CRMS Launches Seth Cobb ’99 into Animation Career

Seth’s work appears in dozens of films including Top Gun: Maverick, Bladerunner 2049, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Divergent

Hometown: Meeker, CO
Currently Residing In: Larkspur, CO
Education: Savannah College of Art and Design with a BA in Computer Art

Occupation: After college, I worked for a small animation studio as part of Fox ABC doing on-air graphics. I currently work for Blur Animation Studio doing their visual effects and computer animation in 3D modeling. I continue to do a variety of projects, recently video game trailers such as Love, Death and Robots, Edge of Tomorrow (2014), and Divergent (2014). You can see more of my work at http://seth3d.com/about.

What’s the most rewarding part of your work?
I just love being able to have fun doing art and get paid for it. My job is doing what I love and having ownership in what I create. Being an artist in an industry that is constantly evolving and changing provides a ton of creative opportunities which is really fulfilling. A past large project I worked on was the movie “Top Gun: Maverick.” I was the computer graphics supervisor for that film.

How did CRMS play a role in your professional, personal, or community life?
When I was a boy I saw the movie Aladdin. There was one particular scene that inspired me and I knew at that moment I wanted to become an animator and specialize in art. 

My father worked doing river management on a property near the White Water forest for a wealthy New York banker named Henry Cravis. Henry had many employees and he paid for all their children to go to high school and college. His generosity made it possible for both my sisters and myself to attend CRMS, which was a massive change in my life and a huge influence on what I chose to pursue as a career. 

My art teacher Lynn Pulford’s interest and encouragement in photography and art really solidified my idea of becoming an animator. She gave me the inspiration that perhaps I really could make art a profession so I continued to pursue it. The ceramics teacher was also a wonderful, supportive influence and I remember painting the interior walls of the Adobe in one of his classes. 

Being at CRMS taught me how to learn and why learning is so important. It taught me that learning never ends and to keep going after it, to value a good education. If I hadn’t been at CRMS I would’ve been doing a very different career such as ranching. I also remember taking a CRMS fly fishing trip to my father’s work to learn about water quality, river conservation and fly fishing. The adventures and outdoor experiences I had as a student really made a difference in how I felt about learning.

What advice would you give current CRMS students?
I would ask current CRMS students to have a greater appreciation of what their CRMS education is giving them. Really hold onto the love of the outdoors and let it grow within you forever.

What’s been a highlight since graduating?
Having a family and becoming a father is so life-changing and a true highlight. I have an 8-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter. Being a parent makes you a whole different person in a good way.

What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on a top-secret video game trailer and a TV show for a big company. I can’t give any details till the release but it’s really exciting work and I’m enjoying it a lot.