Alumni Spotlight — Seth Piguet

Seth Piguet, BADAS’16, is a Video Production Engineer for True Fire, an online guitar-lesson company that works with world-renowned guitarists. As a working multimedia artist since 1999, Seth began in computer animation and his career allowed him to work creatively in multiple fields including corporate and broadcast video production, live event video, post-production & visual effects. The Digital Worlds Institute helped him explore new ways to connect digital sciences with art and step back into his professional career.

Seth was one of the Digital Worlds Institute online students. He finished his degree while working a full-time job. However, that did not stop him from being active in the University and meeting his fellow online students. He says one of his favorite memories is a class trip to EA Sports in Orlando to learn about 3D modeling, animation, and gaming “ utilize your professors’ office hours, and really go after those mentorships” says Seth, “ I found that my professors knew a lot beyond the class topics.”

In what ways did your digital arts and sciences experience prepare you for your career?

Well, before Digital Worlds, I actually went to another school, for animation. I started my career, and then came back to finish my bachelor’s degree at Digital Worlds in the Digital Arts and Sciences program. Getting back into that academic mindset and exploring new ways to connect digital science with art — you know, to be technically-minded but also connected with the arts and with using new tools — helped me move forward mentally and in my career, both in terms of what I could create and in how it gave me a bunch of new perspectives. A lot of times you get stuck in a rut, and it was great to speak to new professors, see new students who were, well, a lot younger than I was, and just kind of be rejuvenated.

What’s your current career?

Currently, I work at a company called True Fire. We work with world-renowned guitarists, and we produce online guitar-lesson videos. It’s pretty cool.

What are some of your favorite memories from when you were in the program?

I was online there, which was great for me because I had a full-time job. Initially, I was kind of doing it on the side, so I had the flexibility to do it remotely, without being in Gainesville. And there was a good group of people who were online. I actually made some great connections with those people and have maintained a relationship with them since I graduated in 2016. So that was a good part. I also certainly relish the times that I got to visit Florida and visit the campus. It was a neat thing for me, as an online student who had not seen Digital Worlds except through a screen, to ultimately sit in those rooms and get to meet in person the professors and students I was going through this journey with.

Another thing was, we did take a kind of class trip to EA Sports in Orlando, for those who were interested in 3D modeling and animation and gaming. So I got to meet a lot of my fellow students on that field trip. It was cool that the school could arrange that.

What advice would you give to current students?

I would say, utilize your professors’ office hours, and really go after those mentorships. I found that my professors knew a lot beyond the class topics. In college, office hours are kind of positioned as being for when you’re having trouble. But really, it’s time that you should be able to take advantage of to build relationships with your professors because those can continue once you leave school and lead to opportunities that can help you in your career.