In 2018, it’s common knowledge that YouTubers, content creators with large followings on the all-dominant YouTube.com, can be some of the highest paid individuals in the entertainment industry. In addition to the wonderful aspect of making money, making videos on YouTube can be a creative outlet for anyone, from filmmakers to beauty vloggers to video gamers.

YouTube is an amazing place for any type of video-maker to get his or her start, so it’s no surprise that some of North Atlanta’s most tech-savvy students have taken to creating their own videos and online personalities.

One of the more popular student YouTube channels, among sophomores at least, is run by Armari Hodges. His channel, sensibly titled “IAM ARMARIHODGES,” currently has 199 subscribers. His videos are of the typical YouTube personality variety: pranks on innocent family members, challenges and vlogs. (For those illiterate in Internet vocabulary, a vlog is a video blog of sorts and usually follows the YouTuber throughout his or her day, giving a more intimate look into the person’s life.) Hodges is dedicated to his channel, even saying he wants to pursue a potential career in creating video content after high school. “I started making YouTube videos because the YouTubers I watch inspired me to start making my own,” he said.

Even the newbies at North Atlanta are gaining a student following on their channels. Freshman Nick Schramkowski’s channel, “Paperclip Productions,” is a prime example. His channel, however, differs from the typical YouTube format of non-fictional videos about their lives. His channel focuses more on short films and his own filmmaking. “Before I started posting on YouTube, I was just making videos and editing them, but I would have no way to show people or get feedback on them,” he said. “Posting them on YouTube was a way for my friends to be able to see the films that I made and was working on.”

Being a YouTuber is a lot of work. Having to write, direct, film, and edit your own videos can be incredibly stressful. But for the YouTubers of North Atlanta, it’s no issue to juggle all these cinematic and production tasks along with a full slew of school and extracurricular activities. These budding filmmakers of the next generation provide their peers with quality, or at least compelling, content worth watching. Who knows? Maybe the next Shane Dawson or James Charles is right there next to you, copying your notes in your algebra class.