BROOKLYN, NY — Director/editor Bradley Ross has launched Open Swim (https://openswim.com), a new, full-service production company that operates with creative continuity at its core. Ross, who was formerly president of Manhattan Productions, believes that projects are best served when creative perspectives come together in a nonlinear way. He is teaming up with executive producer Amyliz Pera to develop rich, emotive content.
Photo (L-R): Ross and Pera
“AZ [Pera] is a multi-faceted talent,” says Ross. “She not only can outsmart any challenge, but has transformed our culture both internally and externally to establish humanity and kindness in the rigid world of production. It’s something that is so important and often gets overlooked. She was actually my first boss who I learned from 18 years ago, and I’m still learning from her every day.”
Open Swim’s approach is already being applied to multiple projects that are currently underway, including comedy and lifestyle spots for electrical equipment company Brother; interviews and product showcasing for pharmaceutical brand Skyrizi; and creative direction on a new campaign for the hair supplement brand, Nutrafol. A project for pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk will be their latest focus, powering them through the first half of the new year.
“Bradley always had a holistic way of executing projects, and now he has cultivated a company where everyone is treated as a maker, and where no one is siloed in the process,” explains Pera. “I’ve worked with a lot of directors over the past 30 years, and Bradley has that thing — you know it when you find it. He is charismatic, assiduous, and unafraid.”
In addition to work on branded content, Open Swim has two feature films in development. Ross is no stranger to the feature world, having worked on director Brendan Walsh’s Centigrade, which launched in August of 2020. Upcoming projects include a film starring Edie Falco (The Sopranos, Nurse Betty, Oz), and Homesick, a survivalist journey seen through the eyes of an 11 year-old.