Writer, illustrator, digital media expert got his start at STCC

When he’s not busy working as a Content Origination Supervisor at Warner Brothers Discovery in Atlanta, Ga., Jeff Patterson might be conjuring up new stories for fantasy anthologies like the recently released “Fantastic Detectives.”

Patterson, an STCC class of 1982 graduate, this year saw the release of his latest story, “Sister Autumn and the Angel's Blade.” “Fantastic Detectives” is published by Tannhauser Press and can be purchased on Amazon.

“It’s been fun,” Patterson said about writing and getting published. “I’ve been writing on and off my whole life and have self-published a couple of books.”

Patterson, who lives in the Atlanta area, mostly focuses on fantasy and science fiction with his writing. “Sister Autumn and the Angel’s Blade” takes place in a fantasy city where humans live alongside gorillas and angels. An albino nun investigates a murder “that doesn’t make sense,” Patterson explained.

Patterson said his story is about the aftermath of war and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “It’s kind of a Vietnam allegory, but only involving a big, epic fantasy battle instead.”

This is the second story he wrote for the world of “Fantastic Detectives.” The first was called “The Iron Garden.”

“That was much more of a monster story about something horrible stalking the streets and it has to be stopped,” he said.

Patterson sometimes writes late at night, after he finishes his work as a Content Origination Supervisor. He’s in charge of the teams that monitor content for Warner Brothers Discovery, which includes programming for HBO, CNN, HGTV, among other brands.

Patterson’s team works with all types of content for the brands. They monitor live events. They make sure promos are correct. They ensure programming for shows such as “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” or “Real Time With Bill Maher” can run smoothly on a variety of platforms – from large screen TVs to smartphones.

They perform quality checks to make sure everything is correct, from video captioning to graphics used in the programming.

It’s kind of wondrous to see where technology has brought us to at this point. Jeff Paterson, STCC Class of 1982

“We basically watch the entire show from beginning to end,” he said.

The technology he works with was practically unimaginable when he was an STCC student more than 40 years ago. Today, his team uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with captioning. They also work with computer coding for what is called a “picture-in-picture break,” where a program such as wrestling condenses into a small part of the screen and the commercials take up the larger part of the screen.

“It’s kind of wondrous to see where technology has brought us to at this point,” he said.

Patterson grew up in Springfield and graduated in 1980 from Cathedral High School (which merged in 2015 with Holyoke Catholic High School to become Pope Francis Preparatory School). He chose STCC because it was local and offered a program dedicated to telecommunications.

At STCC, Patterson learned principles of telecommunication that he can still apply today. He graduated with a degree in telecommunication. Today, the program is called Digital Media Production Technology. Students are trained on industry standard software and hardware that includes cinema style video cameras, digital audio/video edit stations, gimbals, remote cameras, drones, 360° cameras, augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) technology as well as technology used in a traditional broadcasting setting.

Patterson recalls having amazing teachers at STCC who taught students about the nature of factual storytelling. He learned how productions worked. For example, his class took a “deep dive” into the production of “Sesame Street.”

“(The professor) really broke it down and it was amazing to listen to,” he said.

After earning his associate degree from STCC, Patterson went on to receive certification in videography and editing from the New York School of Visual Arts.

He launched his career in the 1980s and witnessed sweeping changes in the industry over the decades. “Almost everything has changed since I was at STCC, from the nature of cameras and digital technology, to the way things are edited and put together, to the way sound is processed and video is compressed. It’s transcoded to bitrate so it can be streamed.

“It was all really fascinating to see that development,” Patterson said.

Since its founding in 1967, STCC has offered programs that reflect state-of-the-art technology and the college continues to keep up with industry trends, said Dr. Christopher Thuot, Vice President of Academic Affairs at STCC.

“STCC provides academic programming and a variety of supports to help students achieve their goals,” Thuot said. “Jeff Patterson is a terrific example of someone who came to STCC to get the training he needed to start his career. STCC continues to this day to provide a foundation for so many people like Jeff who find successful and rewarding careers.”

Patterson plans to continue working in a career he loves while writing stories on the side. Patterson was a long-time contributor to the Hugo award-winning site SF Signal. He reviewed books and was a regular on the (also award-winning) podcast.

He produced and co-hosted the podcast “The Three Hoarsemen” from 2013 to 2019, which featured interviews with authors and editors in the science fiction/fantasy community.

For more information about Jeff Patterson and his work, visit his LinkedIn page or his Amazon author page.

Here’s a link to a YouTube interview with Patterson promoting his book.

Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 222-9311, jdanko@stcc.edu

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