Open Swim Launches Casting Division, Lotis Bloom

​Open Swim launches in-house casting division, Lotis Bloom, along with new titles for creative talent manager Kathryn Lotis and producer Nate Bloom.

The division expands Kathryn’s existing role within the company, where she has been instrumental in curating creative teams by matching directors, editors and creative talent to projects. She continues to work alongside executive producer Amyliz Pera and now jointly oversees casting operations with Bloom acting as producer.

“We have some lovely relationships with casting directors, but not every project is suited to a traditional approach,” explains Amyliz. “With budgets where they are currently and the frequent need for story mining and casting outside of the usual talent pools, it’s been valuable to have someone on staff who can be a point of consistent contact and react over time. This both protects the budget and guarantees the quality of communication.”

Recent casting projects include a campaign for Empower, which involved casting real community members and bank employees across Buffalo and Syracuse for commercial, print and social assets. For StriVectin, the team cast long-term participants across channels to track product use over time, while their campaign for Nutrafol had a casting need for real barbers. Most recently, for Centivo, they were tasked with scouting real salons, stylists and their clients, all based in Milwaukee.

“In addition to casting, we rely on Kathryn to help us build teams from our growing pool for each project we do,” shares founder and director/editor Bradley J. Ross. “Honestly matching directors - not out of roster obligation, but because we believe in the fit - is a core part of our philosophy. It’s a balancing act that takes some objectivity, especially since trying new ideas and techniques are inherent in the creative process. In a climate where funders are wary of risk, we have to build trust while we stretch ourselves.”

Kathryn got her start in the business as a performing artist. She landed jobs with a casting agency and radio station to further explore aspects of the industry, meanwhile showcasing her talents in everything from animated MTV episodes to National Anthem soloist for the NY Mets. She worked for audio house Planet V, and later with film production company Twist as part of their director talent management team. She also taught drama and dance classes throughout New York and New Jersey. More recently, she reunited with Twist alums Amyliz and Bradley as Open Swim’s director of sales. Her role quickly evolved to leverage her skill with sourcing and building talent, which supports the company’s collective model. In addition, she works with their producer, Nate Bloom, to run a new, internal casting division - Lotis Bloom - where her many skills from improv acting to talent match-making are put to use.

"I grew up acting and always had an interest in casting,” shares Kathryn. “I had one conversation with Amyliz and next thing I knew, she was calling me to cast a project for Open Swim! It truly has been magical being a part of a team that believes in you and makes dreams happen. If I told them I wanted to be an airline pilot, I kind of think they would make that happen, too. By the way, that was a joke. I don't want to be an airline pilot."

Producer and former mechanic Nate Bloom got his start in the industry by working on complex car needs for two feature films, produced by Open Swim founder Bradley J. Ross. The two quickly bonded over a shared interest in blockchain technology, and shortly after, Nate officially joined the team as chief blockchain officer, helping lead NFT and Web3 initiatives. As the founder of the Non-Refungible Network (NRN), he built a community of 12,000 Followers and produced 90 Podcast episodes covering the evolving digital space. Over time, Nate’s role expanded to touch nearly every corner of the company, from postproduction to casting and creative development. Now a full-time producer, Nate works closely with creative talent manager Kathryn Lotis to run Open Swim’s new, in-house casting division, Lotis Bloom.

“I felt an instant connection to this team,” concludes Nate.“ It’s like a family that keeps growing. From road trips to retreats. We’ve been through a lot together. It’s not only fun working together, but it's this kinship that creates a work environment that really brings out the best of everyone.”