Samuel Thornbury is a giant in the jungle of fast-growing entertainment technologies and products. His work has made a lasting impact on the object show community, particularly through his contributions to BFDI. Thornbury has been able to move from one role to another within a decade, from sound designer, animator, scribe, and director showing his range and talent.
He received much appreciation for episodes such as BFDI9: The second episode, entitled “Outbreak At Stake,” was rated 9.2/10 on IMDb. Adobe Animate and Premiere became crucial to this success, as he had a lot of experience with them. Similarly, “BFDI 6: The Great Goikian Bake-Off” enthralled the audience and broke houseful records in both New York and Los Angeles. The tickets’ scam negotiated through the online platform received 3,325 responses, raising a massive $100,378.81 of gross revenue, demonstrating how he could bring a cinematic approach to the animated characters.
Apart from personal achievements, Thornbury’s continuous uploads to the Jacknjellify YouTube channel have garnered millions of viewers. He has been very tactical with his use of YouTube Shorts, especially with this format has garnered over 77.2 million views alone, showing how good he is at embracing new ways people are consuming content online.
Now, let’s have a look at how Samuel Thornbury has built his professional profile as a creative professional.
A flourishing creative beginnings
Seeing animated series like The Simpsons and Total Drama series, young Samuel Thornbury grew an interest in storytelling. Being captivated by the world of web series, he aimed at shows like Eddsworld.
“I loved the art style and the zaniness of the stories,” Thornbury recalls, reflecting on the appeal that web-based content held for him. This passion led him to create his own series, Object Universe, which earned 2.4 million views the first time around. Self-organization was also encouraged at the show, and it made me see that many people develop close virtual friendships while working together. It also emphasized the value of teamwork in creative projects.
From being just a Fanboy to being one of the team members of Battle for Dream Island, Thornbury shows how passion, if fused with tools such as Adobe Animate, gives a very astonishing attribute. “I will see the occasional comment saying that my episodes have inspired a young, creative person,” Thornbury shares, expressing his joy in inspiring the next generation and contributing to a lasting creative cycle.
Crafting content that clicks
Thornbury created episodes inspired by the lively energy of “Battle for Dream Island” (BFDI), capturing the series’ vibrant and captivating atmosphere. He says, “As a fan of BFDI first, I was huge into the energy the first season provided,” highlighting how this liveliness shaped his artistic approach.
His efforts to preserve this lively spirit are evident in his work, which began with “BFB 20: A Taste of Space,” which got 15 million views on its own. He combines humor with hyperbole to maintain audience interest, which is evident from the following extract.
Thornbury remarks, “I think a large part of the engagement for that episode is how consistently silly and over the top the episode is,” emphasizing the significance of this strategy in connecting with viewers. Thanks to this method, rooted in his past experiences and love for BFDI’s unique vibe, he has been able to create content that both gets clicks and leaves an impact on viewers.
Embracing the directorial mantle
Thornbury’s change from a writer to director in the animated territory of “BFDI
3”—which received close to 5 million views in one year—was smooth sailing since he knew how to use Adobe Animate and Premiere. He was trained technical enough to manage every detail of the show’s production, including the timing of delivery of jokes and sound produced for synchronization with the scene, among others.
“Understanding Adobe Animate and Premiere allowed me to adjust and edit without having to contact another person to complete the job,” he reflects, highlighting the value of direct involvement in the creative process. This was especially useful in the case of TPOT episodes, which together garnered more than 27 million views on the Jacknjellify YouTube channel.
The making of a top-rated episode
Thornbury’s work on “BFDI 9: Outbreak At Stake” exemplifies his knack for blending genres, incorporating elements of “cartoon horror” into a zombie-themed storyline. For the first three months, only 4.5 million people watched the episode, and its IMDb rating is 9.2/10.
“Part of my job is to surprise viewers with fun and unique concepts,” Thornbury explains, emphasizing his dedication to bringing fresh ideas to the series.
The success of “TPOT 9” spurred him to explore more unconventional themes, as demonstrated by “BFDI 10: In two weeks, “Oneirophobe’s Nightmare” received more than 2.2 million views. His trust in diversity from one project to the other as a way of sustaining the audience’s interest is evident in his strong bent toward coming up with new ideas.
“Mixing it up is exciting and helps keep the show entertaining,” he notes. By including individual elements, Thornbury not only bends the typical schematic of a story but also emphasizes the virtually limitless possible field of animation.
Theatrical endeavors and audience perception
The release of “BFDI 6: The Great Goikian Bake-Off” marked a significant milestone, as it included a collaborative crossover event with “Inanimate Insanity,” led by Cary, the founder of Jacknjellify. “Jacknjellify planned a crossover event for BFDI and Inanimate Insanity,” Thornbury explains. “I wrote BFDI
6 for the event per Cary’s request.”
At first, the idea of the episode was set in the Middle Age and went through several changes in the script before becoming an interesting show. Thornbury’s flexibility made sure the episode stayed as unique while staying true to the show’s concept.
The inclusion of a musical number further elevated the episode, transforming “The Great Goikian Bake-Off” into a cinematic event that showcased the series’ narrative flexibility and impact within the entertainment industry.
The art of engaging a diverse audience
“The key to engaging with such a vast audience is to make content that keeps surprising,” Thornbury says, underscoring the importance of keeping viewers intrigued through unexpected storytelling. His ability to challenge audience expectations is evident in episodes like “TPOT 9,” which introduced a zombie outbreak to the series.
Thornbury gets the importance of the element of surprise with reference to his own fanboy experience. “I love watching a show where I’m completely surprised by the episode’s direction,” he reflects, illustrating how he channels this philosophy into his work to connect with audiences on a deeper level. His continued exploration of new topics and concepts guarantees that BFDI
continues to be relevant and interesting to its audience all over the world.
The YouTube Shorts strategy
Thornbury has also leveraged the current YouTube Shorts trend by repurposing the BFDI scene in its current format. “Wanting to give individual scenes… a second life came down to being a significant inspiration for the strategy,” he explains. This approach has expanded the series’ reach, with clips like “What Happens When You Dig Down” attracting over 7.1 million views.
Although the trend is to produce more short-form content, Thornbury’s shorts-based approach has generated over 77 million views. His leadership on “BFDI Mini,” a spinoff series featuring bite-sized episodes, demonstrates his foresight in adapting to changing digital consumption patterns.
Keeping audiences hooked
According to Thornbury, BFDI’s engaging format for its viewers has been one of the main reasons for the show’s success; it features characters who vote on what happens next in the story. “BFDI has a system where viewers can cast votes on the characters to determine the story,” he explains, highlighting how this engagement fosters a strong sense of community among fans.
From 7 in the first episode to a record-breaking 90,503 votes in BFDI
10: Oneirophobe’s Nightmare,” This participatory element has been key to the series’ growth.
In the future, Thornbury believes that digital storytelling will remain popular through engaging with the audience. He also feels that nurturing the viewer relationships will keep content fresh and engaging.
Over the course of more than ten years, Samuel Thornbury’s work reflects the endless potential of digital media and informs and enthralls a new generation of artists.
