By day, Associate Librarian Josh Thorud teaches audio/video and digital art instructional sessions to students and helps faculty design courses that involve media literacy, AI, and digital storytelling.
When he’s not at work in UVA Library’s Robertson Media Center, Thorud focuses his attention on his own media projects, namely screenwriting and film editing. These projects have taken him around the world to various film and art festivals. Late last year, a film he edited (directed by UVA studio art professor Federico Cuatlacuatl) won the Arte Laguna Special Prize, in Venice, Italy.
In the first installment of our new “Staff Spotlight” series, we spoke with Thorud about how he brings his creative skills into his work at UVA Library.
Q. You have an MFA in photography and film from VCU, and a significant background in screenwriting and film editing. What drew you to work at UVA Library, and how do you use your artistic skills in your role here?
A. After graduate school, I started out teaching both at VCU and then full-time at a small college in Iowa. On that campus, I was teaching Digital Art and also running the Film Studies program, and I got the opportunity to collaborate on a grant to build a creative space in the library. We built a makerspace and also a studio for stop-motion animation. I’ve always loved and spent time in libraries, but that’s when I discovered the library as a place where my particular skillset could be used, in the format that fits me best. My favorite part of teaching was working one-on-one with students who want to try something new, and now, as librarian without the typical library degree, I get to do that every day! This position at UVA combined all of what I wanted to do into one job. I get the chance to be creative while still teaching. And I immediately felt that the environment of the Teaching and Learning team, Robertson Media Center (RMC), and the whole library was right for me.
As a creative person, I create media outside of work hours, and I think for a position like this, it is a symbiotic relationship. I learn new technologies and techniques that I can bring to my media projects, and those projects feed my creativity and passion to teach. And it allows me to share my experience both in applying for festivals, grants, residencies, and jobs along with advice, guidance, and feedback.
With regard to using my artistic skills in my role here, every media project that I assist with and every class I teach in, I talk about storytelling. While there are technical skills involved in each, the core of both screenwriting and film editing is storytelling. What should happen when? How do I structure the film to keep the audience’s attention? How can I surprise them? The simple act of placing one image or idea next to another in a sequence – in a script or in an edit – fundamentally transforms them into something new, more than the sum of its parts. Add to that my training and experience in things like frame composition, sound design, and lighting – I can also guide students to make more aesthetic and professional choices in image, video, and sound.
Being a media creator helps me relate to students and faculty who are trying something new or tackling creative challenges. For instance, when I teach editing or audio techniques, I draw from years of experience to show not just how to use the tools, but how to make creative choices that enhance storytelling.
Q. Last year you spoke to UVA Today about the rise of artificial media created using AI, also known as “deepfakes.” What other issues (AI-related or not) are students and faculty having to deal with as technology changes rapidly, and how are you helping them in your work at the Library?
A. One of the main things students and faculty are dealing with is how to incorporate this technology in the classroom while maintaining ethical standards. And that is where the library can help – by providing guidance and materials to help instructors teach about AI and at the same time help students navigate the new complexities of a world with AI and with content created by AI.
I’ve been very involved in exploring AI here at UVA, because it is fundamentally changing the technology in my areas of expertise. Text-based Large Language Models are changing screenwriting and storytelling, and AI media creators can now generate images, songs, video, and more with a simple descriptive phrase. Video editing AIs are starting to produce interesting results and can be exported directly into industry-standard software. These will continue to get better.
In addition to deepfakes, which require lots of reference materials, software, and an actor or footage to stitch the face onto, AI video creators, like OpenAI’s Sora and Google’s Veo 2, can now generate all of it in minutes. These companies might put some safety precautions in place, maybe not enough, but once the cat is out of the bag, other creators without any limitations will become available (or probably already are). Even U.S. legislation won’t stop global operations with bad intentions.
At the Library, we’re helping students and faculty engage critically with these issues. For example, we teach sessions on identifying AI-generated media, ethical AI use, and even building narratives that responsibly integrate new technologies. I want people to see these tools not as shortcuts, but as extensions of their creative process.
Q. You worked with UVA Assistant Professor of Studio Art Federico Cuatlacuatl as the video editor on his film “Timekeepers of the Anthropocene: Tewame Tiyolicha Kawitl.” How did that partnership come about?
