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Cole Finn is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer, born and raised in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Growing up with a camera in his hands, he's been taking photos and creating short films since the fourth grade. 

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After relocating to Cheyenne, Wyoming during his high school years, Cole launched Crazy Cow Studios in 2017, a video-production team formed alongside frequent collaborators: Isaac Schmidt, Autumn Finn and Noah Roedel. Cole served as producer, director, writer and editor for the group's two award-winning suspense/thriller short films, GRIN (2017) and MIXED FEELINGS (2019). In their respective years, Mixed Feelings won Second Place & Best Actor (Roedel) and GRIN took home Best Picture at the Cheyenne Youth Short Film Festival.

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Cole also created the short film MALWARE (2018), which won Best Art Direction and Best Actor (Schmidt) at the CYSFF. MALWARE would go on to win an All-State Championship at WEST FEST (Wyoming State Theater) and participated in the 2019 STN Short Film Competition, held in Seattle. 

 

In 2018, he also expanded into freelance videography and photography, working with clientele on an individual basis. Since then, Cole has developed and worked on commercials, concert & theatrical recordings, weddings, as well as short form documentary. Cole also joined the board of the Cheyenne Youth Short Film Festival in 2020, where he continues to coordinate social media and marketing.

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Post high school, Cole attended Central Wyoming College, earning an Associate of Arts in Film. For his directorial final in the program, he created the award-winning short film CRIMSON IRIS (2021).

In another directorial final film, he acted alongside Michael Champion (Total Recall, Beverly Hills Cop). 

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Cole then returned to his home state to study Video Production at University of Wisconsin - Stout, graduating in 2024. During his time there, he formed FACELESS GRIN MEDIA with Isaac Schmidt in 2022, serving as the production handle for PAPER BOATS (2023) and his capstone short film 

G A S L I G H T E R (2024). Since 2023, he has also been heavily involved with the college-sponsored Unspooled Film and Animation Festival.

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While participating in Stout's Advertising Photography course in 2024, Cole and his team developed a marketing campaign from a brief for Adobe Express. The team's campaign won a Wood Pencil Award from the internationally recognized D&AD New Blood advertising competition. 

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ACCOLADES

Wood Pencil Award - Adobe Express Play (2024)​​

D&AD New Blood

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Student Team of the Year Nomination (2024)​​ 

SOAD Photo StudioUW-Stout Leadership Awards

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Best Cinematography - CRIMSON IRIS (2021)​​

Central Wyoming College Film Festival

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Best Screenplay - The Parting Glass Music Video (2021)​​

Central Wyoming College Film Festival

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Editing Lab Assistant Service Award (2021)​​

Central Wyoming College Film Festival

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Second Place Film, Best Actor - Mixed Feelings (2019)

Cheyenne Youth Short Film Festival

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Best Film (All-State Champion) - MALWARE (2018)

WEST Fest, Wyoming High School State Theater

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Best Art Direction, Best Actor - MALWARE (2018)​​

Cheyenne Youth Short Film Festival

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Best Picture - GRIN (2017)

Cheyenne Youth Short Film Festival​​​​​​​​​​

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