Jacob Bustin never guessed that capturing a squirrel attack on camera would be his first claim to fame.
The 20-year-old studies film in Fredericton at the Centre for Arts and Technology. He was shocked to see his video go viral after he uploaded it on Oct. 31, and said he hopes it will bring his aspiring production company some much needed attention.
You may have already seen it circulating on comedy video hosting sites. It’s called “Ninja Squirrel VS Stoners,” and in less than a week it has been viewed over half a million times. The video features Bustin and his friend Tyler as they investigate a strange sound in a garbage can that turns out to be a vicious, spring-loaded squirrel.
It may seem silly, but Bustin said the emails from major websites are already pouring in.
“We first noticed that the Huffington Post got a hold of it, and it started getting hundreds of thousands of views there,” he said. “Then it was on CollegeHumor. com. We were just amazed so many people were watching it.”
After that, major sites like FunnyorDie. com, Jokeroo.com and Ebaumsworld. com started writing Bustin asking for permission to host the video. An agency called Japanese Media contacted him looking for permission to air it on television in Japan.
Now his video is being played all around the world.
“Once we started getting letters asking us if it was okay to host the video – from websites that weren’t small-time – I knew it was going to get really big,” Bustin said.
The video has even gotten the attention of actor and comedian Robin Williams, who jokingly called the video “one of the greatest films of all time.” He then went on to poke fun at Bustin and his friends in an impromptu sketch, uploaded on popular vlogger Ray William Johnson’s YouTube channel.
“The fact that Robin Williams has seen and laughed at my video makes me want to cry,” said Bustin with a snicker.
Since the video blew up, it’s made numerous appearances all over the web. MTV got Bustin’s permission to air the clip, and even filmed a parody video. Bustin thinks the reason so many people find the video funny is because of his unseen reaction.
“You can’t see me in the video, but I’m sort of freaking out from behind the camera, and my voice sounds really funny,” he said. “We’re just talking like stoners and we’re both shocked and laughing. I think people are laughing more at us than the squirrel.”
Bustin studies digital film at the Centre for Arts and Technology. His course has him practicing camera work, video editing and special effects software. He wants to be a professional filmmaker and he said YouTube is the perfect place to start.
“I have an aspiring film company called Cannibustin Films that I started with some friends. We don’t just want to exclusively make comedy videos, but they’re definitely the only way to go if you want a video to go viral.”
The small taste of fame has inspired Bustin to start making more videos with his friends in and around Fredericton.
“Coming up with something or just capturing something really funny isn’t the hard part. It’s just a matter of being at the right place at the right time. The hard part is making it catch on. We sort of lucked out with ‘Ninja Squirrel,’ but now we’re trying to learn more about promoting and distributing viral videos. I want to make a living out of this.”
