McCartney Times

Simon Weitzman is a highly experienced and versatile network television director, producer, author, and artist whose career spans more than 35 years. Born in London and trained at the Bournemouth School of Film and Television, he has built a distinctive body of work across broadcast TV, feature documentaries, publishing, and visual art, with directing credits for BBC, HBO, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky, Malaysian TV, and Disney.

In recent years, Simon has become a key creative voice in Beatles-related and music-history filmmaking. He directed the feature documentary “Miss O’Dell,” telling the story of Chris O’Dell, the insider who moved from Beatles PA to tour manager for rock’s biggest bands, weaving rare archival footage with new interviews featuring Pattie Boyd, Peter Asher CBE, Bob Harris OBE, Kevin Harrington and historian Mark Lewisohn.

Simon is also the creator and director of “A Love Letter To The Beatles,” described as a film made by fans, for fans, across the universe. Produced with Liverpool West Productions and David L. Simon, the feature brings together voices from global Beatles fandom — including Bob Harris OBE, Laurence Juber, Rod Davis, Julia Baird, Gary Evans, Andrew Edwards, Angie and Ruth McCartney and many more — filmed at iconic locations such as The Cavern Club, International Beatles Week, The Casbah Coffee Club, Strawberry Field and The Fest For Beatles Fans. The film celebrates the community, gratitude and creativity The Beatles continue to inspire more than 60 years on.

Alongside these releases, Simon is directing and producing a slate of music and culture documentaries, including a feature on International Beatles Week, a film on acclaimed airbrush artist Shannon MacDonald, “Evolver:62” built around Beatles expert Mark Lewisohn’s stage show, and a series on science-fiction author Alan Dean Foster. He has also mentored and produced the directorial debut of nature photographer Oliver Hellowell, a filmmaker with Down Syndrome, for the festival circuit and potential TV broadcast.

Earlier in his career, Simon worked extensively in network television, directing popular and often cult programmes such as “Eurotrash” (Channel 4), “Yanky Panky” (Sky), “Chrome Icons” (HBO), “Vintage Morris” and “American Affair” (ITV), “Animal Magic” (BBC), “Keeper’s Capers with Johnny Morris” (Channel 4), “Tiny & Crew” (The Children’s Channel), as well as “Disney Time” and Disney specials. He also directed the independent film “The Raymond Revuebar” and numerous music videos for artists including Erasure, Level 42, Incognito and The Only Ones, and worked as a cameraman on iconic videos for Depeche Mode and Duran Duran. He has also directed short features for BBC1’s “The One Show” on topics including autism, Down Syndrome and lost Beatles footage.

As an author and publisher, Simon has co-created acclaimed, design-led music titles with Paul Skellett, including “8 Arms To Hold You,” “All You Need Is Love,” “The Mad Day Out with Tom Murray” and “The Beatles in 3D,” which together have sold more than 18,000 copies. He also wrote “The Bible of Golf,” selected by the University of St Andrews for its special collections in celebration of 600 years of the university and the game. Earlier, represented by Peters Fraser & Dunlop, he wrote short stories that were optioned by major studios and went on to inspire the films “Event Horizon” and “Bad Santa.”

Simon’s creativity extends into sculptural art and social impact. He produces giant sculptures from recycled materials — bikes, pianos, guitars and more — for charitable causes associated with artists such as Slash and Elton John, with works displayed in high-profile London locations. He is an endorsed artist with the Lewis Carroll Society and collaborates with sculptor Andrew Edwards on literary-inspired projects. Deeply committed to inclusion, he supports people with disabilities in achieving their creative goals, runs a Community Interest Company that brings live music into care homes, and organizes an annual concert for Vicky McClure’s Our Dementia Choir at The Cavern Club in Liverpool.

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