Happy 25th Anniversary, Videomaker!

To help us celebrate 25 years of teaching video techniques, we created a forums page called "How Videomaker Helped Me". Below are a few comments we've received. Read more or to add celebratory comments.

VM helped my Career Succeed

Even when Videomaker Magazine was brand-spanking new it was a fount of information and knowledge about producing video that I was overjoyed and amazed to discover. Shortly after my first venture into video as a hobby, I attended a small gathering of people in the Orange County, California area who wanted to share a bit of their frustration, and production knowledge (snicker, snicker) with each other.

The best thing that came from that meeting was somebody had "found" this magazine that was chock full of great information for beginner video enthusiasts. I immediately subscribed. It was several years before I even thought about trying something without first checking to see what Videomaker Magazine had to say about it.

Today, after some 20 years in the business and more than 15 as a full time independent professional video services provider, here I am, given the opportunity to participate in the Videomaker forums and as a moderator, and writing for the magazine that did the most to boost me in the right direction,

The knowledge, encouragement and information Videomaker imparted has helped me be successful in my career.
- "EarlC", Videomaker moderator and writer, Earl Chessher

Giving Back to the Video Community

I first ran across Videomaker in 1999. I had just gotten out of the service and despite having some hardcore experience in video production I couldn't get a full-time gig. With my cash nearing 'critical mass', I grabbed as much research material available on both business and video production. Amidst that pile, was Videomaker Magazine.

In the following year, I was able to start my biz and though I was a professional, Videomaker was a real help particularly during that time when the 'digital revolution' was underway.

Now more than a decade later, I've had the opportunity to give back some of that knowledge and assistance through the forums and articles on VM's site and magazine. This is the kind of hobby/business that is constantly evolving and VM has been very good at keeping up and making sure the rest of us do too!
- "Composite 1", Videomaker moderator and writer, H. Wolfgang Porter

World Renowned Guitarist

In 2001, I arrived in London to start a new job, a new life with new challenges and opportunities. Coming from surf city Durban in South Africa, the change was a real wakeup call in many areas...including my passion in video art. As a mechanical design engineer, I made a reasonable living - as a part time guitar player I went places few get to visit - but as a video creator I was going nowhere fast!

Music was my first love and the possibilities to 'make your own break' using video as a means to that end became my passion. I have no idea when I found Videomaker online but it became my lifeline and continues even more so today.

In 2006, I started GuitaristTV.com. By that time, I had upgraded to a Canon XLS and was eating bread and water to pay for it, but in June '06 I landed an interview with the most famous guitarist on the planet - Joe Satriani. Joe graciously launched my channel and the rest is history. The channel is now on every mobile device, on loads of set top boxes across the globe and streams live on the internet everyday. I've interviewed many great guitar players, worked with some very famous ones, including Dennis Stratton from Iron Maiden/Praying Mantis/Lionheart, Al Atkins from Judas Priest, Simon Lees from Budgie and more.

Would I be without Videomaker magazine? Not on your life, mate! This mag is gold to me and I thank the hardworking folk for continuing to produce the Ultimate Video Mag!
- Mike de Jager , Founder/Director of Guitarist TV Limited.