prog
Priest of the Temple of Syrinx
Hi all, prog here. First and foremost, a big thanks to everyone who enjoyed the first article in the Microphone Mechanics series and to everyone that shared it. It was really humbling to see the response from Smash players, and commentators in other scenes as well, so I guess I'm on the right track with this.
A few people asked why am I writing this, and well, there are a few reasons. Firstly, many people have asked how to get into commentary, how to improve, etc. These are questions many commentators in the scene have had, from myself, to D1, to Toph, to Coontail, to Webs, to TKBreezy, to Keitaro, to Scar, so on and so forth. None of us are professionals, we’re all amateurs who want improve, not just for ourselves, but also for the viewing audience of 30 or 300,000. Most often as commentators, we’ll hear that someone doesn’t like X without a why. Players get feedback, commentators rarely do. Even still, not everyone will like everyone’s approach, their style, how deep or shallow they delve, and that comes with the territory. That being said, remember, you won’t please everyone, but you can at least hone your style and keep at it.
Secondly, it’s the year 2014. Streams are more prevalent than ever. A new influx of would-be commentators will populate the Smash 4 scene, some may be brand new, others will be veteran commentators from previous titles. People may want to improve their commentary for other titles. One way or another, a lot of people want to start or improve.
Like I said, this isn’t a guide to commentary, but it’s just some things to consider. That said, cheap plug for the Smash Commentators FB group. It’s a small group that was started before EVO 2013 as we realized the importance of the event and wanted to be sure that we were all at the top of our game. Afterwards, we opened up to all Smash games because everyone can improve. There is some Q&A, some people have asked for critiques, because we're all trying to figure this out.
Since this is part two, I figure I’ll change things up before we get into the meat and potatoes of the article.
Questions, Comments, Consternation
So, after looking through the comments on the previous article and questions asked in the Facebook group, I pulled a couple of questions and comments to address. This will be a recurring thing, so again, leave them in the comments and I’ll get to them.
Hmm, there's one topic I'd like you to talk about: unintuitive things beginner commentators should do (like telling the back story of a match), and intuitive things beginner commentators should not do (like screaming whenever there's a 3 hit combo or what have you).
The biggest thing I see most commentators forget to do is introduce themselves. You are the connection between the audience and the game, build a connection with the audience by letting them know who you are. If you’ve got the time, tell a bit of your back story, where you are from, how long you’ve been in the scene, etc. When it comes to telling the back story of a match, sure, go for it, that goes under the storytelling aspect. Play up placements, past battles, rivalries, match up experience, etc.
As for things that beginners shouldn’t do? I’d say do it all, but listen to yourself afterwards. I know that when I was still commentating I would listen to some of my old stuff and cringe, even stuff as recent as the previous tournament. That was a necessity, I'd learn from it and make adjustments, and that's the important part.
In future guides, can you explain more in depth appropriate uses of language and why they are important for growing the scene? So many commentators don’t realize or rather don’t understand how they can jeopardize a future community gigs at events/streamers partnerships by making a fool of themselves.
2014 is very different from 2007. The eyes on the scene are more than we’ve seen. Face it, sponsors have their eye on us, and it's fair to say that Nintendo is doing the same. Opportunities are out there that we’ve never seen before. Look at the number of major sponsors in competitive gaming investing in players. look at VGBootCamp, going from streaming as a hobby to doing it full time thanks to community support - and now owning the Xanadu venue. When you are on the microphone, you represent far more than yourself. You represent your scene, the event, the stream, their sponsors, maybe even your own sponsors. Choose your words wisely, because you never know who is watching.
When it comes to language, it’s been stated a thousand times, so I’ll keep it concise. This community exploded recently. It’s primed to do it again in a brand new way with the release of Smash 4. This community is where it is because of the dedicated work of many people of different races, religions, creeds, genders, LGBTQ+ status, ability, etc. It’s been open and should continue to be open to all. Don’t let your words end up dissuading someone! They could be the next great community leader, the next superstar player, or maybe just like everyone else, someone who wants to be a part of something special.
