From the Camcorder to the Big Screen: Two Youtubers' Rise to Fame

posted Dec 11, 2014, 6:09 AM by Unknown user [ updated Dec 11, 2014, 6:10 AM ]

Alyssa Miller

As online shopping and communication has become more popular, so has online movie and video watching. One of the largest propheting companies is YouTube, a video-sharing website created in 2005. Men and women of all ages can post videos of themselves doing a wide array of tasks: singing, shopping, making jokes, etc. With the overwhelming success of the company, video-posters are also becoming successful. Two people who have used the website as an avenue to become successful and make a profit are Bethany Mota and Jimmy Tatro.

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Mota, a 19-year-old beauty guru from California, began her channel, Macbarbie07, in June 2009. She was bullied at school and felt this was a good way for her to be herself without judgement. Five years later, Mota has over 7 million viewers on her beauty, fashion, lifestyle, and advice channel. Her vlog (video blog) channel, BethanysLife, has over 2 million viewers.

No longer is Mota solely a YouTube star; she is also a fashion designer, singer, and dancer. Mota’s collection for Aeropostale has been a big hit among teens and tweens. She released her single, “Need You Right Now”, on iTunes on Oct 13, 2014. Mota made it to the semi-finals on the latest season of Dancing With the Stars alongside her dance partner, Derek Hough.

Although Mota’s career is taking off, she tells viewers not to worry. She says she does not plan on leaving the channel that got her started.

Another YouTuber who has taken his success from the video camera to the big screen is 22-year-old comedian Jimmy Tatro. Tatro joined YouTube in November 2011 with his best friend and roommate, Christian Pierce. Pierce and Tatro titled the channel LifeAccordingToJimmy and began make comedic skits every Monday for viewers. Their videos quickly took off among high school and college students. Today,

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the channel has over 2 million viewers.

Tatro has grown from only making YouTube videos to doing stand-up comedy shows and acting in films. He most recently played Rooster in 22 Jump Street but he can also be seen as a frat boy in Grown Ups 2. He is said to appear in the television show turned movie Blue Mountain
State which is said to come out in 2015.

Tatro lives in California with Pierce and is dating Disney star Emily Osment. Whereas he used to post videos every Monday for viewers, he now posts once a month due to his other commitments. Although Tatro is not posting videos as often, he says he has no plans of leaving YouTube because it is fun for him and Pierce.

Mota and Tatro are just two of many YouTubers who have used the video-sharing website and are now famous. Many YouTubers are stand-up comedians, publish books, make music, and appear in commercials, movies, or television shows. With the success of such a website, anyone with a camera and a good personality can become a millionaire.

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