His big break
“My video first exploded after the movie Boyhood came out in August 2014, when I originally posted it. It was good timing,” says Cornellier, a mechanical engineering student. “I’d posted it on Reddit and it got reposted and reposted. Today, I’m talking to the BBC!”
As a 12-year-old, Cornellier saw YouTube sensation Noah Kalina’s early selfie video, chronicling six years, and was inspired.
“But Noah was an adult,” says Cornellier. “I wanted to show aging and growth.”
He delivers. The video shows Cornellier’s progression through puberty, showcasing an array of looks, from mohawks and buzz cuts to his first beard. We see him in Cuba and in a Santa hat. We see his first girlfriend and his first apartment.