I have an accent, how do I deal with it?
Own it. I mumble at times and I have a slight lisp. It doesn’t bother me. A verbal tick gives you character. However, if your articulation is a concern, D1 posted this recently, so check it out and give it a try.
The Ten Commandments of Commentary
On Twitter, @warpticon was tweeting notes on certain things that he felt were the fundamentals of commentary: the things everyone should know. I adapted them and changed a couple based on my own personal feelings, but overall its an excellent list and he deserves recognition for it. Give him a follow.
Also, I lied, there are only eight. Just making sure you’re paying attention.
1. Commentary is meant to match the tone of the event.
Commentary is a bit like tofu. A meal may or may not be based around it, but it should take on the flavor of what’s around it. What’s your event? Is it a laid back local? Is it a major? Is it a salty suite? Is it at an FGC event, sidebets going on and the crowd roars seeping through your microphone? A more “eSports” style event with the crowd able to hear you, as well as competitors?
Your approach should change for all of the above.
2. You are you. You will never be another person. Stop trying.
When I first started doing commentary, I was heavily influenced by HomeMadeWaffles and Phil. The pair had so much passion about everything they were doing in the scene, they were laid back, hilarious, knowledgeable, energetic. I gave it a try, imitation is the fondest form of flattery, right? Well...I sucked at it. Later on, I figured out what I was comfortable doing, what I enjoyed doing the most, well, that came across in my presentation.
Basically, there is only one you. Don’t try and be a carbon copy of anyone else. You can learn, take notes, or reference someone else's stuff, but in the end you’ll be a lot better and happier when you are yourself.
3. Story time has its place.
Sometimes, you may have some extra time during a broadcast. A match that has lost interest due to playstyle, competitors not taking it seriously, etc. A commercial break…with no commercials. Waiting for a competitor. All of these things will happen. Story time has a place - just make sure it is relevant. When you watch professional sports, they’ll often talk about a player coming back from injury, their path there, or even some random anecdote that relates to how they play. You can do the same: try to humanize players and make them people, not just two avatars controlling characters.
4. All the game knowledge in the world is meaningless if you sound bored on the mic. Inject some energy into it.
I spoke a bit on this in the first article, but again, what you say is just as meaningful as how you say it.
5. Words have consequences.
This isn’t just about word choice, and I spoke on this in the Q&A segment. Rather, this is more about knowing what you do know and what you don’t. A commentator with limited knowledge who knows what they don't know is better than a more knowledgeable one who doesn't.
However, you will be wrong, and being wrong isn’t always a bad thing (just try not to do it consistently). People will correct you in stream chat or on Twitter, so you’ll get the opportunity to redeem yourself. Other times, you’ll see someone who will go out of their way to make a video to correct you. Knowledge gets spread, the game marches on, and everyone wins. Just be sure that when you are wrong not to take it personally. Everyone makes mistakes, but as long as you're bettering yourself there's nothing to be upset about.
6. You don't have to say something at every single moment. As in visual art, "white space" in your commentary is useful. Learn to use it.
I’ll cover this a bit more later, but silence is very powerful when used properly. Just like sometimes you can approach with an aerial, sometimes an empty jump will be what the job calls for.
7. Know your role. You're there to fill the knowledge and information gap, not to show off how much you know.
There are so many options that can be explored. In any situation, a player will make a choice. You can talk about that one. You can delve on the timings, what you would have done, what would have been smarter or better, but the best option to cover is what happened and why it failed or succeeded.
8. Commentary is like anything else: practice produces improvement. Don't wait until a broadcast to work on your skills.
A person’s vigor isn’t judged by when the camera is on, rather its judged by when the camera is off. In the NBA, you hear about the practice regimen of many stars. First ones there, last to leave. Not everyone has that work ethic.
Commentary isn't something that is practiced so simply.
Preparation
How do you prepare? There’s a lot that can be done to prepare for an event.
