A.B. Osborne

Look closely and you'll see the world runs on animation. Just about everywhere you turn, you find animation in some form, whether in a commercial, at a sporting event or in movies and television. “The interesting thing is, it’s hard to understand how pervasive animation is -it’s everywhere," said Augusta University's Scott Thorp. "Anything that moves, any media that you interact with, likely has animation inside of it. When you think of commercials, you have Monday Night Football, all that stuff moving on the screen is what our students will do.”  Thorp is chair of the Department of Art and Design at Augusta University and an artist himself. He said in Georgia right now, there are more jobs than animators in just about every aspect of the industry. “When you think about videos, instructional videos, flight simulators, surgical simulations, metaverse, animation -it's there," said Thorp. This boom is also why Augusta University recently announced plans for a major expansion of its animation program housed on the historic Summerville Campus. “There’s not a lot of programs in the southeast at all. But there is industry here,” said A.B. Osborne, an assistant professor who was hired to launch the animation program at Augusta University a few years ago. Thorp agrees Georgia is booming when it comes to the entertainment sector and Augusta is leading the way. “This is very contemporary and very future oriented. With the film industry and all entertainment in Georgia, this is appropriate for it.” Looking to know more about what's in store for the animation industry and what it takes to train the next generation of the workforce? Then let us help. A.B. Osborne is an expert in the field of animation, working in everything from classic cartoons to technical and medical animation. Scott Thorp is associate vice president for interdisciplinary research and professor and chair of the Department of Art and  Design at Augusta University. He has worked for more than a decade as an exhibiting artist and his research interests include user-centered design, design thinking and the psychology of creativity. Both Osborne and Thorp are available to speak about Augusta University's expanding animation program. Simply click on either icon to arrange an interview today.

If you have young kids – or have at least been around them over the past 20 years – you’ll know Dora the Explorer, the always polite adventurer who takes excited young viewers on a trek through South America while educating them at the same time. The star of Nickelodeon has her own theme song, branded toys and clothes, along with a cast of characters who have also become household names.   The show has been a success on the small screen, but the cross-over to live action proved to be gold at theaters, too, and the movie has already grossed more than $80 million at the worldwide box office. Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a smashing success, and for more reasons than just name recognition. Dora, played by Isabela Moner, is the strong female lead of a cast that is almost entirely made up of actors from Latin backgrounds. The film continues to show the success of gender and racial diversity in Hollywood. The move toward increased diversity also includes the LGBTQ community and people with disabilities.  “There is a major push for representation in both of these communities and we're still reaching new milestones there every day,” said A.B. Osborne, assistant professor of animation at Augusta University. "Steven Universe and the recent She-Ra reboot have been major breakthroughs for authentic and positive LGBTQ representation. Steven Universe, for example, had the first same-sex marriage proposal and wedding for a kid's animated series. Rebecca Sugar, the creator, had to work very hard to get Cartoon Network to agree to that moment." Osborne adds, “Another milestone that means a lot to a good friend of mine who has Asperger's syndrome is the creation of Symmetra from Overwatch. She was the first autistic playable videogame character. It’s not all positive, however. Disney recently announced that Halle Bailey would be playing Ariel in its remake of The Little Mermaid. The backlash was loud, but Disney has not wavered, stating the young African American actress is perfect for the role. Diversity and inclusion in film and society is always an important albeit sensitive topic – and if you are covering stories about diversity, let our experts help. Osborne is an expert in the field of animation, working in everything from classic cartoons to technical and medical animation. He is available to speak with media regarding this topic – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.