A. In my first semester at UVA, back in 2019, I was invited to join a couple sessions of Federico Cuatlacuatl’s New Media class in Studio Art, teaching green screen, Adobe Premiere, and Adobe After Effects. I’ve taught in Federico’s class pretty much every semester since. In 2022, he was looking for an editor to try out something new with his films, so he asked if I’d be interested in working on some footage he shot in New Mexico. As a fan of his work, I was excited to dive in, and our styles meshed really well together. We’ve worked on three more projects together since then – all in the Timekeepers of the Anthropocene series. This collaboration has been very successful, rewarding, and fun. Two of them screened in Berlin and as part of an exhibition in Venice. Another large three-channel piece I edited was installed in Arlington Museum of Contemporary Art and then traveled to the New Orleans Film Festival and a few other places.
One of my favorite things about collaborating with Federico is the freedom to experiment and play. I’ll often throw wild ideas into the timeline – things I’m not sure will work – and see what he thinks. If he likes it, we’ll take it even further or extrapolate it into the rest of the piece. These aren’t traditional videos with a narrative arc, so there’s a lot of room for abstraction, rhythm, and unexpected sequencing. That openness makes the creative process incredibly exciting and rewarding.
Q. Can you tell us a bit about traveling around the world to film and screenwriting festivals to showcase your work? Is it as glamorous as it sounds? What have been some of your favorite experiences in that realm?
A. I love going to festivals and exhibitions, and it feels rewarding to have your work recognized like that. I happen to love international travel, so it is wonderful when I can go – even if it is more like a work trip.
Federico and I were awarded a UVA Arts grant to go to Berlin and Venice this past fall – which was my first time in either city or country. It was thrilling to see the audience reaction at the Berlin screening in a well-known contemporary art museum. And the event for Arte Laguna in Venice was in an old Renaissance-era arsenal, next to the Biennale – and was completely packed, which was really exciting.
I found one of my favorite cities in the world through attending a film festival. One of the first international film festivals I went to, and won an award, was Oaxaca Film Festival. Going there for two iterations of that festival I fell in love with the city itself and the region, and I have returned there four times now. Such a vibrant cultural city with amazing food (mole, quesillo, tlayudas, chapulines), drinks (mezcal, chocolate, tejate), and traditions with such friendly people.
Filmmaking and travel have given me the opportunity to try new things and meet new people from all over the world. Festivals like these aren’t just showcases; they’re cultural exchanges that recharge your creativity.
Q. What would you most like library users to know about what UVA Library offers in terms of teaching, software and equipment, and digital storytelling? What have been some of your favorite experiences working here?
A. The library, and the RMC in particular, is an inclusive, judgement-free hub for experimentation and creativity. The RMC specializes in the technical aspects of filmmaking, podcasting, and music production. But that also includes things like how to write a movie or song, how to identify fake images and media, how to use AI ethically and effectively, etc. We’re not just teaching tech; we’re fostering confidence in experimentation.
If you want to make a short film with your friends to submit to film festivals, stop by and we’ll help you. From guidance on creativity and storytelling, to the equipment to record it, to the editing software you need to record and polish it – we've got you covered!
And if you want to write and record a song, you can do that here – even if you’ve never played an instrument before. If you want to launch a podcast with global distribution, you can do that here – and we will help you!
We have equipment, like cameras, microphones, and lights. We have studios for audio and video production, 3D printing, VR. We have loads of software you can use for free.
Jason Evans Groth and I (your friendly RMC Librarians), are experienced teachers and media-project-cheerleaders. We offer consultations, office hours, bespoke motivational speeches – you name it.
Q. Finally, in your opinion, what is a library for?
A. I love libraries, and I’m so glad I ended up working in one. Fundamentally, a library is for possibilities.
Libraries are where the past meets the future. You can walk in to explore a Victorian novel or walk out with a cutting-edge creative project.
You can (and should) check out and read books – of course – but you can also try new technologies or learn about creativity and storytelling. Today’s libraries defy old stereotypes, embracing creativity, innovation, and collaboration alongside traditional research and learning.
And they’re for everyone – a place where curiosity is nurtured, barriers to access are broken down, and anyone can take their first steps toward a creative or intellectual journey. Free access to materials, training, and experiences for anyone who wants them.