Startup animation studio receives grant from makers of Fortnite

How does a startup business source 100% remote talent and push the boundaries of cutting-edge technology, all while giving the proceeds back to the community? For this brand-new animation company in Cambria County, what looks like a strange combination has become the perfect recipe for success.

Patch Animation found its origins in the shared imaginations of creative thinkers. David Romani II, a Cambria County local and the head of business operations at Patch, met business partner Sofia Soldevila at grad school in Miami. “From the moment we met, we were speaking the same language,” said David. “We wanted to pursue storytelling that inspires, empowers, and pushes the industry standards.”

The two began working on projects together, including screenplays for potential animations, but their paths diverged. David’s career took him to New York and eventually a role on Disney’s creative team in Orlando, Florida. There he met Kelly Farmer, a designer and illustrator who shared Sofia and David’s passion for storytelling, and the brainstorming conversations continued. David saw an increasing demand for animated content and the trio had the ideas and the drive to fulfill it. In September 2019, David, Sofia, and Kelly came together to form a remote animation studio, and Patch Animation was born.

Organizations like Startup Alleghenies are so important for helping small businesses evolve their vision and see the possibilities in front of them.

The company was founded on a united desire to transform the animation industry and create meaningful content with a purpose. “Our goal was to create a remote animation studio that gives back, pushes the industry standard of 3D production, and uses innovative approaches to utilize the Unreal Engine software made by Epic Games,” said David. “Part of all that was putting it all together to make a vision that others can see (not just us).”

An extraordinarily successful Kickstarter Campaign in April 2021 (over $61,000 raised in five weeks) was just the kind of public reaction that David and his co-founders were looking for. Patch Animation had an enthusiastic audience and the projects leaped into action.

The far-reaching impact of Startup Alleghenies’ coaching

In the early days of Patch Animation, resources from Startup Alleghenies were vital to preserving their vision and transforming goals into reality. “Startup Alleghenies has played a big role in the growth of Patch Animation, specifically through the mentorship and hands-on support of our coach, Blake Fleegle,” said David. “I love that guy to death. He’s a person who really took this company under his wing to support us and give us insights.”

A year and a half ago, Startup Alleghenies helped Patch locate and apply for grants and get the company off the ground. Now the team is able to look back at that guidance and see a full-circle moment with the acquisition of the Epic Games MegaGrant. “Startup Alleghenies’ continued support went a long way for us,” said David. “Organizations like Startup Alleghenies are so important for helping small businesses evolve their vision and see the possibilities in front of them.”

Startup Alleghenies has played a big role in the growth of Patch Animation, specifically through the mentorship and hands-on support of our coach.

“Startups like Patch Animation bring diversity and new opportunities to the talent that we already have here,” said Startup Alleghenies coach Blake Fleegle. “David and his team are dedicated to giving back to the local community and pushing the boundaries of their field.”

David loves his hometown region of Cambria County and he is passionate about connecting local talent with global resources. “We will always do our best to try to integrate into our roots, but for us growing is connecting with other individuals from outside our areas,” said David. “We want to have different perspectives and different minds in the same room. It allows us to have a level of respect and see things from a different lens.”

Patch’s remote pipeline structure allows them to source talent from around the world, spanning states, countries, and continents. David remarked on the distinctive diversity that their company experiences because of their unique setup. “The beautiful thing is we’re all very different. I’m from West-Central PA, Kelly is from the D.C. Maryland Metro area, and Sofia is from Barcelona. We’re able to invest in people in our area while still being able to connect with and invest in talent from around the globe.”

Pushing the standards of 3D animation

Patch Animation’s vision for pushing the industry standards of animation has rocketed them to global headlines. Their most recent project, ’Stached, utilizes Unreal Engine, a revolutionary 3D animation tool powered by Epic Games.

Because ’Stached is one of the first projects to use Unreal for its specialized stylistic film aesthetic, the studio is creating its own custom tools and shaders and making them available to the Unreal Engine community. “We chose to use Unreal Engine for our film because we believe its production flexibility is the future of animation and want to be a part of making real-time pipelines the new standard,” said David.

We want to have different perspectives and different minds in the same room. We’re able to invest in people in our area while still being able to connect with and invest in talent from around the globe.

“Although Unreal has its roots in gaming, it has also revolutionized animation and visual effects production. It’s been used for Disney’s The Mandalorian, among other films and television series, and is now integrated into ’Stached,” they said in this recent press release. Unreal renders objects in real-time, as opposed to the time-intensive and costly rendering process typically used by animators. Unreal not only reduces costs during production, but it also cuts down significantly on time, which is vital for Patch’s remote collaboration.

The studio’s dedication to pushing cutting-edge rendering technology and creating meaningful content led them to be recipients of an Epic MegaGrant in 2023. “MegaGrants are issued by Epic Games to support creators working on expanding the impact of real-time technology,” said the press release. Patch is one of a few companies worldwide to receive a sought-after grant from Epic Games for their innovation in Unreal. “We received enough to give the short film project the proper TLC it deserved as we continue to innovate and experiment utilizing Unreal Engine with the goal of creating something that our supporters would be proud of,” said David.

Giving back to the community

’Stached, a stylized short film created in collaboration with the U.K. studio Engine House, will be submitted to international animation festivals and upon its release later this year it will also be transformed into an episodic series. “’Stached tells the story of an old man and a hermit crab whose lives collide as they navigate personal loss,” said the press release. The film, which deals with themes of loss, grief, and regained hope, will give partial proceeds to the California-based grief management nonprofit griefHaven.

“A big aspect of our motivation is to give back. First and foremost, we want to help others. Grief is something we don’t talk about nearly enough. We want to support and help create a conducive environment, even if that is just to start a conversation,” said David.

“If you’re not scared, it’s not worth it”

David, Kelly, and Sofia know what it’s like to stand at the edge of a brilliant idea and wonder if it’s worth jumping in. David shared some of his advice for new business owners and creatives: “I don’t think it’s always about the idea being big enough—it’s about a vision you believe in and can execute well. Do your due diligence on how to make your vision the best it can be, but at the end of the day, you have to follow your heart. Don’t settle for less!”

Continually strive to evolve your vision, and don’t be scared of change. If you’re not scared, it’s not worth it.

The team at Patch Animation is excited to see where their vision will take them in the coming years, with the production of the ’Stached film, their new episodic series based on the film, and their growing client services. Next week their journey will lead them to Annecy Festival, a prestigious animation festival in Annecy, France.

“There’s plenty of advice I’d give to my younger self,” said David. “Never give up, but understand when it’s time to make a change or when it’s time to pivot. Continually strive to evolve your vision, and don’t be scared of change. If you’re not scared, it’s not worth it.”

Startup Alleghenies helps startup and emerging small businesses succeed by providing free coaching to entrepreneurs in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties. To access personal, one-on-one support from a coach in your county, including guidance, resources, tools and networking opportunities, sign up at startupalleghenies.com.