If you are about to kick-start your journey as an eSports shoutcaster or if you are aiming to become one in the times to come, you would probably have a few questions about how you need to go about it to make the best possible impression and make it a long-lasting career. Below we have assembled some of the best tips and advice on the things to remember as a beginner eSports shoutcaster.
For those just starting out their eSports shoutcasting careers, we have an exhaustive guide on what exactly does the role of a shoutcaster entail; you can check it out here. If you are interested in knowing more on the salaries earned by shoutcasters at every level, you can take a look here.
So, now digging right in, what are the things to remember and tips and advice for those wanting to make a shoutcasting career in eSports? Remember, nobody is born with all of the qualities mentioned below and very often one can build it with time.
Table of Contents
Be Open to Shoutcasting
There is no harm in wanting to advance your gaming career if you are a solid gamer but at times, it’s also good to broaden your horizons. A gamer’s career isn’t the longest by most accounts and if you think you have a fair grasp of eSports as an industry and want to make it your career, you might want to consider all the available options.
Which, again, is not saying you need to quit gaming itself but a very teeny-weeny percentage of those gaming make it to a level where they can earn a regular and solid income out of it.
Casting, on the other hand, might not be the most lucrative career, but it allows one to remain associated with eSports for a long time while also allowing one to earn substantial amounts. Many of the casters’ stories start with an accidental dabbling at shoutcasting before it went on to become their career; so in short, keep your eyes and ears open, figuratively that is, for any such opportunities.
Jump Right In & Just Do It
Yes, eSports is a growing industry but if you think casters are waiting to be hired and paid the big dollars, you would be sadly mistaken. The demand for high-quality casters is growing but for those just beginning, there’s still some sort of a learning curve you need to follow before you make a name for yourself as a shoutcaster.
For starters, don’t expect to get paid a chunky salary for starters, it doesn’t work like that. Instead, volunteer to work in eSports tournaments where you can get a chance to showcase your skills and if possible, at tournaments which has a huge following as well.
In the short run you might not earn too much but it would help you garner experience and to rub shoulders with the players involved; this is also a very good way to network and get your name ‘out there’. Other than that, this opportunity to commentate about some of the top players helps build one’s profile too.
Improve Your ‘Vocabulary’
Shoutcasting is like sports commentary but unlike most other sports, eSports is very fast-paced and rarely allows the shoutcaster a luxury of thinking too much. Most experienced shoutcasters have an excellent vocabulary of the language in which they are commentating but more importantly know the ins and outs of the vocabulary of the game they are shoutcasting on.
One of the ways of doing that is to listen to other casters but with the ear of the vocabulary they are using at what juncture; whether the language they use to describe the situation or it’s the gaming terminology used for that particular eSports game.
Become an Expert in At Least One Game
They say being a jack of all trades isn’t such a good thing if you cannot be a master of any. Well, we wouldn’t go to the extent of saying that in eSports shoutcasting but there’s definitely a grain of truth in the need to be a master of at least one of the eSports games.
The confidence from knowing ‘your’ game inside out is probably second to none and it allows a natural flow in casting during tournaments. A shoutcaster needs to be passionate while commentating and that’s usually a tough one to crack without being an expert at a game.
Plus if you have played that game enough, you would have probably developed some kind of following too and that helps no ends as organizers do like casters to bring in their own audience.
Have a Sound Knowledge about Other Games
So you are an expert at one game and can shoutcast on it without batting an eyelid. Great. That’s the first step towards carving out your career in shoutcasting but what do you if that game goes out of business for starters? You don’t want your shoutcasting career to end or at least hit the pause button, right?
While a casting career and all that goes on around it is hard work, try and take some time out to pick up a second and third game as well, so that the transition time between the two isn’t a lot.
And it’s not just about a game going out of business. Building one’s knowledge about another game just widens your chances of getting more work especially in the early stages of your career when you are still building on your own brand.
Understand the Technology
There are various ways to kick-start shoutcasting as a beginner. You could opt to do it on Twitch or you could practice on old games on YouTube. You could also look to opt for audio-only casting like podcasters; anything to get started.
However, a big challenge comes in the form of choosing the technology for both, the software and hardware.
We will cover this in greater detail in another piece but for now, OBS Studio could be used for live casting while Audacity is a good option for audio commentary.
As far as hardware is concerned, streaming videos needs a lot of CPU and GPU strength, along with a solid internet connection. Sharp headsets with a crisp audio quality is a necessity as well.
Know the Difference Between Play-by-Play and Colorcasting
A shoutcaster can be expected to deliver play by play commentary or be a colorcaster, and it’s important for someone starting out to understand the difference between the two. Here’s a short guide on the differences between the two roles.
To give you a gist, a play by play caster is one who calls out the action, narrating the story as it happens and adding his/her own excitement and thrill to the game. On the other hand, a colorcaster is one who adds ‘color’ to the game, i.e. gives his/her own opinion about the play and analyzing the play instead of calling it on a second by second basis.
