We Made It – 10 Years of the Wildwood Video Archive
Never in a million years did I think I could create something that would bring so much joy to so many people.
That has always been my dream—to make people smile, create videos that warm hearts during winter, and excite them about what’s to come.
This week marks 10 years since I started the Wildwood Video Archive. Since then, we have grown this small channel to over 29 million views and posted over 1,381 videos.
Our website has also evolved from a small blog to a trusted news source for South Jersey events.
None of this would have been possible without you. Your support, encouragement, and enthusiasm have driven us to keep creating and improving.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being part of this journey.
I started the Wildwood Video Archive because, at the time, the island’s history was literally being demolished.
I wanted to help preserve the history that was being destroyed and tell the stories of older generations. This led us to digitize old 8mm and 16mm reels and upload them online.
As more changes occurred around us, I began reporting on those changes and expanded our coverage to include all of South Jersey.
During this time, we have covered hurricanes, fires, presidents, festivals, and nearly every major event on the island.
My passion, however, has always been telling history. These videos are tedious and can take up to eight months to complete, but they are so much fun to edit.
Our team consists only of myself—writing, editing, flying drones, etc.—and my beautiful wife, Julia, who ensures I look good in every shot. I am extremely grateful for her.
Last year, our hard work earned us an Emmy nomination for our video “South Jersey’s Unknown Ship Graveyard,” in which we researched sunken ships off the Salem Nuclear Plant. It was amazing to be recognized for our work, especially as a team of just two people with a camera, alongside local networks like NBC 10, CBS 6, FOX, and more.
As we look to the future, we’re excited to continue bringing you the content you love, sharing important stories, and celebrating all things South Jersey.
To celebrate, we are hosting a Meet and Greet at the Doo Wop Experience museum, located at 4500 Ocean Ave in Wildwood. It will take place on Sunday, August 25th, starting at 12 noon. You will be able to meet the WVA team and family, and purchase some of our Etsy products (I know many of you have been asking for public sales).
You can ask us questions and take photos (be sure to say hello to the woman behind the camera, my beautiful bride Julia).
I hope you can stop by and say hi!
And a special thank you out to my patrons on patreon.com. It is with their continued support I can keep making the longer and harder to make history videos. If you want to support the channel and have your name at the end of the video, Click Here.
Here’s to many more years of growth, happiness, and community.
Below is a little video we put together to celebrate our 10-year anniversary.
Thank you all for the love and support.
~ Joey