1. Play the game.
The best way to get prepped is to play. Get in the mindset, see the matchups being played. Figure out what works, what doesn’t work, and where people falter and succeed. Can't do it? Study. There are forums (like Smashboards), constant streams on Twitch, and video archives on YouTube that have tons of gameplay and tutorials for you to learn from.
2. Play something similar.
Play a different game where you see the same methodology being applied, but where your familiarity isn’t as strong. See if you can pick out universal strategies and thought processes.
3. Commentate other things.
In preparing for events, I’d commentate just about anything: people driving, getting stuff at the supermarket, all sorts of different things. You are probably closing out of this tab on your browser and wondering when precisely I lost my mind, but even completely unrelated commentary practice helps formulate effective stream of consciousness. Who knew that commentating things that involve players making split second decisions would require require such a thing?
I've written one script, and the opportunity never came to deliver it (EVO 2013 introduction), rather I used it as bullet points for conversation as it was wrapping up. A few people asked if my speech about gods at MLG was scripted, nope. I wrote down "memento mori" and went from there after hearing from the producers that we had some additional time to kill. Being able to formulate thoughts and spit them out as the opportunity arises and knowing when to move on from a topic because something else is happening is of the utmost importance. Often times, commentators will stay on one thing for too long and let two or three skirmishes pass by, still remarking on the initial one.
4. Study other games and their commentators.
When I started getting comfortable doing commentary, I had learned a lot from Wife and Dogysamich. However, I spent a lot of time watching Ultradavid/James Chen/Seth Killian/Combofiend/Yipes. I wasn’t just a fan of the games they were talking about or how they presented themselves, but also interested in how they dissected and prioritized things. Frame data? Cool to throw out here and there, but more about the “why” of a move than a “what” really garnered my interest. I would watch the LCS to take note of the usage of stats, and also how they present these players to an audience that may or may not know them. Then I’d watch a game I was completely unfamiliar with to see how they removed the learning curve. You can learn from all of these, as your audience may encompass all of the above.
However, just like training mode helps you with certain things, practice doesn't truly simulate a real match. Unfortunately, nothing truly does except for actually doing it. Right where you are, the competitors seated, being in the heat of the moment, every word counts. You may have a partner you like working with or maybe one you’re working to find a groove with. There are so many variables in a real match, the best recommendation I can give is to just get out there and do it as often as possible. Just like locals are where players hone their craft, do the same there.
Silence is Golden
Not every moment needs a reaction. Sometimes the story is told by silence or a new chapter begins because of it. The first example, the air was sucked out of the room. It was a stunned silence after a shriek, and it captured the moment. Everyone knew what happened, and even if you didn’t, the reactions of the crowd, the walking away, you knew the gravitas of what just happened.
In the second match, there was more to the match than the players involved. The crowd dominated that portion of the match. Remember in Rocky how the commentators are talking about the fight, but then eventually don’t exist anymore as it’s all about the two in the ring and the crowd as “Going the Distance” plays in the background?
Words are expected. Silence is jarring.
The Art of Storytelling
In Part One, I said,
So, how do you do this? Remember that first and foremost, you’re on the clock and you don’t know for how long. You want to cover both players/teams, so you can keep it basic: their name, where they are from, characters they play, relative skill level (new player vs two time EVO Champion). You may not know a player, but you can of course glean information based on who they select and maybe you hear more about them as the day goes on.
I preach that everyone involved in tournaments needs a pen and paper. Players might take notes on matchups, situations, move choices, habits, etc. Commentators, the pen is your sword. Looking at APEX2014, I heard these murmurs about Excel Zero. When I got a break, I asked a few people about him, who was he, where was he from, his style, his body count at that point for the event, so on and so forth. When he finally stepped up to play on stream, I was confident enough to talk about him because of information I had taken down moments before. Even at MLG, when we weren't getting full bracket images, Wife was filling out a paper bracket as the event went on.
Your narrative doesn’t have to be in depth. You can keep things general, but as you get more specific it adds a layer of importance to the player, especially if you are listing their accolades. It not just shows how good they are, but gets people thinking about the past events and provides a backdrop. Just to do some comparisons, I had these two entries in my notes. This one is from January 2014, leading up to APEX.
