Seth Reeder is transforming passion into purpose through his journey in film and music
Long Beach native Seth Reeder was 13 years old when he and his friends were filming
a skateboarding video in a church parking lot. When the pastor emerged, Seth braced
himself for trouble. Instead, the pastor encouraged the boys to pursue their passion
for filming. Seth later learned that the pastor owned a production company that filmed
police videos for the city of Long Beach. The pastor took the time to teach him the
basics of film editing. Inspired by this mentorship, Seth went on to work on community
projects, including a documentary aimed at saving his middle school librarian’s job
from budget cuts.
Seth attended Renaissance High School for the Arts, where he learned the fundamentals of broadcast production. He also dabbled in music recording and created his first album with fellow students through an after-school program. During high school, he gained professional experience in film through internships and on-set opportunities. He was hired by the Long Beach Unified School District and the Long Beach Community Action Partnership’s TV station, “PADNET”. Additionally, he worked on a contract basis for Sony and Red Bull. By the age of 17, Seth had amassed extensive experience in the film industry, serving as a camera operator, audio engineer, and director for both recorded and live broadcasts.
After high school, Seth attended a local college and majored in film. He quickly realized that much of the material covered in his film classes was already familiar to him. Feeling burnt out, Seth took a semester off to play in various bands around Long Beach and began recording his solo album. He poured his heart and soul into the project, but ultimately felt it wasn’t ready for release.
Seth realized he had many untapped areas to explore in music, so he visited Cerritos College to speak with a counselor about studying the subject. The counselor recommended that Seth meet with Commercial Music Professor Andrew Maz. When he entered Maz's classroom and saw the array of advanced recording equipment and musical instruments, he felt a strong sense that this was the right place for him. Motivated by the experience, he decided to sign up for summer sessions that same day.
Seth's journey in commercial music began with his first piano class, where he discovered a shared excitement for music with the student sitting next to him, Frank Cervantes. The two quickly became friends and decided to take music fundamentals classes together. They later met another student, Frank Seymour, and the three of them formed a close bond as they navigated the challenges of their rigorous program. Out of an initial group of 45 students, only twelve, including Seth, Frank Cervantes, and Frank Seymour, ultimately graduated. In 2019, while attending Cerritos College, Seth started forming the early iterations of his company, Collective Visions.
During his time at Cerritos College, Seth worked as a lab assistant for Professor Maz. He helped mix and set up all theatre and live shows, assisted in classes, ran lab sessions, and tutored fellow students. Eager to learn and master his skills, Seth valued the lessons in grit and professionalism that Professor Maz instilled in him. He graduated from Cerritos College in 2020 and then transferred to California State University, Dominguez Hills, to further his studies in audio engineering. Upon transferring, Seth realized that he had already learned many of the topics covered in his new program thanks to Professor Maz. “Maz overprepared me,” Seth laughs. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 2023. Their business, Collective Visions, not only survived the pandemic but also became an established LLC that same year. In 2024, Frank Cervantes and Frank Seymour partnered with Seth to further develop Collective Visions into a resource for artists seeking development in their music production, songwriting, marketing, and business skills.
Seth actively seeks out opportunities to give back to the community. He has welcomed interns from the Cerritos College Commercial Music Program, offering them valuable real-world experience. Seth continues to seek opportunities to further his education. He has been mentored by audio engineers who have worked on projects with artists such as Herbie Hancock and Rage Against the Machine, among others. His company has provided DJ and audio services for various Student Life events and Senior Preview Day on campus. Seth's goal is to grow his business while making a positive impact in the music industry. "Our mission is to help artists build strong portfolios and secure better deals in the music industry while protecting their assets," said Seth.
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