LD: “We’ll always focus on Asian DOTA first”

 

Rapture Gaming Network recently sat down with LD from Beyond the Summit (BTS) for an interview. LD spoke about his beginnings as a caster and gave us an insight into the BTS Studio as well.

 

 

LD, you have a huge fanbase now in the DOTA 2 community. Looking back a year ago, how different do you feel now after becoming famous?

 

LD: Sometimes people ask me this question and I just chuckle. I really don't consider myself famous at all! I can go pretty much anywhere in public besides a DOTA 2 / eSports event and there is virtually zero chance of anybody recognizing me. For me, being famous means that you get recognized just going about your daily life.

 

I'd be lying if I said I feel like the same person though. My life has changed completely in the past year! Since I started casting last January, I've moved across the country, left old jobs behind and struck out on a totally new career path, made new friends and lost touch with old ones and officially completed my conversion into a creature of the night! I now go to sleep around 1-3 PM PST and wake up around 9-11 PM so that I can cast and work with people on Asia / EU timezones.

 

Any examples where you have attended a DOTA 2 event and haven't being recognized?

 

 

LD: I've actually only attended one DOTA 2 event (The International 2). Quite a few people recognized me but for the most part I don't think people really knew who I was. Hopefully I'll get to travel to more events though, it is by far the most fulfilling and enjoyable part of this line of work!

 

You began your career as a caster with Luminous and was seen working with DOTA Commentary but now you have moved onto BTS. What is the reason behind this move since you and Lumi both had good chemistry and were able to cast The International together including the Grand Finals?

 

LD: When Lumi founded DOTA Commentaries 3-4 years ago, it was intended as a home for DOTA fans and aspiring commentators. The site was built back in the days before live-streaming was common and the focus was always on casting replays. DC.com's purpose was to give new casters a space where they could hone their craft and connect with a new audience but the scene has evolved a lot since DC.com was founded. Nowadays, it's all about live content with high production quality. The audience and interest for replay commentaries simply isn't there anymore.

 

After TI2, I realized that I might actually be able to work on DOTA full-time for the next few years and since then, everything I've done has focused on that singular goal. DC.com as a site was just never going to provide that opportunity, simply because the site's concept itself (replay commentaries) has a niche audience that is dwindling, not growing.

 

I still love Lumi (and the rest of DC.com) and enjoy working with him and I imagine he feels likewise (hence why we are now working together at BTS). DC.com has mostly grown inactive aside from BBallin and Tuski_Atre. I'll always have a special place for it in my heart since it's where I got my start and if Lumi, BBallin, Atre, or anyone else tries to resurrect it, I'll do whatever I can to help out! For now, my focus is on the future and my future is with BTS.

 

As you pointed out, the interest for replay commentaries is fading but when the LAN feature for DOTA 2 arrives and with the increasing number of tournaments, don’t you feel that replay commentaries will eventually find their way back?

 

LD: There will always be an audience for game commentaries but DC.com's videos aren't live content. Live broadcasts of sporting events are intrinsically more engaging than pre-recorded content. People want to experience in the moment, they want that palpable energy from the crowd, that feeling that something momentous is about to happen. As a kid, I used to be a huge sports nut. You feel so incredibly alive watching the climactic finish to a day of intense competition. Replay casts simply can't convey that kind of emotion.

 

Which tournament had a greatest impact for you personally (except The International) and for BTS, which tournament can be considered your biggest achievement that you are most proud of?

 

LD: That's really hard to say. For me personally, The International 2 - East Qualifiers was my big 'break'. I had done a few live casts prior to them but the qualifiers was my first opportunity to commentate live in front of a big online audience. For BTS as a company, I'd say the BTS World Tour was a big hit and probably one of the most unique tournaments in DOTA 2's history.

 

As for the event that we're most proud of our coverage, I'd have to say last season's G-1 League and specifically the LAN Finals. We were casting out of our bedrooms but what we put together was something that had never been done before for DOTA 2 outside of the International 2, in terms of the amount of content and the level of storyline / narrative / emotion that we were able to bring to the event.

 

We probably spent like 40 hours just preparing for those 2 days of casting but it was totally worth it. In future, I hope to be able to look back at that broadcast and laugh at how far we've come since then.

 

 

Which organisation do you feel has the most impact on your career as a caster, BTS or DOTA Commentary and why?

 

LD: Damn, that's a tough one! DC.com gave me my start and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for all my friends there (especially Luminous). However, at DC.com, I was only a member commentator. BTS is basically my baby; I live and breathe this company. It's everything to me and I probably haven't spent more than an hour a day where I'm not constantly thinking about it since I moved here. I hate to choose just one but if I had to, I'd have to say BTS!

 

What difference do you find while working with Godz as compared to Luminous? Which environment do you prefer working in, DC or BTS and why?

