Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Geoff Ross of Underwood Hills / Buckhead

We recently had the chance to connect with Geoff Ross and have shared our conversation below.

Geoff, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I wake up around 7:00 AM (or at least that’s what I tell myself), I brush my teeth, get dressed, and take several supplements, which the internet told me will extend my life but are probably just placebos. I then put in my ear buds and throw on one of several comedy podcasts I listen to on a weekly basis; WTF with Marc Maron, Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast, or Good Hang with Amy Poehler.

It is now time to head down stairs to the kitchen where I prepare my freshly ground pour-over coffee and daily omelet with an air of pretentiousness which amasses a faint groan that can be heard through the ether. Once I am done eating and all I have left is the rest of my painstakingly, hand-made coffee, it is in this moment of solitude that I take time to read my horoscope (yes, my horoscope), and write down three things I am grateful for and three intentions I have for that day. This was a practice suggested by a friend, which I believe helps put oneself in a more positive and productive mindset.

Once my coffee is done (as you can see I schedule a lot of my morning around my coffee), I head back upstairs to make my bed, which, though it may seem minor, I believe is a daily practice that helps start the day on a mindful, productive note, and head to my computer in the basement. It is now finally time to catch up on work, both professional and personal.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I specialize in 2D animation with a proficiency in Adobe After Effects and Toon Boom Harmony. Thanks to this knowledge and experience, I have been able to apply certain concepts to other parts of the pipeline, such as character rigging. With my diverse background, spanning from video editing and producing to motion graphics and animation, I have been able to pursue more leadership roles, guiding others through various production pipelines.

I am currently a creative lead with The Sketch Effect where I have creative authority on the production of B2B animated videos. Previously, I ended off as a lead 2D animator with Floyd County Productions where I have worked on various film and television projects, most notably the FXX animated series, ‘Archer’. It was here that I also worked on the Netflix film, ‘America: The Motion Picture’, season one of Marvel’s ‘Hit-Monkey’, and more. While earning my Master of Fine Arts Degree in animation from Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, GA, I have worked as an motion graphics artist for Going Interactive, Inc., a freelance clean-up animator for Secret Sauce Studios, and a freelance production assistant with Everyday Health Group.

Speaking of Everyday Health Group, before going back to graduate school for animation, I worked as a full-time production assistant on the Dr. Sanjay Gupta production team with this company. I was fortunate enough to continue to be hired on a freelance basis once going back to school as he is based in Atlanta. I got my start as a production assistant for Platinum Platypus, Inc., which was one of the first stepping stones into all I have accomplished. While earning my undergraduate degree from the University at Buffalo, majoring in Media Study-Production, I interned and volunteered with the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in New York City.

In my spare time, my creative outlet has been writing comedic television pitches and scripts. Pursuing leadership roles has allowed me to gain a new insight into animated productions as a whole, and writing has allowed me to truly create something unique beginning from inception. I consider myself a comedy nerd and have always had a tendency to lean in that direction with my work. I’ve even earned interest in one of my pitches from producers in the past. During the pandemic, I submitted 48 cartoons to The New Yorker. None were accepted, but it was a fun, worthwhile experience nonetheless. It taught me a lot about where I should be focusing my creative efforts. I continue to educate and immerse myself in the worlds of animation and comedy, looking for new, creative ways to incorporate both into what I produce.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The relationship(s) that most shaped how I see myself were those with my grandparents. The unfortunately brief relationship I had with my grandfather on my father’s side, was the one that initially pushed me toward the arts. I only knew him until around the age of five or six. Despite the hardship he went through, fighting in WWII and losing both of his legs to diabetes, his passion for the arts never withered. I remember going to his house in Queens, NY as a child, staring in awe at his countless paintings. It was from this brief, yet consistent exposure to his talent and passion that I knew this was where I wanted to lend my focus.

I knew my grandmother on my mother’s side for most of my life until her passing in 2019. She was a strong-willed independent woman, who loved nothing more than to catch up with friends and family. Though stubborn at times, even when her body was failing her, her mind was still as quick as it always was. I believe this was due to her love of reading. She would read non-stop and was always willing to learn something new. As a result of this attitude, she was able to stay open-minded well into her old age and stand by what she believed in.

