Northern Michigan University alumnus and Marquette native Gabe Thorburn served as associate editor on Netflix's most popular film ever, “KPop Demon Hunters,” which won the Academy Award for best animated feature March 15. He got to hold the Oscar at a celebratory toast hosted after the ceremony at Sony Pictures Animation, which produced the film. He also joined Sony colleagues on stage in February to accept the best editorial-feature award at the 2026 Annie Awards, which recognize the greatest achievements in animation.
“KPop Demon Hunters” swept all 10 Annie categories in which it was nominated. It also ranks as Netflix's most popular film ever.
“When the movie came out last year, it became a huge viral success right away. While working on it, I always knew it was going to be special, and I couldn't wait for everyone to see it," said Thorburn, who graduated with a bachelor's degree from NMU in 2007 and has worked in the animation industry the last 12 years.
"Getting an award for editing was actually very cool because usually people don't typically notice that aspect in a movie," he added. "The whole point of it is to kind of be invisible. So it was a fun experience to join the editing crew on stage at the Annies, which are basically considered the Oscars of animation. They're a big deal within the animation industry out here in California. I got to network with a lot of people at the ceremony.”
Thorburn was hired by Sony Animation specifically for “KPop Demon Hunters.” He said the animation industry experienced somewhat of a slowdown afterward. While he patiently waits for studios to greenlight his next projects, he is putting the final editing touches on a low-budget feature documentary. He also founded GMT Creative Solutions as a vehicle for freelance projects between full-time studio roles.
“Through GMT, I provide podcast and video production for YouTube and social media, as well as freelance editing services for films, documentaries, advertising and branded content,” he said. “This lets me apply the same storytelling instincts and technical expertise from feature editorial to client-driven creative projects. YouTube is such an emerging part of Hollywood right now. The industry is migrating to that space; even the Oscars will be broadcast on YouTube in a couple of years. This work allows me to use different skillsets beyond editing, like directing and producing. I see a world where I sign on to studio projects and make more great movies, but also make my own content when I'm in between projects.”
In addition to Sony, Thorburn's previous work in animation included serving as an online editor at DreamWorks Animation in Glendale, Calif. He collaborated on projects such as the Netflix series Dragons: Race to the Edge and the Tales of Arcadia trilogy, which includes Trollhunters, 3Below and Wizards. He was later hired by Warner Bros. Animation, where he was online editor for Teen Titans Go!, The Looney Tunes Show, The Tom and Jerry Show and Beware the Batman. He also was assistant editor for Right Now Kapow, DC Super Heroes and Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
His live-action experience includes serving as additional editor on the indie feature “Dear Dictator,” starring Michael Caine, and lead editor on the upcoming feature documentary “Centenarian,” which explores the science and stories behind longevity and healthy aging.
It was in his hometown of Marquette that Thorburn's career goal was cultivated. He always loved animation as a kid, and dreamed of working in the industry. During his senior year of high school, an internship at the former Superior Productions video production company on Third Street introduced him to editing. Thorburn said he sat down at a computer with nonlinear editing software one day, put together an event video and was hooked.
His NMU education, along with a part-time job he held during that time at the former Video Concepts, solidified his aspiration to become an editor. After he graduated and moved to Los Angeles, he found assistant editor positions an effective gateway to that line of work.
“I'm grateful for my time at NMU,” Thorburn said in an earlier story on his career. “All of the classes I took there—theater, art and design, film—prepared me to be creative in this industry. It was the same culture you find in an animation studio: lots of artists around, talking about things and hearing things described in a visual way, which was very helpful. I loved the final course in the digital cinema concentration that Daric Christian taught, where you made a film every week. That really put all of us on a creative path. With my minor in film studies, I also found Marek Haltoff's film classes incredible.”
Northern Magazine staff visited Thorburn at Sony Pictures Animation while he was in the earlier stages of editing “KPop Demon Hunters.” Read the resulting feature story in the Spring 2023 "The Art of Entertainment" issue here.
