about us

The Story of Newbit Studios

 

Every great story starts with a leap of faith.

Ours started with a schoolhouse.

Not just any schoolhouse — but a 55,000-square-foot, 1937 elementary school in Turbotville, Pennsylvania, sitting empty on 10 acres, waiting for someone to see what it could become. Where others saw a vacant building, we saw classrooms that could be crime labs, a cafeteria that could be a diner, hallways that could be hospital corridors. We saw a place where stories could live.

We’re Chanta, Patrick, Charmé, and Michelle — four people crazy enough to believe we could turn a rural Pennsylvania school into something the film industry didn’t know it needed.

Who We Are (And Why We’re Doing This)

 

Chanta spent over 10 years as a union Prop Master with IATSE Local 52, working on network shows and learning every detail of what makes a set feel real. She knows what it takes to build a world on camera — and what it costs when that infrastructure doesn’t exist.

Patrick is a showrunner and network TV writer who started in indie film doing every position, except sound “ have no ear”. Now he’s lived “above the line” long enough to know that great stories die in development when the logistics don’t line up. He brings the creative vision; he’s also seen firsthand how hard it is for independent creators to get their projects off the ground.

Charmé is our Director of Operations & AI Strategy, the person who turns “what if” into “here’s how.” She’s building the systems that make this whole thing work — from day-to-day operations to how we responsibly integrate technology that serves creatives, not replaces them.

Michelle our Director of Creative, the person who knows every corner of the building and understands how to transform a 1937 school into a modern production facility without losing its soul.

Together, we’re proof that “above the line” and “below the line” don’t have to be separate worlds. We’re building something where vision and execution live under the same roof.

Our Philosophy: New Beginnings in Time

 

Our name, “Newbit,” is short for New Beginnings in Time. It’s how we see everything we do, our guiding principle.

We believe in second acts. In buildings getting new life. In small towns becoming creative hubs. In independent filmmakers getting the same tools that studios take for granted. In people from rural communities building careers they didn’t know were possible.

We are patient builders. We are not in a rush. We’re intentional about creating something that lasts. Creating something that serves the filmmakers who can’t afford LA soundstages. Creating something that gives our region’s young people a reason to stay and build futures here.

What We’re Building

 

We’re not building sound stages. We’re creating 20+ standing sets inside the original school architecture — spaces with character and history that can turn a historic 1940s principal’s office into a modern police station, from a community gymnasium to a concert venue. Spaces that feel real because, well, they are real.

Pine Street Rentals, our in-house prop house, means filmmakers can walk in and find everything from a fully dressed beauty salon to a Brooklyn Artist loft to a Boutique retail shop — props, set dressing, custom fabrications, all under one roof. No coordinating with five different vendors. No shipping delays. Just one team who knows your vision and has the tools to make it happen. Did I tell you we have a baseball field?!? We have a baseball field!

We’re launching a Below-the-Line PA workforce development program because too many talented people leave this region for opportunities that should exist here. We’re creating a pipeline to union jobs, teaching the craft the way it should be taught — by people who’ve actually done the work.

And yes, we’re integrating AI — but not the way some people fear. We’re building governance frameworks that protect artists’ rights, union compliance into every decision, and systems that make technology serve human creativity, not shortcut it.  Here, innovation doesn’t compromise integrity.

 

Why This Matters

 

Creative careers shouldn’t require leaving your hometown. Independent filmmakers shouldn’t have to choose between their vision and their budget.

We’re building Newbit Studios to change those equations. To prove that a former elementary school in Central Pennsylvania can be a legitimate production destination. To show that rural communities can build creative economies. To create a place where the next generation of storytellers — writers, directors, prop masters, set designers, PAs who become department heads — can learn, grow, and build careers that matter.

We are not just transforming a building. We are transforming what’s believed to be possible.

And we’re just getting started.

Welcome to Newbit Studios. Let’s build something together.