 

LD: Man, all these hard-hitters. You're trying to knock me out! Lumi is just a really fun, relaxing person to work with. He can be kind of crazy and intense when he casts but when we're working together outside of casts, he's very low key and messes around a lot.

 

Godz is very chill when he's casting and when socializing / hanging out outside of casting. I imagine he'd be the same, working behind the scenes on BTS but there's just one problem - he's working with me! I tend to be really stubborn and intense when I feel strongly about something and when it comes to BTS, I feel strongly about pretty much everything. It's a give and take; sometimes my intense opinions will shake up how he looks at things and sometimes his more laid-back attitude will cool me down and make me rethink my views. Basically, we both push each other a fair amount of the time but ultimately we always trust each other's judgement and will come up with a solution that feels right to both of us.

 

You can't really compare them. DC.com was a casting organization that I worked closely with as a hobby. BTS is a full-time business that I'm a stakeholder and work on day in and day out! I prefer BTS just because this environment is one where I get to focus on what I love every minute of every day.

 

Looking forward into the future, BTS recently announced the launch of their studio. Can you describe in detail what can we expect from the upcoming BTS studio? We heard on the GD show that they offered advice on what you guys needed, etc.?

 

LD: It'll be gradual but we'll continue to evolve and improve what we do every day. Specifically, you can expect us to grow slowly over the next month or so and have a basic / functional studio setup within the next month or two. Right now we're finalizing the list of equipment we need; some have already shipped, some have not been purchased yet, and some are being provided to us by partners / friends!

 

Once we have the equipment and furniture installed and set up, we'll have the skeleton of our studio: a nice camera shot of the casters, a production desk, a preview screen, good microphones, & a proper production switcher / audio mixer. Everything will be in 720p 60fps. Over time, we'll be looking to add a computer graphics solution, instant replay and more staff to oversee / focus on the production. The process will be gradual because we want to make sure we don't exceed our means but I'm pretty confident we're going to grow a lot this year and as our revenue grows, our production will grow right along with it!

 

 

As you and Godz were the major source of content for the Asian Community, will you still be concentrating on casting Asian DOTA even after your relocation?

 

LD: We'll always focus on Asian DOTA first but as I grew up in America, I definitely want to do what I can to grow the Western scene as well. You can expect us to expand our coverage in both areas but Asian content will remain our focus / priority for the foreseeable future.

 

Which are major tournaments will be casted by BTS in future and which tournaments will BTS aim to cover for the DOTA 2 community?

 

LD: We'll be covering the upcoming $65,000 season of G-1 League, which enters Phase 2 of the Asian qualifiers tomorrow! Beyond that, we're currently casting the WePlay.TV DOTA 2 League, which features Na'Vi, VP, TL, Dignitas, NTH, Empire, (::ruFnatic.EU, Mouz, & more. We just got done with 2013's first edition of the GEST Challenge, which delivered some truly amazing games. It's quickly become one of the most prestigious events in all of Asia in terms of the sheer quality of games. GEST will continue throughout this year; it includes GMPGL Regional qualifiers every week, the GEST DOTA 2 main event once a month, and the GEST Challenge once every 2 months. There's also the next seasons of SEA League and Dotatalk League to look forward to, with significantly increased prize pools and exciting new formats featuring the best teams from SEA.

 

Beyond that, we'll be covering this season's Starladder Finals and possibly selected games from other events when time permits. After that, who knows?! We're hoping to do a lot of our own events this year and there's tons of awesome stuff in the future which hasn't been confirmed or fully announced yet but we would love to cast if given the opportunity (ACE League, next season of G-League, the new Perfect World + Gamefy Dota 2 League collaboration, and possibly more...).

 

As BTS will be launching your own studio, can you share with us how the community can be a part of the BTS team? Which jobs/positions will be open for those eager to join the BTS team?

 

LD: As you can probably tell, we are not lacking in terms of awesome content but we also really want to elevate the quality of our own production for each event we cover. Long term, there will be too many good games to cover them all; what will really separate each coverage organization is the quality of its production and how good of a job it does at telling the story of its participants and events.

 

We'll just have to see! Right now, if you're local to the LA area and interested in getting some experience working on live production, we may have some opportunities for you. Beyond that, we're planning to develop our own website and will need designers and programmers to create and maintain it. Long term, we hope to begin cultivating new casting talent and expanding our team. We're always on the hunt for talented and passionate individuals, so if you think you can make a big contribution to our team, just email us and tell us how at [email protected]!

 

As BTS covers major Asian Tournaments so why was LA chosen as a studio location over any of the Asian countries?

