Peter Levelle
| Peter Levelle | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4th May 1941 |
| 💼 Occupation | British Producer & Director |
| 📆 Years active | 1964 - 2000 |
Peter Levelle (born 4th May 1941) is an advertising commercial producer and director who also contributed to the business in the wider context.[1][2]. He retired in 2000 having worked on over 400 productions.[3][4] King’s College School Wimbledon has played an important part in his life.
Early Years
Levelle grew up in Torquay, Devon (a safe haven in 1941 as the maternal home in South London was enduring the Blitz). The only son in a single-parent family after his parents’ early divorce, he was given a grant to board at Queen Elizabeth’s School Crediton, Devon – an outstanding country Grammar School. Head Boy in 1958, in 1959 he was awarded a Devon County Major Scholarship to read aeronautical engineering at Queen Mary College, University of London. The degree course choice was a mistake and he resigned at the end of the first year.
Career
- 1964 - Charles Hobson & Grey Advertising: trainee (messenger production department)
- 1966 - Account executive Clarks Children’s Shoes account
- 1967 - Left Charles Hobson & Grey to pursue a career in film production
Film producer
In 1977, on the recommendation of film director Alan Parker, London advertising agency Collett Dickenson and Pearce’s managing director Frank Lowe invited Levelle to head its TV Production Department. At that time CDP was indisputably the most creative and successful agency in Britain, if not the world.
- 1967 - Junior Producer – Michael Law Associates
- 1969 - Producer – Gerry Poulson & Associates
- 1970 - Managing Director – Rose Magwood Productions[5]
- 1972 - Founded his own film production company: Picture Palace Productions
- 1977 – Collett Dickenson Pearce (CDP) as Head of TV Production
Film director
Levelle directed technically challenging projects, famous actors, “real people” and celebrities (Vauxhall Astra Red Arrows [6], Hertz Car Rental The Two Ronnies - Weekend [7], The Economist Henry Kissinger[8][9] . His sense of humour, social awareness and storytelling ability is best portrayed in Condor Pipe Tobacco Submarine [10].
1979 - First of several “in-house” projects at CDP through Beechurst Film Productions - his personal company set up in 1978.
1982 - Left CDP to open Beechurst’s studio in Bloomsbury – director colleagues later included Michael Apted, Joe Sedelmaier, Vadim Jean and photographer Jack Bankhead.
1983 - As a favour to CDP’s Italian partner, he directed The Ambassador’s Reception [11] for Ferrero Rocher. It was dubbed into English several years later and embarrassingly shown on British TV to be greeted with derision from the creative establishment and (unofficially) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Nowadays, however, it is regularly referenced with affection.
2000 - Retired from Beechurst.
| Year | |
|---|---|
| 1973 | Vice-Chairman Advertising Film & Videotape Producers’ Association (AFVPA now APA) resigned 1977 |
| 1976 | Frustrated by the demise of the national awards for television advertising (TV Mail Awards) in 1974 Levelle created and personally funded the British Television Advertising Awards [12][13] (BTAA now British Arrows) with Tony Solomon, the support of the AFVPA and several major London advertising agencies, serving as vice-chairman until 2000. |
| 1979 | D&ADA Committee member (two year term) |
| 1983 | Founder Trustee Directors’ Guild of Great Britain (three year term) |
| 2000 | Chairman BTAA |
| 2004 | Retired |
Awards
| Organisation | Role | Years | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| TV Mail | Producer | 1971 | 1 Bronze |
| D&AD | Producer | 1978 - 82 | 3 Gold
1 Silver |
| BTAA | Producer | 1978 - 82 | 5 Gold
6 Silver 7 Bronze |
| BTAA | Director | 1979 – 97 | 2 Gold
3 Silver 5 Bronze |
Levelle is believed to be the only person to have won BTAA Gold, first as a producer, subsequently, a director.
INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING AWARDS
Numerous Cannes Lions[14][15], Eurobest and USA Clios[16]
Personal life
- 1980 - Levelle married his wife Liz and they have two sons: James (adventure filmmaker), Michael (advertising film producer)
- 1990 - Elected a Governor of King’s College School Wimbledon (KCS) - retired 2011
- 1996 - Elected Chairman Friends of KCS – retired 2006
- 2011 - Elected Honorary Fellow KCS
- 2012 - Appointed President Arthur Wellesley Society KCS[17]
References
- ↑ "History of Advertising Annual Report" (PDF). History of Advertising Annual Report 2017: 27. 2017.
- ↑ "Campaign Magazine". Campaign. 20 September 1983.
- ↑ "The History of Advertising Trust Archive - Peter Levelle". www.hatads.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-15. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Peter Levelle on BFI". BFI. Retrieved 2021-02-15. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Fates & Fortunes" (PDF). Broadcasting the Businessweekly of Television and Radio. Our 39th Year: 60. 29 December 1969.
- ↑ "Vauxhall Astra Red Arrows on The History of Advertising Trust Archive". www.hatads.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-15. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Hertz Car Rental The Two Ronnies - Weekend on The History of Advertising Trust Archive". www.hatads.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-15. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "NEWS: Ad debut for Kissinger in AMV Economist film". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
- ↑ "The British Television Advertising Awards 1997: Gold Awards - Newspapers and Publishing". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
- ↑ "TOBACCO'S FINEST BLEND: With the ban on advertising tobacco about to come into force ." www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
- ↑ "Why Being a Runner in Film and TV Is So Important". HuffPost UK. 2013-08-01. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
- ↑ "The BTAA Awards 2007: About BTAA". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
- ↑ "SUPPLEMENT: The British Television Advertising Awards 1996; 21 years of the BTAA". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
- ↑ "Cannes Lions Gold for Beechurst Film Productions". The Work. Retrieved 2021-02-15. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Classic: Cannes Lions winners 1954-2000 for CDP". The Work. Retrieved 2021-02-15. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "CONDOR PIPE TOBACCO: SUB {CLIO AWARDS, 1986 WINNERS REEL, U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL, PT. 2 OF 2}". www.paleycenter.org. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
- ↑ "ARTHUR WELLESLEY SOCIETY: PETER LEVELLE". www.kcs.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-15. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help)
Peter Levelle
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