Peter McKinnon
Born 1985 · Age 40
Canadian photographer, filmmaker, and YouTube creator known for cinematic tutorials, rapid subscriber growth, product collaborations, and high-profile creator partnerships.
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Life & Career Timeline
Left college a credit shy
Dropped out of college one credit short of graduation (quit to pursue photography/creative work).
Bridge jobs: steakhouse cook, landscaper, State Farm associate
Worked a series of odd jobs (golf course landscaper, State Farm associate, cook at a steakhouse) while training as a magician and transitioning toward photography.
Hired at a camera shop (career bridge)
Took a job at a camera shop to learn gear, improve photography knowledge, and move toward professional work.
Production manager at Ellusionist (approx.)
Worked as production manager at Ellusionist, helping film and photograph product releases (listed as ex-production manager in profiles).
Featured work gains attention (BuzzFeed / NatGeo mentions)
Photographic and video work began to be featured by outlets such as BuzzFeed and National Geographic (blog sources reference this attention).
Identified gap in filmmaking tutorials on YouTube
Noticed that filmmaking/photography tutorials on YouTube lacked engaging, human presentation and decided to create more energetic, cinematic tutorials.
Went full-time into YouTube/creative work (approx.)
Made the jump to pursue YouTube and creative work full-time after early validation on the platform.
First months on YouTube: 800 subs, 6,889 views, $0.55 AdSense
In the first few months on YouTube he amassed 800 subscribers, 6,889 total views and earned $0.55 in AdSense—used as proof-of-concept to continue full-time.
Early high-profile collaboration: Casey Neistat DM and Amsterdam shoot
Received a DM from Casey Neistat to collaborate; flew to Amsterdam within roughly 15 hours to film with Neistat, a pivotal collaboration that boosted exposure.
First year as full-time YouTuber: prolific uploads
Uploaded aggressively in his first year on YouTube — reported 180 videos in 365 days, showing high consistency and volume.
Reached 1 million subscribers in approx. 9 months
Achieved first million-subscriber milestone rapidly (reports indicate about nine months from starting full-time on YouTube).
Reached ~1.8 million subscribers within first year
Reported to have ~1.8M subscribers within the first year of being a full-time creator (source: Filmora/guest post Apr 2018 referencing his first-year growth).
Plaid Chair Series and Ellusionist portfolio work gains recognition
Notable creative projects such as the 'Plaid Chair Series' and product photography/videography for magic community (Ellusionist) widely circulated.
Built reputation for cinematic tutorials and two-minute series
Gained audience through tutorials, vlogs, 'Two Minute Tuesdays' and high-quality cinematography that set him apart in the photography community.
Partnered with Nomatic: Camera Pack collaboration
Teamed up with Nomatic to design a Camera Pack/backpack tailored to photographers and filmmakers, leveraging creator-product collaboration strategy.
Shorty Award: Breakout YouTuber of the Year
Won the 2019 Shorty Award for Breakout YouTuber of the Year (listed on his official bio).
Partnered with PolarPro: Signature Edition II lens
Collaborated with PolarPro to release a Signature Edition II camera filter/lens product tied to his brand.
Royal Canadian Mint recognition (minted & serialized)
Listed on official bio as having work minted & serialized into Canadian currency & archives (date listed on site; year not specified).
Streamy Award: Best in Cinematography
Won the 2020 Streamy Award for Best in Cinematography (listed on official bio).
Scaled merchandising and partnerships
Expanded merch/product business including collaborations (Nomatic, PolarPro), high-selling merchandise and limited edition 'Pete's Pirate Life' drops (product business scaled).
Launched Camera Tool after ~18 months development
Released a Creator-focused Camera Tool product after roughly 18 months of development (described in Forbes profile).
Collaborative business partners/Spacestation association noted
Listed business partners Sean Holladay and Shaun 'Shonduras' McBride and a relationship with Spacestation for product/brand efforts (Forbes profile references partnerships).
YouTube totals reported on official site (subs & views)
Official bio lists ~5.96M YouTube subscribers and ~628,326,012 total views (site snapshot; date not explicitly given).
Instagram milestone reported (3.2M followers)
Official bio lists Instagram follower count of ~3.2M (date of count not specified on site).
Expanded product collections: Clocks & Colours collaboration (approx.)
Reported to have launched a collection with Clocks and Colours as part of diversified product drops and limited editions mentioned in Forbes profile.
Forbes profile: over 5.8M YouTube subscribers
Featured in Forbes (Feb 17, 2023) profiling his creator economy rise; reported over 5.8 million YouTube subscribers and wide-ranging product collaborations.
Continued creator prominence and community mentorship
Ongoing role as a creator mentor, collaborator, and product entrepreneur; continues to release content, collaborate, and launch drops (ongoing milestone).
Referenced in later analyses of creator growth (Filmora / other outlets)
Cited as a case study for rapid subscriber growth and content strategy in articles published through 2025 (Filmora guest post and related coverage discuss his first-year stats and tactics).
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