The first sentence we ever published in Videomaker Magazine’s inaugural June 1986 edition read:
“It was bound to happen: A magazine devoted to the needs of individual videomakers—the first publication of its kind in the country.”
Now, as we bring Videomaker to its final edition, this closing chapter coincides with my retirement. At the height of our success, we printed 160,000 copies of a 156-page magazine per issue — requiring 80 tons of paper. Back then, we sourced paper directly from mills, with two tractor-trailers hauling the massive rolls to our printing company.
In the 39 years since that first issue, the media landscape has changed in ways we could never have imagined. Who would have predicted that video cameras would one day fit into every pocket or purse? Or that they’d be replaced every few years with the latest phone? Or that anyone, anywhere, could become a publisher or television producer through social media?
We didn’t anticipate that shrinking newsstands would make it impossible to sell single copies of our magazine. Nor did we foresee that declining advertising and subscriptions would one day force us to stop printing. And we certainly couldn’t have imagined the rise of corporate monopolies. These would dominate the media ecosystem, claim the lion’s share of profits and disrupt the publishing industry as we knew it. Yet, alongside these challenges, these same changes empowered video creators to reach global audiences in ways we once only dreamed of.
As we adapt to the realities of today’s media landscape, Videomaker Inc. will continue to live on. In 1994, we launched our website. It will remain a hub for the insights and guidance that made our magazine a trusted resource. Our email newsletters and social media channels will carry forward the mission of inspiring and instructing video creators.
Over the years, our mission statement evolved to “Your guide to creating and publishing great video.” Early on, it was “to democratize and enrich television.” This was a reference to one of the medium’s original definitions: a system for transmitting visual images and sound to inform, educate and entertain. Little did we know how profoundly we would help society achieve that mission, or how these advancements would ultimately make it harder for our magazine to thrive. So many can now participate in the media ecosystem we once sought to open.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the unsung heroes who made this journey possible: the workers in the newsstand industry, the U.S. Postal Service, the paper mills, the foresters who grew the trees and the printing companies.
To the hundreds of staff members who brought their talents to Videomaker over the years, we owe you immense gratitude.
And to our primary stakeholders — our loyal advertisers, subscribers and single-copy customers — we are forever thankful for your unwavering support.
Thank you for being part of this extraordinary journey.
The last sentence I will ever write in Videomaker Magazine mirrors the first: It was bound to happen: a magazine devoted to the needs of individual videomakers — the last publication of its kind in the country — is transitioning to a new chapter.