Aisengobay (Fox) - best player from Brazil, first major in the States
Pretty bare, but I have his main, his region, how he's ranked there. Having the note of his first major in the states, lets me set him up as being untested at majors in North America, which sets up this underlying question, how can he do against some of the best in the world?
Meanwhile, this is one from EVO 2014.
PPMD (Falco Marth) - one of the big 5, wasn’t able to duplicate his success post Pound V until APEX 2014, but cemented his place with that and a win at SKTAR3
5th - Apex 2012 (beating Zoso, Silent Wolf, Sfat, Wobbles, losing to Armada and Javi)
1st - Northwest Manifest (beating Westballz, Eggz, S2J, SFAT, Lovage)
1st - Zenith 2012 (wins over Swedish Delight, Stric9, PC Chris, loses to M2K, beats Jman, Hungrybox, Chudat, M2K)
2nd - Impulse
2nd - Smasher’s Reunion (wins over Paju, Adam, Ice, loses to Armada(but took a set), wins over Leffen)
1st - Kings of Cali (beats Eddy Mexico, Fiction, Westballz, PewPewU, Axe, loses to Mango in winners, beats him 2 straight sets)
2nd - APEX 2013 (losing only to Armada, beating M2K, Hax, Colbol, Trail, Tope)
4th - Zenith 2013 (beats Vist, DJ Nintendo, DaShizWiz, loses to Hungrybox, beats Hax, loses to Mango)
5th - EVO 2013 (wins over Armada, Hax, Mattdotzeb, Redd, losses to Wobbles and Mango)
3rd - The Big House 3 (wins over trail, nintendude, darkatma, sfat, loses to M2K and Hbox)
1st – APEX 2014 (beats Mango and M2K twice in top 8, Mattdotzeb, Kage, Hugs, aMSa in round 2 of pools)
1st - SKTAR3 (beats Reno, DEHF, Shroomed, Armada, Mango, M2K all from winners side of the bracket)
4th - MLG Anaheim (beats M2K, Axe, Hax, Colbol, Remen, Soft in pools, loses to Leffen; loses to Mango, beats Leffen, loses to M2K)
What does all of this really let me do? Of course, I can point out placements, I can point out marquee players they've beaten (matches against great players with X character to point out experience), regions they’ve traveled to and how they’ve performed, and you'll also note that I don't put stock in locals for the most part, it has to be a local that has enough gravitas to be noteworthy (not even a stacked region, I'd go into power rankings and talk about the depth there). It also helps knowing their backstory, it humanizes them. Where they are from, character transitions, their journey, how long they’ve been involved, etc. And even beyond that, I had notes on how Armada/Mango/PPMD/M2K/Hungrybox are head to head, and even some info on how they do against one another on certain stages (thanks Tafokints!) in my pocket.
With all of that info, what’s the most important? That, my friend, is up to you. Personally, I like placings and marquee names. You can't just say X player is among the best in the world (unless they are synonymous with the game or series, like a Justin Wong, a Mew2King, etc.) If they get far enough in the tournament, they should be recognized as that (at least on that day). Besides, talking about results grounds it all. It forms their story, how good are they traditionally (from 25th at X event to top 4 at Y), how they do on the national/international scene, or even locally if they haven't gotten the opportunity to really display their skill on the national level.
With all of this chat about the players, don’t forget to tell the story of the event. How long it’s been around, where you are in the bracket, how large of an event it is, so on and so forth. It’s all killer while still being filler.
--
Here ends the second part. Possible future topics to discuss:
1. Just Killing Time
2. Crafting Doubles
3. Tongue-Tied
4. The Power of Adjectives
Also, if you have any questions, comments, or things you want me to expound on, don’t hesitate to comment here on Smashboards or message me on Twitter at @progducto. I’ll certainly look to go in depth with a few more of these topics, or do more Q&A in Part 3. Thanks gang.
