Flat Black Films

What Flat Black Films does

Flat Black Films is an Austin, Texas-based animation and software company founded around 1999 by Bob Sabiston. The company operates two intertwined business lines. The first is animation services, anchored by Rotoshop, the firm's proprietary rotoscoping software that hand-traces over video frames with brushstroke interpolation rather than filters, image processing, or motion capture. This software was used to produce Richard Linklater's Waking Life (premiered at Sundance 2001) and was contracted for A Scanner Darkly (released 2006 with Warner Brothers) before the company departed that project due to budget and schedule disputes. Other animation work includes the ITVS-commissioned Figures of Speech series and a commercial advertising campaign for the Turkish bank Akbank.

The second line is consumer creative software, distributed primarily through the Apple iOS App Store as one-time purchases or freemium downloads. The portfolio includes Voxel (3D voxel construction with Sculpteo 3D printing integration), Headspace (3D mind-mapping), Jot Keyboard (drawing keyboard for iOS8), Lite Rite (augmented-reality painting), Rep-Tile (AI-input-compatible seamless wallpaper generator), Retroid (voxel arcade game with iCade support), Lowlander (retro RPG), and Inchworm Animation / Butterfly for Nintendo DSi/3DS platforms.

Monetization relies on a mix of professional services revenue (film and advertising animation contracts with studios, filmmakers, and brands) and App Store sales of mobile apps. The company is privately held with no disclosed venture funding, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no acquisitions. Operations are concentrated in a single Austin office and revenue, headcount (11-50 employees), and customer wins are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Flat Black Films

Legal name

Flat Black Films

Website

https://flatblackfilms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Flat Black Films is an Austin, Texas-based animation and software company built around its proprietary Rotoshop rotoscoping tool, producing feature films, commercials, and a portfolio of iOS creative apps for global consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Rotoscoping, Cleanup & Paint (Animation Support) (MPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

2D (Traditional & Digital) Animation Production (MPADACAA), 3D Product/Explainer Animation (MPAHACAD), Rendering, Graphics & Simulation Middleware (MPAFAFAB)

Keywords

• Rotoscoping animation services
• Creative mobile apps
• Film animation production
• 3D modeling software
• Animation software development

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. iOS App Sales: Sale of proprietary iOS applications through the Apple App Store including Voxel, Headspace, Jot Keyboard, Retroid, Lite Rite, and Rep-Tile.
2. Film Production Services: Rotoscoping animation services for feature films and commercial projects, including work on Waking Life, A Scanner Darkly, and advertising campaigns for Akbank.
3. Animation Software: Sale of animation software products including Inchworm Animation and Butterfly for Nintendo platforms.
4. 3D Printing Integration: Integration with Sculpteo for ordering physical 3D prints of Voxel creations directly from within the app.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Flat Black Films is an Austin, TX-based animation and software company that provides rotoscoping animation services for feature films, shorts, and commercial advertising using its proprietary Rotoshop software. The company also develops and sells a portfolio of consumer-facing creative applications for iOS (Voxel, Headspace, Jot Keyboard, Retroid, Lite Rite, Rep-Tile, Lowlander) and Nintendo platforms (Inchworm Animation).

Product overview

Flat Black Films is an animation and software company offering a portfolio of creative tools and entertainment apps. The core offering is Rotoshop, their proprietary rotoscoping software used for films like Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly. They have expanded into consumer mobile apps including Voxel (3D construction and animation), Headspace (3D mind-mapping), Jot Keyboard (drawing keyboard), Lite Rite (AR painting), and Rep-Tile (wallpaper generator). Entertainment products include Retroid (voxel arcade game) and Lowlander (retro RPG). The software portfolio includes Inchworm Animation for Nintendo platforms. The company also produces animated films and commercial work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rotoshop: Proprietary in-house rotoscoping and animation software developed by Flat Black Films for making animated films.
• Voxel
• Headspace
• Inchworm Animation
• Jot Keyboard
• Retroid
• Lowlander
• Butterfly: Inchworm Animation II
• Lite Rite
• Rep-Tile

Products and services

• Rotoscoping Animation Production Services End-to-end rotoscoping animation production services for feature films, animated shorts, and commercial advertising campaigns, performed using the company's proprietary Rotoshop software. Notable projects include the films Waking Life (2001) and A Scanner Darkly (2006), both directed by Richard Linklater, and advertising campaigns for Turkish bank Akbank.
• Voxel

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ITVS (Independent Television Service)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999Contract from ITVS in 1999 to make a series of animated short documentaries in the vein of Snack and Drink. The twelve segments of Figures of Speech feature subjects interviewed in Austin and on the road between there and San Francisco. Many of the Waking Life animators were originally hired to work on this project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cartoon Saloon: Irish independent animation studio producing hand-drawn features (Wolfwalkers, The Secret of Kells). Comparable as a small-team, founder-driven studio that converts a distinctive visual style into prestige project wins and brand work.
• Toon Boom Animation: Developer of professional 2D animation and storyboarding software (Harmony, Storyboard Pro). Comparable as a creator of proprietary animation production tools that studios license, paralleling Flat Black's Rotoshop positioning.
• Procreate: iPad illustration app from Savage Interactive. Comparable as a small, independent creative-software company selling premium, single-purpose creative tools directly to consumers via app stores, similar to Voxel, Headspace, and Rep-Tile.
• Moonbot Studios: Mississippi-based animation and interactive storytelling studio. Comparable as a small, award-winning boutique studio with both film work and a slate of creative digital products, mirroring Flat Black's film-plus-app model.
• Pixelmator Team: Independent creator of Pixelmator photo and design apps for Apple platforms. Comparable as a small, founder-led software shop shipping multiple consumer creative apps on iOS/macOS as one-time or subscription purchases.

Broad incumbents

• Titmouse: Independent animation studio serving series, features, and commercial/branded content. Comparable as an indie animation services provider that takes on both artistic and commercial projects alongside its own IP.
• Aardman Animations: UK-based animation studio known for distinctive, hand-crafted feature and short-form work. Comparable as a specialist studio whose reputation and signature style (like Flat Black's rotoscoped look) commands premium positioning.
• Laika: Oregon-based feature animation studio famous for stop-motion/CGI hybrid films. Comparable as a boutique animation house with proprietary in-house tooling that supports a distinctive aesthetic, similar to Flat Black's Rotoshop-driven look.
• Adobe (After Effects / Character Animator): Adobe's motion-graphics and rotoscoping-capable products serve the same rotoscoping/animation workflow as Rotoshop. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose tooling overlaps Flat Black's film-animation value proposition and could commoditize the rotoscoping step.

Emerging players

• Wonder Dynamics: AI-driven VFX and animation automation startup (Autodesk-acquired). Comparable as an emerging player using AI/automation to accelerate animation pipelines that Flat Black currently performs manually, representing a direct competitive vector to Rotoshop.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flat-black-films-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Flat Black Films