Even though my grandparents are no longer around, and I only ever knew two of them growing up, the impression they left on me is something I hope to last the rest of my lifetime and pass onto future generations. I wouldn’t have achieved all I have today without my family either. Their constant support throughout my life has given me the confidence to continuously take on new challenges and aim for my goals.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
To be perfectly honest, I am currently in a place where the urge to give up on my career goals is quite strong. I knew that going into the animation/entertainment industry was never going to be easy. No job is guaranteed to last and the criticism and rejection is endless. At the moment, the entire industry is struggling due to the introduction of artificial intelligence, strikes, streaming, the list goes on. I watch my colleagues acquire interviews and accept job offers, while I continue to search for consistent work. At what point does the straw break the camel’s back and I call it quits? Speaking of backs, I’ve also been experiencing a lot of back pain lately probably due to stress, but that’s beside the point.

This is nothing new, however. I have had similar experiences back when I graduated college and grad school, when I was let go from jobs for lack of work, or when the show I was working on ended. Unfortunately, this is a spot I am all too familiar with. What got me out of the slippery slope of self-pity was working on myself. This doesn’t always look like one thing. This can be anything from creating art for myself, writing for myself, or even just exercising regularly, which I have always done regardless (and most likely how I hurt my back). By doing this, I have been able to creatively explore and express my emotions while creating something that didn’t exist before.

In a way, I guess I am even using this publication to help get me out of a bit of a rut. In the same fashion that my grandparents never let environmental hardships challenge their perspective or their passion, it is important that I follow in their footsteps. Whether through art, writing, exercise, or any new hobby obsession (coffee brewing), the way in which these methods have inspired me not to give up in the past, I hope the same for someone else in the future.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
I don’t believe fads and foundational shifts are mutually exclusive. What can often blow up and be seen as a fad initially, may change how society functions in the long term even after the specific fad has faded away. The best current example of this I can think of is artificial intelligence. Before tackling this controversial issue, we should take a look at technological history.

The most potent example of a past fad that became a foundational shift within my lifetime, was the introduction of the music sharing software, Napster. It only lasted from 1999 until 2002, but during this short span of time, it angered many artists, acquired millions of users, and made the way society consumes music more readily accessible. It paved the way for other music sharing programs such as Limewire and Morpheus. Eventually, this method of consuming music would transform into today’s streaming through Apple Music and Spotify, thus revolutionizing the music industry. What started out as lawsuits against piracy, eventually turned into a more efficient way of listening. Unfortunately, this has also hurt sale of physical media.

This is the example I use whenever someone asks my opinion on artificial intelligence. It has angered many artists by referencing their existing work, already acquired millions of users, and made the way society consumes and produces information and art more readily accessible. More and more variations of generative A.I. continue to pop up as well. Though it may seem like a fad now that people are using in an inappropriate manner, I believe that years from now it will ultimately change the way we function as a society, whether the current forms of A.I. still exist or not.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What will you regret not doing? 
“What will you regret not doing” is a question I ask myself a lot, especially when faced with a risky decision. It has helped me move forward in my career. Despite the fact that the animation industry can be tough at times, particularly now, I could not be more grateful for the experiences I have had so far. I believe that the choice to go back to school to focus on animation was the first major turning point in achieving my goals. Had I not done that, I would have never met the amazing people at Floyd County Productions, amongst other incredibly talented artists, with whom I would continue to work with. Had I not taken the risk of moving back to Atlanta from New York in order to work with F.C.P. even though I was only guaranteed nine months of work at the time, I would have never spent the following five and a half years working on life-changing projects in both TV and film.

I am grateful for the experiences that haven’t quite worked out the way I thought as well. Every now and then, you will be presented with an opportunity that may feel “above your pay grade”, but it is something you can’t say no to. There are a few times I can think of where this was the case for me. While I ignored my gut telling me to head in the other direction, I couldn’t help myself from wondering what was on the other side of me saying “yes” anyway. As you can probably guess, and without out revealing too much, these experiences didn’t go as planned. Despite some disappointment, looking back on these times still places in me in shock that I can even say I did it. Like anything else, they become learning experiences, which I believe can only be acquired by taking risks and asking yourself everyday, “what will I regret not doing?”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.geoffrossanimation.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grosstoons/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grross/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/grossproductions

Image Credits
Adam Gambrel
Geoff Ross