Directors Richard Sears and Alain Gourrier have signed with Tate USA, Santa Monica for exclusive U.S. spot representation. Sears had been at bicoastal Coppos while Gourrier is perhaps best known for his tenure at Bruce Dowad Associates, Los Angeles…. Backyard Productions, Venice, Calif., has signed director Jeffrey Karoff….Directors Mike Wang, formerly of Trio Films, Venice, and Basil Schlegel have joined V12, a hybrid production, animation, design and graphics house headed by executive creative director David Hwang. This marks the first time that the German-born Schlegel has had formal spot representation in the U.S…. Francesca Silvestri and Lizzie Friedman of commercial production house Moxie Pictures’ motion picture division are producing Miramax Films’ comedy Outward Blonde, which has just gained a commitment from Hillary Duff to star in the lead role. Bicoastal Moxie sold the theatrical motion picture project—in the form of a script penned by former Ally McBeal writer/producer Kayla Alpert—to Miramax in ’00 (SHOOT, 6/23/00, p. 1)….New York-based wild(child) has added editor Patrick Burns Jr. Burns was formerly with The Whitehouse, which has offices in Santa Monica, New York, Chicago and London. Wild(child) has also taken on Sarah Grey, who was named head of development. Grey had been serving as executive producer at Brand New School, New York….After 11 years with The Mill, London, Flame artist David Smith has left to launch London-based boutique Absolute Post with his long-time producer Sally Heath….The Blue Rock Editing Company, New York, is now handling stateside representation for editor Jochen Kraus, who makes his home in Germany. Since ’96, Kraus has been the head of editing and sound supervision for Velvet Mediendesign GMBH, Munich….Production company The Ebeling Group, headquartered in Los Angeles, has opened an office in Brazil, which will handle director/design collective Nakd, who is based in Rio de Janeiro, and Lobo, based in São Paolo. Producer Ben Apley will oversee the new office….Former Sony exec Larry Thorpe, who accepted Sony’s early retirement package at the end of ’03, has been named national marketing executive for the Broadcast and Communications division of Canon USA, headquartered in Lake Success, N.Y. Imaging is Thorpe’s area of expertise; he played a key role in launching the "Dreams" project with Young & Rubicam, New York, as a program to get Sony’s Cine Alta cameras into the hands of commercialmakers. As previously reported, Thorpe was succeeded by Rob Willox who serves as general manager of the content creation unit at Sony Electronics’ Broadcast and Production Systems division….
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