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    Dir. Rick Levine Takes “Next” Company Step

    By SHOOT StaffUpdated:No Comments2003 Views

    By KATHY DeSALVO

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    At press time, veteran commercial director Rick Levine was slated to align his New York-headquartered Rick Levine Productions with a shop being launched by his longtime executive producer Pamela Rohs and bicoastal OneSuch Films.

    The new company, Next, will operate as a satellite of OneSuch, said Rohs, who added that Next will be signing on additional directors in the next month or two. Besides her Next duties, Rohs will continue to executive produce for Levine.

    Observing that Rick Levine Productions will effectively be "a satellite within a satellite," Rohs said, "Business is funny these days; it’s hard to keep track without a scorecard."

    A director for nearly 30 years, Levine opened his production house in ’72. From 1980-’84, he headlined production company Levine/Pytka with director Joe Pytka, now at PYTKA, Venice, Calif. In ’84, Levine returned to having his own company.

    Levine has received dozens of accolades for his work. He was named best commercial director of ’81 and ’87 by the Directors Guild of America, and his work has won at such competitions as the Cannes International Advertising Festival, earning Lions as well as its Grand Prix. His spots have also been honored at such competitions as the Clios, the One Show, the Andy Awards, Mobius Awards and International Broadcasting Awards.

    The Next move by Levine also figured in the closure last week of the New York production office of 1/33 Productions, which continues to operate in Santa Monica. David Lasseron, 1/33 principal/executive producer, related that after Levine’s relationship with 1/33 ended, it wasn’t cost efficient for the company to continue to maintain its large-scale Manhattan space. Rick Levine Productions had been affiliated with 1/33 for the last four years (SHOOT, 11/24/95, p.1).

    "The company [1/33] is still doing very, very well," said Lasseron. "All the other directors are based out of Los Angeles, so what is the point of having big overhead and a big office space that is empty. If we need to go and shoot in New York, we’ll go and shoot with some friends of ours." The 1/33 directorial roster consists of Martin Bell, Mark Bennett, James Dalthorp and Olivier Venturini.

    New York-based 1/33 principal/executive producer Chris Meltesen continues at the company; he is now working out of a smaller Manhattan office, said Lasseron.

    Category:News



    AICP’s Matt Miller Looks To Build Support For Production In L.A. After Devastating Wildfires

    Friday, January 17, 2025

    Editor’s note: AICP president and CEO Matt Miller issued the following statement addressing the wildfires in Los Angeles and how the industry can help this key production market--a hub of major resources essential to the health of the overall commercialmaking industry:

    Who Needs Los Angeles? We Do.
    By Matt Miller, AICP president and CEO

    One doesn’t have to be a statistician to know that there are fewer commercials being shot in the U.S. today for the American market than ever before, and a dramatic decrease in L.A. in particular. In the last five years, as reported by FilmLA (the office tasked with issuing permits), L.A. commercial production has dipped 31 percent.

    But here’s the thing: This doesn’t mean that L.A. has lost its importance as the production center of the world. Production in L.A. is vital. It is the go-to. It’s where you can count on access to exemplary crews, a support infrastructure second to none, varied location and backlot options, a large population of on-screen talent and (fairly) predictable weather.

    The fact is, with overall decline and now the devastation of the fires, we’re on the brink of losing this mainstay resource. Without employment opportunities and now many without homes, talented and trained crew are bound to leave either the industry or the L.A. area for other opportunities, unless there are enough job opportunities to sustain a solid living.

    Now is the time when we ALL must support and bolster this community.

    Production is needed in L.A., now!

    Of course, advertising is a business, and marketers’ money should be spent as efficiently as possible, BUT we have to think beyond each production and know that if we lose the... Read More

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