There’s demand for both styles of casting and try and experiment with both. With time you would know what’s best for you and how much you need to improve in the other. Some are naturally excellent at describing an eSports game but need to build on their analytical skills while others might understand and be able to explain the nitty-gritty of the game but find it tougher to do a play by play.
Sharpen your best skill further and work on the other one in your free time.
Groom Your X-Factor
It’s difficult to define what x-factor is but in simpler terms, a caster needs some form of personality.
In a competitive world, most casters can be expected to know what they are talking about but those who survive in the long run are typically those who have some sort of a personality, or an x-factor which makes them likeable and convert them into a brand of their own.
Adding the odd technical bit is fine but it should never come at the expense of boring the audience. A solid voice is an obvious must but at the same time the ability to ensure the audience can have some fun too goes a long way in helping groom your x-factor.
Know How Much Energy to Use at What Stage
There is a lot of action in eSports tournaments and commentators need to be excitable while describing play by play action. At the same time, there are ebbs and flows in games, there are high-intensity events and lulls, and it’s important for a caster to understand how to tackle them.
The thrill in the voice should always seep through but at other times, the need to build up towards the excitement is quite vital. There are moments in the game which deserve more energy than the others, and it’s important to learn the art of modulating one’s voice accordingly.
Clarity of Speech Much Important
As mentioned elsewhere, eSports and gaming happen quickly and at times there’s a lot happening on the screen. As a beginner caster, the temptation would be to narrate every small detail but at times it’s just not possible.
And that’s fine.
What’s not fine is the lack of clarity which might accompany a casting stint because you have had to say a lot and ended up enunciating very little. Yep, that’s the word – enunciation – which is the “act of pronouncing words”.
You don’t want to put your audiences off because your speech isn’t clear as you look to run through your play by play stint (or even colorcasting). It’s imperative to maintain that balance between exhibiting enough energy and clarity of speech and one can do that by telling oneself you are commentating for someone who isn’t watching but just following the game through you.
Research & Prepare
Before going out to cast a game, be sure your research is very thorough and you have prepared for scenarios. Yep, did we tell you casting is not all fun and games, ironically, it’s also about being on the top of situations you might encounter during a game.
There could be exciting periods where you would have a lot to cover but only so much time or there could be lull periods where you would need material to fill in. Ensure you have researched enough about the teams, the players, their previous record, their strengths and weaknesses, any inputs from games they have been a part of a scrims and so on.
And if you are not a master of the game you are casting, research and try and improve your knowledge game itself so that you are covered for most situations.
Casting Partnerships Could Work Well
While at entry levels where one isn’t paid to cast in tournaments the requirement is usually of just one colorcaster, some competitions also get a play by play caster to commentate with a colorcaster and if done well, this partnership could go a long way in adding to the fan experience.
From your side, think of casting as teamwork, see what works for your partner and what works for you, complement each other accordingly and deliver the casting package as a team and not as two individuals.
Try Building an Online Presence
You are just starting out. It’s your first attempt at casting a game on Twitch or YouTube. And you don’t have anyone watching other than your own family members who are probably the only people in the world who know about your casting aspirations as well.
Disheartening, right? That’s where most people start. Without too much of a following.
However, as you cast more, get used to the nuances, establish your own style, you also grow your following and establish your own brand. This goes a long way in helping you get an edge while applying to prospective jobs.
I mean, for starters this allows you to submit your work to those hiring for casting jobs and to try and get more work from the local events who are looking for volunteer casters as well.
Practice, Practice &…Practice!
This is often said but often trivialised but there is no substitute to practice. Even when there are no ongoing tournaments or you aren’t a part of any as a shoutcaster, give yourself a daily schedule.
This will allow not just allow you to build an audience and your own brand but also help you sharpen your edges, while at the same time understanding the nuances of the game you are casting. It’s a different deal actually playing it than it is talking about it.
When you actually regularly practice and replay the casting in order to listen to it, you would have a far deeper understanding of where you could improve and what are your strengths.
Review Own Work and Improve
This is a continuation of the previous point. Practice is important but so is reviewing and improvement. Keep learning, keep tweaking, keep improving.
If you have been a gamer at any level of repute, this is something which should come naturally to you as well.
To take this a step further, watch eSports videos cast by others and try picking up the good and the not-so-good about it; look at forums and comments section to check for the feedback there as well to understand what works and what might not.
Ask for Feedback
There’s always going to be someone around who is a better caster than you. Ask for feedback and review and think of every such interaction as a way to improve yourself.
When you are just starting out, there is a good chance you wouldn’t get everything right; that happens to most. What would help is to not just review your own work but also get the pros involved – ask for help, try and get them to give you honest feedback and work to improve on it.