Nate Bloom has been brought on board production company Open Swim as full-time chief blockchain officer. Bloom and Open Swim founder Bradley Ross are no strangers in collaboration as they have previously worked together to build what has become Open Swim’s digital portfolio. Together they have tracked and invested in emerging properties, as well as curated over 50 NFTs from collections including Bored Ape Yacht Club, Doodles, World of Women, Cool Cats and Gutter Cat Gang. Bloom’s responsibilities as chief blockchain officer will include guiding interested partners in development to their own properties, relationships, sponsorships and fundraising.
A former car lover turned NFT connoisseur, Bloom formed his passion for all things technical working as an automotive technician for the first 16 years of his career — a skill set that came in handy when the wiring in both hero vehicles failed the day before production began on Centigrade, a film produced by Ross and released in the fall of 2020. Bloom’s first interaction with NFT’s came from digital NBA trading cards and as he continued to explore and develop his knowledge in the metaverse, it soon became his newfound home, career and community. While still working as a mechanic, Bloom and a group of friends formed a community for NFT enthusiasts called the “Non-Refungible Network” that has continued to thrive featuring content including podcasts, blog posts, videos, Discord chats, Instagram and Twitter spaces all revolving around the education of NFT’s.
“Nate has earned clout and recognition for his sharp, innovative mind in the digital properties space and is the perfect fit to shepherd web3 opportunities into the film and advertising world,” commented Ross. “This aligns with Open Swim’s mission to bring perspectives together in a non-linear way and enable creative strategies in filmmaking and storytelling.”
“We’re creating a department that will use tools like virtual land, decentralized finance, NFT curation, and crypto currencies for film financing and storytelling,” shared Open Swim’s EP Amyliz Pera. “On every set, we end up engaging in conversation about possible ways to partner with our clients in the emerging properties space. So with Nate on staff full time, we will have a dedicated expert on set with us to address those questions and help actualize ideas.”
“I already have a busy schedule of meetings with clients at Open Swim — from startups to agencies,” said Bloom. “There is definitely a need for expertise in this industry when it comes to advising and birthing projects. I’m super excited to be a part of the team and looking forward to contributing to the creative voices already on board.”