All eSports fans of your favorite video games have seen how tournaments are more than just professional gamers. The eSports boom in recent years worldwide has brought with it the professionalization of numerous profiles such as players, coaches, specialists, casters, among others.
Something that seems quite striking to us is that, did you know that the caster is one of the most important figures in esports and without which they would lose all the emotion that characterizes them? We took on the task of talking to some of them to find out more about this exciting work and to be able to tell you about it.
According to Cristian “Fahrenheit” Franco, a caster can be defined as an electronic sports narrator, his role being to recount in detail the events that happen within a competitive game, transmitting emotions in each encounter and analyzing the reason for each action within the game. same.
For her part, Sofía Galindo “Soso”, caster back up of the Mexican League of Legends, Division of Honor, a competition developed by the Professional Video Game League (LVP), points out: “…he is a sports commentator who focuses on electronic competitions, its function? beyond the obvious that it is to give voice to the confrontations, it is to entertain the public; making that game that was not being entertaining, be it, that that person who does not know about the game or the competition, gets excited and wants to know more, basically is to be that first barrier for the world to know about esports”.
And really, what is the importance of a caster within electronic competitions? According to Abdiel David Estrada García, caster and content manager of the LVP, the set of all the factors that surround electronic competitions creates a functional and passionate ecosystem, so the participation of one of them is vital so that audiences can feel part of it. of the competition: “…they become key characters for any competition”.
Also, Juan Pablo “Demizos” Morales, camera talent, points out that they are the team responsible for adding emotion and guiding, for the same reason they play a vitally important role in competitions: “…add importance and value to the events that occur within of the games adds a lot to the viewer experience.”
What does it take to be one? The boys agree that it is essential to have knowledge of the game, feel emotion and passion for what is done, have a great desire to work and improve, fluency, good handling of words and tone of voice are vital. Similarly, they mention it is necessary to have a community that supports them.
Among the skills that stand out are being disciplined, charismatic, original, persevering, resilient and having a good vocal technique. Is being a caster one of the most demanded profiles in the world? “Yes! The casters are fundamental pieces in the execution of the competitions because they are the direct communication before the spectators.
A good one can make the difference between the success and failure of an electronic competition, depending on the narrative that is carried out, the emotions that are transmitted and how entertaining they can make the tournament”, said Cristian “Fahrenheit”. From another point of view, “Soso” agrees with Cristian and ensures that he is the first thing that viewers will hear when entering the broadcast:
“…you are that first link between those who know and those who do not, you are what they are going to see when they enter the camera, the one who puts on a face if a problem arises in transmission, the one who has to give voice to 10 seconds of a confrontation , but I think that all the profiles have their degree of difficulty, the production ones that make each transmission possible, the communications ones that do everything to have an impact, relevance and bond with the viewers; administrators, makeup artists, producers, designers, administrators, players, technical staff, organizations. It’s like a gear, everyone fulfills a specific function so that everything goes well”.
Finally, could being a caster today be considered a new form of employment? According to Demizos, the industry must grow even more, at least in Latin America: “…for now, the ideal is to complement it with content creation, brand management, that the fact of being a caster complements one’s own personal brand and thus be able to fit into more projects. to future”.
On the contrary, Cristian “Fahrenheit” assures that it is: “…it is complicated, there are few spaces and many people who want to be, but little by little they begin to create more competitions, more games, so soon there will be room for everyone”. “It must, it is a job, and as all work should be considered as such for the remuneration of the service, even today many people consider that casters should do it for ‘love of art’ there are even those who are offended when you ask about the salary, we have to change that”, concluded Sofia.
In conclusion, esports will continue to grow through the voices of great casters, so now you know, if you want to be one of them, participate in the community, prepare yourself, be dedicated, constant and show all your passion. dreams come true!