Editorial house Spot Welders extends its postproduction reach with the launch of visual effects company Shipping + Handling. The new venture is located on the Spot Welders property in Venice, Calif. Helming Shipping + Handling are visual effects supervisor Casey Price and exec producer J. Patrick McElroy. Price’s body of work spans multiple disciplines. She served as VFX set supervisor on Spike Jonze’s latest film Her starring Joaquin Phoenix. Her spot exploits include Visa’s 2008 Olympics campaign back while she was working at D-Train. McElroy had served as a producer at Spot Welders prior to moving over to Shipping + Handling….Multi-disciplinary production studio BREED–launched a year ago in NY by exec producers Rich Rama and Zak Thornborough–has signed directors David Lodge, Simon Robson and Thomas Cobb and hired executive producer Peter Steinzeig to head up its Los Angeles office. Steinzeig is a former EP with Backyard and Pixomondo. Director Lodge has been repped for commercials in the UK by RSA London since 2007, and has shot spots for numerous brands over the past two decades, including McDonald’s, Vodafone, BT, Ikea and most recently, the cheeky “Aliens” for Kellogg’s. British helmer Robson joins BREED from Animal Logic and is known for hybrid animation/live action-style spots for such shops as Wieden+Kennedy London, 180 Amsterdam and DDB Sydney. And Cobb’s endeavors include title design with high profile credits, including the opening sequences for Homeland and Weeds….Design and animation studio Buster has named Joseph Kiely as executive creative director for motion graphics, and Neville Burtis as exec creative director of the agency’s print, outdoor and digital division, BusterINK. Both staffers report to Buster’s CCO/executive producer Jonas Morganstein. Buster’s parent company is Stun Creative, which is headed by principals Brad Roth and Mark Feldstein….
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