A few people asked why am I writing this, and well, there are a few reasons. Firstly, many people have asked how to get into commentary, how to improve, etc. These are questions many commentators in the scene have had, from myself, to D1, to Toph, to Coontail, to Webs, to TKBreezy, to Keitaro, to Scar, so on and so forth. None of us are professionals, we’re all amateurs who want improve, not just for ourselves, but also for the viewing audience of 30 or 300,000. Most often as commentators, we’ll hear that someone doesn’t like X without a why. Players get feedback, commentators rarely do. Even still, not everyone will like everyone’s approach, their style, how deep or shallow they delve, and that comes with the territory. That being said, remember, you won’t please everyone, but you can at least hone your style and keep at it.
Secondly, it’s the year 2014. Streams are more prevalent than ever. A new influx of would-be commentators will populate the Smash 4 scene, some may be brand new, others will be veteran commentators from previous titles. People may want to improve their commentary for other titles. One way or another, a lot of people want to start or improve.
Like I said, this isn’t a guide to commentary, but it’s just some things to consider. That said, cheap plug for the Smash Commentators FB group. It’s a small group that was started before EVO 2013 as we realized the importance of the event and wanted to be sure that we were all at the top of our game. Afterwards, we opened up to all Smash games because everyone can improve. There is some Q&A, some people have asked for critiques, because we're all trying to figure this out.
Since this is part two, I figure I’ll change things up before we get into the meat and potatoes of the article.
Questions, Comments, Consternation
So, after looking through the comments on the previous article and questions asked in the Facebook group, I pulled a couple of questions and comments to address. This will be a recurring thing, so again, leave them in the comments and I’ll get to them.
Hmm, there's one topic I'd like you to talk about: unintuitive things beginner commentators should do (like telling the back story of a match), and intuitive things beginner commentators should not do (like screaming whenever there's a 3 hit combo or what have you).
The biggest thing I see most commentators forget to do is introduce themselves. You are the connection between the audience and the game, build a connection with the audience by letting them know who you are. If you’ve got the time, tell a bit of your back story, where you are from, how long you’ve been in the scene, etc. When it comes to telling the back story of a match, sure, go for it, that goes under the storytelling aspect. Play up placements, past battles, rivalries, match up experience, etc.
As for things that beginners shouldn’t do? I’d say do it all, but listen to yourself afterwards. I know that when I was still commentating I would listen to some of my old stuff and cringe, even stuff as recent as the previous tournament. That was a necessity, I'd learn from it and make adjustments, and that's the important part.
In future guides, can you explain more in depth appropriate uses of language and why they are important for growing the scene? So many commentators don’t realize or rather don’t understand how they can jeopardize a future community gigs at events/streamers partnerships by making a fool of themselves.
2014 is very different from 2007. The eyes on the scene are more than we’ve seen. Face it, sponsors have their eye on us, and it's fair to say that Nintendo is doing the same. Opportunities are out there that we’ve never seen before. Look at the number of major sponsors in competitive gaming investing in players. look at VGBootCamp, going from streaming as a hobby to doing it full time thanks to community support - and now owning the Xanadu venue. When you are on the microphone, you represent far more than yourself. You represent your scene, the event, the stream, their sponsors, maybe even your own sponsors. Choose your words wisely, because you never know who is watching.
When it comes to language, it’s been stated a thousand times, so I’ll keep it concise. This community exploded recently. It’s primed to do it again in a brand new way with the release of Smash 4. This community is where it is because of the dedicated work of many people of different races, religions, creeds, genders, LGBTQ+ status, ability, etc. It’s been open and should continue to be open to all. Don’t let your words end up dissuading someone! They could be the next great community leader, the next superstar player, or maybe just like everyone else, someone who wants to be a part of something special.
I have an accent, how do I deal with it?
Own it. I mumble at times and I have a slight lisp. It doesn’t bother me. A verbal tick gives you character. However, if your articulation is a concern, D1 posted this recently, so check it out and give it a try.
The Ten Commandments of Commentary
On Twitter, @warpticon was tweeting notes on certain things that he felt were the fundamentals of commentary: the things everyone should know. I adapted them and changed a couple based on my own personal feelings, but overall its an excellent list and he deserves recognition for it. Give him a follow.
