, Julian Traquille and Dayn Williams….Stacey Suplizio is joining Ohio Edit, New York, as executive producer. She replaces Marybeth Medernach, who remains a partner in the company, but is relinquishing executive producing duties to spend more time with her family. Suplizio was formerly a producer at BBDO New York….Dave Moore, who was formerly head of production at Quiet Man, New York, has joined Brandname. Moore will serve as executive producer for the Gotham-based visual effects boutique….Sound designer Bill Kovach, who had been at Swell, Chicago, has come aboard ARU Chicago….San Francisco audio post facility Crescendo! Studios has launched Resonante Music & Sound Design. The new Crescendo! division, also based in San Francisco, opens with Dave Baker as lead sound designer/composer. Baker had most recently been freelancing, but has a long track record with Crescendo!, moving up the ranks from assistant engineer to senior mixer. He later was briefly available for sound design projects through Red Car, San Francisco….Cara McKenney has joined Purple Cow Post, New York, as executive producer. She had been serving as an associate producer at Red Car, New York….Michael McCarthy has come aboard Brickyard VFX Atlantic, Boston, as visual effects and post producer. He joins Brickyard producers Kirsten Andersen in Boston, and Diana Young, who works out of the company’s Santa Monica office, Brickyard VFX Pacific….Hispanic market editorial shop Lucha Libre has opened its doors in Santa Monica. The shop launches under the aegis of co-owner/executive producer Natalia Berry, and editors Luis Lacau, Felipe Fenton, Celina Moreno, Gustavo Zambrano and Y El Sonamublo….Industry veterans Mitch Raboy, James Twomey and Mike Levesque Sr. have teamed up to open Mixopolis, an audio post/sound design company in New York….Ascent Media Group, Santa Monica, has named Ron Geller to the newly created position of senior VP, strategic planning and development. Geller and his team will have responsibility for the company’s long-range strategic planning process as well as provide leadership for the company’s business development activities, including acquisitions and divestitures, corporate alliances and strategic partnerships. Geller formerly served as an executive at Sony Pictures Digital….
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