While working at a local television station in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Cotten produced a story on a film being shot in the area, The Tuskegee Airmen (1995).
He studied production design with Lawrence Paull (Blade Runner, Escape from L.A., Unlawful Entry) and direction with Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop, Starship Troopers), Donald Petrie (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Miss Congeniality), Danielle Suissa (Pocahontas, Neowolf), and Brad Battersby (Red Letters, Jesus the Driver).
Cotten was cast in an acting role opposite Ashley Judd in Joey Lauren Adams' Come Early Morning, playing a past one night stand named Steve.
Set in the rich and atmospheric backdrop of Tijuana, Mexico, La Linea is full of action and drama and finds its soul in the plight of the characters that inhabit the most dangerous city in North America.
A horror/comedy, the film takes the classic Hansel and Gretel story and adds the modern twist of the witch (Boyle) being a pot dealer in Pasadena.
There he was a visual effects and digital intermediate producer on a number of films, including Pitch Perfect, Dope, Captain Fantastic, The Bad Batch, and many more.
In 2017, Cotten wrote, produced and directed Painted Woman, through his company Dark Highway Films, partnering with Chasing Sunsets Productions.