 

LD: We chose LA for a variety of reasons. I'm an American citizen, so it makes it easier for us to set up a business in the US. West Coast was our goal because being here makes it easier to travel to SEA/Chinese events (who often have a much smaller budget to pay for plane tickets for casters than their European counterparts). LA in particular made sense because we have a lot of friends in the area who love DOTA and can contribute directly to what we do (Luminous, Purge, Blitz, Fluffnstuff, Eosin, amongst others)

 

People assume that LA is really expensive but in truth it costs me less to live in the suburb where we're located than it did for me to live back in Philadelphia! We're 20 minutes away from NASL's offices / studio and only a 6 hour drive away from San Francisco where Twitch is located. Basically, California and specifically the LA area is the mecca of the US when it comes to eSports, Youtube and social media content, so being here just made more sense.

 

When we first looked into the idea of setting up a studio, we considered Asia but the only real options were countries with a well-developed internet infrastructure such as Singapore, Korea, & Hong Kong, which are all extraordinarily expensive and come with their own set of complications ranging from language barriers to immigration/visa issues. If money was no object, we might have looked elsewhere but given our means, LA was really the best choice for our current situation.

 

G-League has been one of the major tournament casted by BTS. Can you share with us the preparation process that BTS went through before the start of the tournament and also while the tournament progressed?

 

LD: We probably spent about 3-4 months on and off in talks with Gamefy working hard to secure English coverage rights. They had some reservations but in the end they were persuaded! I'm very proud of how well our G-League broadcasts went throughout the entire tournament averaging 10-20k viewers almost every day even at horrible hours for NA/EU. Winter emerged as a fantastic caster over the course of the event, and Gamefy's production in the studio was incredible. We combined that with our deep knowledge of the Asian / Chinese scene to produce what I felt was a really enjoyable experience for the viewers and judging from the numbers it seems most people agreed!

 

The Grand Final of G-League recently concluded but the viewer count for BTS dropped significantly. What, according to you, was the reason for the drop in viewership for the Grand Final even after you had covered the entire tournament with great results?

 

LD: There were many reasons but the simplest one is that our stream was a horrible experience for the viewers. That day was really a perfect storm of "everything that can go wrong will go wrong". From the internet connection imploding, to the microphone setup not working properly, to bad camera shots (angle, lighting, scene, etc). I've probably broadcast 500+ games of competitive DOTA personally and never even come remotely close to failing as badly as we did then. Many of the issues were unavoidable and out of our control but just as many of them weren't and ultimately I take full responsibility for everything that went wrong that day. It was undoubtedly my biggest professional disappointment since I started working in DOTA 2 full-time as a caster and I won't ever let myself forget it. To be honest, I still get sick thinking about how badly that day went, but at this point the only thing to do is focus on the future and show everyone what we can do when we actually have real studio equipment and a more permanent setup!

 

During the G-League Grand Final you had announced that Luminous will become a part of BTS. How do you feel after you had previously worked under Lumi and now Lumi will be working under your lead? What expectations do you have for him?

 

LD: I've always viewed our relationship as that of two colleagues, rather than a boss-employee one! It's great to be working with Lumi again, I love him to death and am excited that we'll be able to cast together and hopefully build something really special here at BTS in the coming months. I expect that he'll continue to be awesome and unique as always, displaying both a clever wit as well as his signature inability to speak English properly. (Love you Lumi =P).

 

The fundraiser received a huge response from the DOTA 2 community and you managed to achieve your basic goal within the first 24 hours. What is your opinion about such an overwhelming response given by the DOTA 2 community?

 

LD: Simply put, it's a testament to the passion of the DOTA community that we reached our goal so quickly! It's very rewarding to see such a response and it cheers me up to know that we have such a devoted viewership. That's why I was so upset about how G-League went; our fans are amazing and deserve nothing but the best. Fortunately, we hadn't spent a single dime of the money before the G-League Final, so what went wrong there is NOT a harbinger of things to come. Give us 2-3 months and I think most people will be amazed by what we're able to achieve!

 

As a token of appreciation to the community's response, you guys have decided to reward the community with certain rewards for those who donate a certain amount for the BTS fundraiser. In addition to personalized coaching for their gameplay, to broadcasting, you guys have also agreed to sing for those tha have donated. Have you guys recorded any specific songs for this or it will be upon the request of the community members who can claim that reward?

 

LD: That'll be up to the people who selected the Song of the Siren / Aghanim's Scepter rewards! We haven't recorded anything yet; we'll be saving that for once our studio is setup so you can see us cringe visibly as we humiliate ourselves in front of thousands of people on the internet. Hopefully they will choose Godz for everything.

 

What ideas do BTS have that will be different from other studios which will be attractive to the DOTA 2 community?

 

LD: Haha, as for our own ideas, you'll just have to stick around and find out! We can't be sharing our trade secrets now...wouldn't want to make everything too easy for our competitors.

 

Before we wind up this long interview do you have any shoutouts?

 

 

LD: Shoutout to Luminous for giving me my start ! Shoutout to the GD Studio for their amazing production for Dreamhack Invitational; keep it up guys.If you want more from me, be sure to follow me! Twitter:@LDdota, Facebook: facebook.com/lddota.