Patterson was born in Great Falls, Montana, and graduated from Tempe, Arizona's University of Advancing Technology with an Associate's Degree in Digital Production in 2000. He joined Digital Domain as I/O Technical Coordinator in August 2000; his first project for the studio was the hit film How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which featured Clint Howard in the cast. He worked on several more films as Digital Domain's Data I/O Operator, including: