Why aren’t cats as popular in cinema films as internet videos?
Cat videos almost dominate the internet video sites. Together they are seen hundreds of millions of times. Yet, there are no such films of funny cats and crazy cats etc. at cinemas, or as DVDs sold at shops. Cats are extremely popular online but they have almost no presence at all on the ground.
The amount of views that some videos get is larger than many successful films. Take, for example (at random), the video of the angry cat I recently referred to on the cat rage page. That video has been seen 82 million times. Compare that with the film Titanic, the fifth most successful film of all time in money made.
At cinemas it has been seen by about 200-250 million people and 60-100 million bought the DVD. OK it is more than the video but the figures are in the same order of magnitude. Many other successful films will have been seen by less people than the video I have referred to. This is remarkable.
We seem to have two different sorts of viewer (a) internet and (b) cinema. The cost of making a short video is nothing compared to the cost of making a major movie. Videos are profitable in terms of advertising revenue.
I wonder if you could present cat videos in cinemas? It seems wrong. Why does it seem wrong? I don’t really know. You see them on television occasionally.
These are some of the differences between online videos and films:
- Films are much longer at about 90 mins or more. Videos are very short by comparisons at 15 seconds to several minutes, usually. It is about attention span. A lot of people who have a short attention will prefer a video online. Modern man has a shorter attention span. It is all quick and instant. Online surfers skim everything. Many videos of a few minutes are not seen through to the end.
- Cinemas and DVD shops charge us to see or buy their product. Online videos are free. This massive difference must cause different people to be attracted. At a basic level, people with less disposable money are more likely to watch a video online.
- Anyone, anywhere can watch a cat video online. Film audiences are much more restrictive due to the language barrier and distribution barriers. There are no language barriers for cat videos. This must boost video views.
It seems that film makers missed out on a money making subject: cats. Even today, no one is making or plans to make a film that features cats. The Warrior Cat book series is extremely popular and there is a call for a film based on the series but there isn’t a film producer anywhere who will make it despite the obvious success of cat videos. The only Warrior cat movies are videos made by amateurs.
You can almost sense that a film about cats would fail. But would it? Why can’t we transfer the explosion of popularity of cat videos and even still images to film at cinemas and on DVDs?