Multimedia Producer

Meet Samantha Thornhill

About Samantha

Samantha is a seasoned multimedia producer based in Brooklyn, NY and Los Angeles, CA, with a wealth of experience in both reality television and digital media. With over a decade in the industry, Samantha's career began at the Food Network hit series, Chopped, where she climbed the casting ladder from recruiter to producer, working on 300 episodes and 20 seasons of the show.

From there, Samantha moved into field producing, honing her skills on a range of shows including Beat Bobby Flay, Dishmantled, Santa's Baking Blizzard, Bite Club, and Halloween Cake-Off. After seven years in reality television, Samantha made the transition to digital media, spending two years as a producer at Google's in-house video team, The Visual Lab.

With her experience in both television and digital media, Samantha brings a unique skillset to her work as a freelance producer. She spent a year at Masonry, specializing in 2D animated production for training & how-to videos, explainers and marketing spots. Samantha is a reliable, capable, and adaptable producer, with a proven track record of delivering high-quality content on time and on budget.

Whether you're looking for a creative, production, development, casting, or post producer, Samantha is the ideal addition to your team. With her client-facing skills and exceptional attention to detail, Samantha is committed to bringing your vision to life and exceeding your expectations.

When she’s not producing, Samantha enjoys

  • Discovering the best local bites + eating family style at the bar

  • Building spreadsheets for future trips with her friends + family (for fun!)

  • Strength training + exploring new ways to exercise

  • Strolling around the city + snapping photos on her Fujifilm X100V

  • Volunteering at Women in Animation’s NY Chapter

  • Recommending new animated content to all of her niblings

  • Hand lettering signs for weddings + strong penmanship

For your consideration

"When I think of Samantha, the first word that pops into my head is "joy"! I've had the distinct pleasure of working alongside her at two different companies, and in each environment she was a standout producer and colleague who was trusted and adored by everyone. Beyond Samantha's trademark positivity and friendliness, her professionalism, talent, confidence, and communication skills are also undeniable. She's organized and sharp, able to work with a sense of urgency without sacrificing quality or allowing anything to fall through the cracks. She's a quick learner with a vast knowledge of production workflow, who's able to prioritize tasks and anticipate (and solve!) problems before they even arise. I'm certain Samantha would be an asset to any animation studio, production house, etc. - and I recommend her fully without any hesitation!"

— Skylar Apter, Supervising Producer

"Nothing is impossible for Samantha. She is one of the most forward thinking, adaptable and solutions oriented people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. While working closely with her over multiple seasons on the long-running series Chopped, I witnessed first hand her singular passion, drive and natural leadership skills. She was an essential member of the casting team and also managed to keep her colleagues motivated under the challenges of tight deadlines and the high volume requirements of casting a major network television show. I strongly suggest that if you ever have the chance to work with Samantha you take the opportunity immediately."

— Michael Bernard, Former Casting Producer

"Samatha Thornhill worked with me for several years as a recruiter, associate producer, and then producer in the casting department of Food Network's Chopped. She is one of the most capable individuals I have ever had the pleasure of working alongside. She is wonderful with people, adaptable, a natural troubleshooter, an incredibly fast learner, and her demeanor is always positive and productive. There is no obstacle I have seen Sam fail to tackle and everyone who works with her is eager to recommend her for new work or hire her on a project. Whenever I serve as Sam's reference for a project I am so excited to speak to potential employers, because I know that it's unlikely that they will find a better candidate to add to their team than Samantha."

— Javier Bernard, Casting Producer

"I fiercely believe that there isn’t a single job that Sam couldn’t tackle. She approaches each task with a can-do attitude and will problem solve all pitfalls before they even get to you. There are more instances than I care to admit where I would throw Sam seemingly impossible tasks and she would deliver and crush all expectations. She knows where she wants to be in her career and will stay the late hours to learn the job. Any company would be lucky to have Sam."

— Nassdja Anthony, Producer

"Having had the opportunity to work with Samantha on projects at both Google and Masonry NYC, my experience with her as a producer has been consistently positive, incredibly efficient, and thoroughly enjoyable.  Her direction is concise yet thorough, her communication is clear and welcoming, and her ability to coolly navigate the pressures of shifting needs under tight deadlines is truly impressive.  On top of all that, Samantha is an absolute pleasure to work with in general and I would highly recommend her as a producer."

— Benjamin Font,  Script Writer

"I have thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with Samantha on several projects for Google and always look forward to hearing from her about a new one. She is a top notch communicator, quick to respond to any questions, a brilliant producer and a lot of fun to work with! She is a smart, dynamic, creative partner for any important project."

— Kira Gurnee, VO Talent

"Sam is a well rounded producer that excels at any job. A thrill to work with! An organized team player full of positivity that dedicates herself to the project at hand. Extremely capable and will be successful at anything she does. It would be an absolute pleasure to work together again!"

— Alexandra Bueno, Producer

"Sam is one of the most hands down pleasant people I have ever worked with. She maintains her calm in even the most stressful situations and brings kindness, humor and fun to every space she is in. She is also a meticulous worker who is equally skilled with logistics and creative. Anyone would be lucky to work with, for and alongside Sam."

— Jennifer Wolfe, Post Supervisor

"Samantha is a delight! She's one of the hardest workers I've ever worked with, and has taught me so much professionally. She's an incredibly hard worker who always stays focused and determined. I would highly recommend her for any job with full confidence!"

— Lauren Prywitch, Casting Producer

“I worked with Sam (almost) from her first job out of school. From the get-go, Sam proved time and time again how smart, driven, forward thinking, and creative she is. Pitching in wherever she was needed, picking things up quickly, coming to team meetings with creative ideas, all with enthusiasm. I watched and helped Sam grow from an assistant to a producer and I fully recommend her as an indispensable addition to any team.”

— Beth Schiff, Talent Director

"I had the pleasure of working with Samantha on multiple high profile projects for 8+ months. She is a phenomenal producer who is preternaturally organized and efficient, and able to seamlessly juggle anything given to her. She's amenable, proactive and has some of the best self-created tracking tools I've seen. She is fantastic with internal teams and clients, and a natural problem solver. She also has the best restaurant and theater recommendations you could ask for.

I would hire her in a heartbeat the minute I had an opening for a staff position. Anyone who gets the opportunity to work with Samantha is lucky! I highly recommend her."

— Sue Fallon, Executive Producer

"Sam was always so friendly and outgoing, making everyone feel important to the team. She taught me everything she knew and has brought me onto projects throughout her career.

She's a producer who empowers her team - I always feel comfortable going to her with any challenge because she always empowers me with confidence and helps me find a solution. She's the type of supervisor who is able to kindly give feedback when it's needed while simultaneously reminding you of how much you bring to the table.

She's a super skilled supervisor and producer who gets the greatest interviews and is the first to identify a great story that makes the project special. I'm grateful to have her as a mentor!."

— Mary McGowan, Associate Producer