INPUT
ME: How did you get the idea for the original
cat video?
P.K: We created “An Engineer's Guide to Cats” for a
film festival in Australia. The video is a derivative of
an earlier film that had similar characters and humor.
ME: Why do people get such a kick out of it?
P.K: It’s all about the cats. The engineer characters
allow for fun interactions with the cats, and nerds
or geeks do seem to have some degree of popularity
these days, but it really is all about the cats. We do
enjoy poking fun at engineers and we know the
stereotypes well. Anyone who watches our videos
will notice that the set is always the same and TJ
and I wear the exact same shirt in each video. Many
engineers don’t like change, and some will literally
wear the exact same thing every day. Right TJ?
TJ: (No response).
ME: How do you come up with an idea for a movie?
P.K: They usually start with some kind of visual
in my head. How these things come into my head
I have no idea and it’s something that can’t be
forced. I just kind of leave the front door unlocked
in my mind and once in a while an idea will come
wandering in. Many of the ideas seem too idiotic at
first but I rarely toss them away and the ridiculous
ideas often tend to be the best.
ME: What are the results of becoming popular
for your cat videos?
P.K: We are slightly famous, which is super fun,
and we get to be mini-celebrities now and then.
TJ: ...
ME: What do you like best about your day job?
And what best about making a cat video?
P.K: With engineering I enjoy the creativity and
problem solving and working with sharp people.
It also pays pretty well. Cat videos have similar
opportunities for creativity and problem solving,
and it is pretty cool having TJ on board for all the
nonsense I create. You don't find too many people
who are willing to do this year after year. The main
difference between engineering and cat videos is
the size of the audience. Only a handful of people
will ever see my engineering reports while
literally millions of people see our cat videos.
TJ: ... ME
P
CAT Video series brings fame to two engineers.
Klusman (left) and
Wingard apply
engineering principles
to their furry co-stars.