Matt Little is a creative director from New York whose “Pizza Rat” video went viral in 2015. He shares how he responded to media inquiries afterward and found an agent. He says going viral didn’t completely change his financial situation, but today it makes him money. Loading Something is loading.
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This essay as stated is based on a conversation with Matt Little, a 41 year old creative director who lived in New York for many years and recently moved to Los Angeles.
I have worked various jobs in and around the entertainment industry since graduating from Pennsylvania State University in 2003.
In 2015, I was 34 years old and two of my regular gigs were at the now-closed East Village location of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, commonly known as “The Beast.” I worked a few nights a week at the connected bar, The Hot Chicks Room. I’ve also done comedy regularly, including co-hosting the Sunday night open mic for improv acts and skits, Bring Your Own Team (BYOT).
Around 1 am, I was walking home from organizing BYOT and having drinks with my friend, Pat Baer. We left before closing time and started catching the L train bound for Brooklyn, since I was living in Bushwick at the time. Dead tired, we didn’t say much to each other. That is, until I looked and saw something.
It was a rat dragging a piece of pizza.
A clip of “Pizza Rat” in motion, from Little’s 2015 YouTube video.
Screenshot by Matt Little/YouTube
I never film things with my phone. But in a moment of lucidity, I knew I had to capture this or my friends wouldn’t believe me. I filmed it, then forgot about it until the next day. After coming up with a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”-inspired joke, I posted the video on Instagram, which sent it to my Facebook page. About an hour later, Facebook friends started requesting to share my private video. I changed the settings and soon Pizza Rat became a viral hit.
My roommate Sebastian Gladstone made a critical suggestion that afternoon. After fooling around with the video, he got very serious and urged me to post it on YouTube. The video now has over 12 million views.
I also shared the clip with two popular New York-centric news outlets, Gawker and Gothamist. I have previously submitted both tracks on my shows and often received no responses. I knew something was different this time when I received a response from Gothamist within two minutes of sending the email.
Requests started coming in soon after
The first day it felt like a blur. I would click on an email and my inbox would swell with 40 or more new messages. Waves of intense attention followed. I spoke to numerous news outlets, including GQ, Inside Edition, and CBS News. The media ads were not paid for, but they did provide me with wide exposure.
I answered many inquiries from licensing agencies who wanted to work with Pizza Rat. These companies help secure usage rights and third-party payment. If you’ve seen Pizza Rat on late-night TV, commercials, or events, it’s likely that a licensing firm and I have legally signed on.
I researched which agency was the best option
I was lost. Fortunately, my friend Charlie Todd, the founder of Improv Everywhere, had the experience of going viral with events like Frozen Grand Central Station and pantsless subway rides.
He told me to ask about the companies’ relationships with influential media contacts. You want to be represented by a company that has a good relationship with the major media agencies so you can make connections and close deals. And don’t give in to early temptation. Licensing agencies will start reaching out when you have only a few thousand hits. These companies didn’t seem to have the same quality connections as the groups that reached out when the video got a higher number of views.
I chose Jukin Media on day one and have been working with them ever since. Jukin helps track the requests I receive for the Pizza Rat video and brand, handles unlicensed use, and helps ensure essential deal details are included in agreements. A big one for me was making sure my watermark was included on all licensed videos.
Going viral didn’t necessarily change my financial situation, but it helped
There were times in my life when I was grateful to have the money when times were tough. At other times, it has been a great source of side income. My goal is to take this money and keep saving it. I hope one day to use it for a down payment on a house. So I can say that a rat paid my house.
I’ve also found myself in rooms with some big name people that I don’t think I would have met if I hadn’t been the guy from Pizza Rat.
It even comes up during job interviews.
During a 2019 interview for a copywriting gig with the social media agency Movement Strategy, the hiring manager and I discussed Pizza Rat before our meeting. I got the job and now work there full time as a Creative Director where I am able to oversee numerous entertainment properties, conceive, write, produce and oversee the production of various television and entertainment properties.
I also keep finding opportunities for Pizza Rat. I am researching the merchandising and other opportunities that arise from having a copyright on the name. Be sure to do the same if your video takes off.
Now he’s on a new adventure. After 17 years of living in New York City, my fiancée and fellow comedian, Becky Chicoine, and I moved to Los Angeles. The move is for job opportunities and personal growth. I’ve been transferred to my company’s Los Angeles office, and we’ll both be looking for entertainment opportunities.
Are you a YouTube creator with a story to tell? Email Senior Editor Alyse Kalish at [email protected].
Source: news.google.com