Will Braden knows exactly what makes a cat video go viral.
“In most of the successful ones, the funniest bit of it happens right at the end, so then it’s still in people’s heads and they’re thinking, ‘I gotta share that with somebody,’” he says.
Braden knows of what he speaks, because he spends much of his year sorting through the most meme-able videos of grumpy cats, frisky felines, and cuddly companions while compiling a 75-minute greatest-hits reel. The result of all that sleuthing is CatVideoFest, which will hit more than 200 theaters in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand this weekend. Braden, who founded CatVideoFest in 2016 than partnered with Oscilloscope beginning in 2019 to bring it to a much wider audience, curates and edits the feature-length montage.
“This world is very difficult to pay attention to right now,” say Braden, a Seattle-based filmmaker whose business card reads “I make cat videos.” “People need fun and unbridled joy.”
In addition to combing through social media and tracking down the original creators, Braden also sifts through roughly 1,000 submissions from pet owners eager to give their furry friends 15 seconds of fame.
“The only real hard and fast rule I have is that it can’t be too long,” Braden says.
They also have to be family friendly. CatVideoFest comes out in the dog days of summer (sorry!) because the goal is to provide wholesome entertainment that parents can share with their kids when they’re out of school. And Braden wants to keep things moving, because as a parent, he understands his audience.
“I have a 5-year-old, and I’m very aware of the attention span and the bladder control of kids,” he says.
This year’s reel will have plenty of videos of cats walking funny, cats sneaking up on their owners and cats looking generally adorable — from tabbies to coon cats to ragdolls, the gang’s all here. There will also be feline-heavy animated clips and music videos.
“I’m desperate to see this one video with an audience to see if everybody else finds it as funny as me,” Braden says. “It has a cat licking the foam off a cup of steamed milk. And underneath there’s a voiceover that’s like when the barista tells you all the notes of the things you’re supposed to taste in your coffee. And you can just sort of imagine the cat trying to discern the flavors. I love videos that anthropomorphize cats.”
Braden has first-hand experience with creating viral moments. His black-and-white web series “Henri” followed the adventures of a longhair tuxedo cat with a serious case of ennui. Played by his late cat, Henry, Braden’s videos looked like they came out of the New Wave and followed its subject as he mused about the futility of existence… in French, of course. He also shot commercials for Friskies, the pet food maker.
“I’ve done a lot of cat directing, which is a very specific skill set that has no applicability,” Braden says. “Cats don’t speak English, so much of filmmaking is just little logistical things like figuring out how to cheat a shot or tricking a cat to turn their head in the exact right way. You have to sit there until the magic happens.”
Last year, CatVideoFest grossed more than $1 million. It also has raised hundreds of thousands to support rescue shelters. Many theaters partner with organizations to encourage patrons to adopt or foster cats. Braden has tried to expand, launching a DogVideoFest at one point, but it didn’t elicit the same response as his cinematic celebrations of cats.
“The personality of a cat just lends itself to jokes and funny bits,” he says. “Dogs are so obedient and want your affection. Cats are more hands off. And their expressions are more of a blank slate and they’re kind of imperious. It allows you to project more on to them. There’s a reason the ancient Egyptians worshipped them.”
variety.com
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