Meet Catie Loth | Creative Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catie Loth and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catie, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
Hi, let me introduce myself! My name is Catie, but my family and friends back home know me as Catharia. I am originally from Germany, and although I have always been fascinated by America, my upbringing and the German culture have influenced me a lot.

Growing up, I have always been creative and found different ways to express myself: arts and crafts, creative writing, dancing, you name it – and then I discovered my passion for film. For a long time, I didn’t think a career in the arts was really an option. Everyone in my family was very business oriented, and the German culture had taught me to be smart and provident. You take the safe path, the most promising career option, which provides a steady income far into the future.

I believed this, too. Film had become a hobby. Now it was time to make smart decisions for the future. This changed when I moved to the USA, where I realized that film can be a career. As obvious as it may be to some, I didn’t fully believe that my passion for film could be my career. Yes, it is riskier, but now I know it will be worth it.

So I got a film degree in Germany – because as the German that I am, I still have to have a degree and a backup plan- and moved to Los Angeles to start networking and bring my knowledge to America. Coming here allowed me to try anything I wanted without judgment or expectations. I worked as an actress, as a model, and started writing screenplays – and I enjoyed all of it.

However, I realized, that as much as I need creativity, I also am the organized, business-minded German stereotype that grew up in a house full of business owners. I had to experience both worlds in order to combine my German pragmatic brain with my free-spirited LA creativity. Now I can embrace both parts as a creative film producer. I love taking responsibility and overseeing the business elements of a film production just as much as collaborating with artists on screenplays and film sets.

My parents have always supported me and allowed me to take risks to find a path that makes me happy. But they have also affected my life choices so much by teaching me their values and how to become a reliable, hardworking, and ambitious person. I believe anyone who has left their home country knows the tremendous effect that our homes and cultures have on who we are and the life we want to live. My experiences in America and my upbringing in Germany have made me who I am today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a creative producer, but it took me a long way to figure out that this is what I want to do. And I still think that these job titles are too limiting. They put you in a box that doesn’t fully acknowledge all the things you can do. I produce narrative films and music videos, I write screenplays and treatments, and I act and collaborate with photographers as a model.

I started out working in all different kinds of departments on set. I was a PA, an AD, a props assistant, a unit production manager, and eventually a location manager. I enjoyed doing these jobs to get an overall understanding of the dynamics on set and learn about everyone’s responsibilities. But I couldn’t settle for one thing. So I tried it all to test my strengths – and fail a few times, too – until I learned what I wanted and what I was good at. This was very challenging because you have to be honest with yourself and allow yourself to fail, which is especially hard for me because I have extremely high expectations for myself.

Eventually, by not settling on one thing, I figured out what I wanted to do. As a creative producer, I work with writers, directors, and actors together. I can be a collaborator during the creative steps of the project, while I use my personal strengths to oversee and manage production. I still write screenplays and work as a model, because I love challenging myself and learning new skills. I believe that you will always gain valuable experiences and insights about yourself when you explore new activities.

In the creative industry, you can practice many skills at once, and I don’t believe that you have to limit yourself by doing just one thing. Try it all to find what makes you happy!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is a great question because my best friend lives in Germany and doesn’t get to hang out with me in LA. Shortly after I had moved to LA, she visited me, so I could show her my new home. However, now that I have lived here for almost two years, I know the city so much better and found lots of new fun places I would show her. My favorite neighborhood is West Hollywood. I would take her to all my favorite coffee shops and show her some good Iced Coffees and Matcha Lattes at Alfred’s on Melrose, Verve, and La La Land Cafe. My favorite restaurants for brunch or dinner hands down are Great White, Nic’s on Beverly, and Laurel Hardware. If we don’t wanna overpay for cocktails and beers there, we stop by Barney’s Beanery afterward for karaoke night. (Trust me, Germans are not ready to pay LA prices for beer so that’s the #1 spot for us!)
I am not a big fan of the LA club scene because I don’t like the whole concept of promoters. Therefore, I would take her to the Abby on the first Sunday of the month. My dear friend Carter Ray hosts Heavenly Bodies at the Abby to celebrate trans people – that’s where we’re going! And if we want to have a more relaxed night, we’d go to the Griffith Observatory to relive the iconic scenes from LaLaLand and watch the stars all night. I also love to hike the short trail up there.
Since we’re both in love with the beauty of America’s National parks, we have to leave LA for a short trip to Yosemite or Sequoia National Park and recharge in nature before she leaves.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I could and probably should accredit countless movies for growing my passion for filmmaking. Too many to name here. Therefore, I will focus on the people that got me here. Firstly, my parents deserve the most recognition for supporting me unconditionally and allowing me to figure out what I want to do and try new things, even when they are risky – even though they don’t know nor understand the film industry at all.
Secondly, I want to acknowledge the encouragement and mentorship of my American mom. Lindsey was my host mom when I first moved to Chicago as an AuPair. She taught me confidence in my dreams and showed me that it was okay to pursue my creative desires. Because of her, I took my first film classes at Northwestern University which lead me to pursue a career in film.

Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13505543/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catieloth/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catharina-loth062739/

Image Credits
Andrew Burns @andrewb.photography_ Bird Vincent @birdtaylorvincent Justin Varian Jackson @varianvisuals