New York-based Cause & [Effect] has signed comedy director Beauxchamp for U.S. commercial representation. Beauxchamp recently took the director’s chair full time after having been at Turner Entertainment Networks and prior to that working as a copywriter and creative director for such agencies as DDB, JWT and BBDO. Beauxchamp’s credits include his having helmed and co-written TNT co-branded spots for Dunkin’ Donuts, Snickers, Iams and Pringles….Thomas Tortoriello, aka Tommy T, has joined Smoke & Mirrors in New York as a senior Smoke artist. Freelance for the past six years, he is perhaps best known for his 12-year tenure at Red Car, where he was staff engineer and Smoke artist from 1995 to 2007…Veteran VFX producer and postproduction supervisor Cary Flaum has joined bicoastal production company Shilo as executive producer and head of production. Flaum had most recently been freelancing in his native New York City, film studios, post houses and independent artists on assorted projects. Among those, through Nice Shoes, he was the post producer for a 180-degree format live show open for Maybelline and for spots for Google TV, and he was the post-production supervisor for the immersive film experience directed by Kanye West from Good Company which premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Between 1999 and 2011, Flaum held senior staff production and management positions with Smoke and Mirrors, Perception, mad.house and Version 2…RingSide Creative‘s production operations division has merged with Jeff Moon Production Services to form subsidiary Moonlink Studios, LLC. Moonlink Studios is now billed as being the largest single source provider of production-related services in Michigan. Robin Tracey and Jeff Moon have been named co-managing directors to oversee daily operations. While Moonlink Satellite, Inc. remains independently owned by Moon, its services will continue to be integrated with Moonlink Studios, LLC. Moonlink Studios offers a wide range of production services including sound stages, live shot studios, crew, and camera/equipment packages….Music house Comma has promoted Andrew Ecklund to composer. A graduate of Elmhurst College, where he studied music business and jazz, Ecklund interned at Comma during his last school semester. With the addition of Ecklund, Comma now has nine in-house composers…
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