Also, I lied, there are only eight. Just making sure you’re paying attention.
1. Commentary is meant to match the tone of the event.
Commentary is a bit like tofu. A meal may or may not be based around it, but it should take on the flavor of what’s around it. What’s your event? Is it a laid back local? Is it a major? Is it a salty suite? Is it at an FGC event, sidebets going on and the crowd roars seeping through your microphone? A more “eSports” style event with the crowd able to hear you, as well as competitors?
Your approach should change for all of the above.
2. You are you. You will never be another person. Stop trying.
When I first started doing commentary, I was heavily influenced by HomeMadeWaffles and Phil. The pair had so much passion about everything they were doing in the scene, they were laid back, hilarious, knowledgeable, energetic. I gave it a try, imitation is the fondest form of flattery, right? Well...I sucked at it. Later on, I figured out what I was comfortable doing, what I enjoyed doing the most, well, that came across in my presentation.
Basically, there is only one you. Don’t try and be a carbon copy of anyone else. You can learn, take notes, or reference someone else's stuff, but in the end you’ll be a lot better and happier when you are yourself.
3. Story time has its place.
Sometimes, you may have some extra time during a broadcast. A match that has lost interest due to playstyle, competitors not taking it seriously, etc. A commercial break…with no commercials. Waiting for a competitor. All of these things will happen. Story time has a place - just make sure it is relevant. When you watch professional sports, they’ll often talk about a player coming back from injury, their path there, or even some random anecdote that relates to how they play. You can do the same: try to humanize players and make them people, not just two avatars controlling characters.
4. All the game knowledge in the world is meaningless if you sound bored on the mic. Inject some energy into it.
I spoke a bit on this in the first article, but again, what you say is just as meaningful as how you say it.
5. Words have consequences.
This isn’t just about word choice, and I spoke on this in the Q&A segment. Rather, this is more about knowing what you do know and what you don’t. A commentator with limited knowledge who knows what they don't know is better than a more knowledgeable one who doesn't.
However, you will be wrong, and being wrong isn’t always a bad thing (just try not to do it consistently). People will correct you in stream chat or on Twitter, so you’ll get the opportunity to redeem yourself. Other times, you’ll see someone who will go out of their way to make a video to correct you. Knowledge gets spread, the game marches on, and everyone wins. Just be sure that when you are wrong not to take it personally. Everyone makes mistakes, but as long as you're bettering yourself there's nothing to be upset about.
6. You don't have to say something at every single moment. As in visual art, "white space" in your commentary is useful. Learn to use it.
I’ll cover this a bit more later, but silence is very powerful when used properly. Just like sometimes you can approach with an aerial, sometimes an empty jump will be what the job calls for.
7. Know your role. You're there to fill the knowledge and information gap, not to show off how much you know.
There are so many options that can be explored. In any situation, a player will make a choice. You can talk about that one. You can delve on the timings, what you would have done, what would have been smarter or better, but the best option to cover is what happened and why it failed or succeeded.
8. Commentary is like anything else: practice produces improvement. Don't wait until a broadcast to work on your skills.
A person’s vigor isn’t judged by when the camera is on, rather its judged by when the camera is off. In the NBA, you hear about the practice regimen of many stars. First ones there, last to leave. Not everyone has that work ethic.
Commentary isn't something that is practiced so simply.
Preparation
How do you prepare? There’s a lot that can be done to prepare for an event.
1. Play the game.
The best way to get prepped is to play. Get in the mindset, see the matchups being played. Figure out what works, what doesn’t work, and where people falter and succeed. Can't do it? Study. There are forums (like Smashboards), constant streams on Twitch, and video archives on YouTube that have tons of gameplay and tutorials for you to learn from.
2. Play something similar.
Play a different game where you see the same methodology being applied, but where your familiarity isn’t as strong. See if you can pick out universal strategies and thought processes.
3. Commentate other things.
In preparing for events, I’d commentate just about anything: people driving, getting stuff at the supermarket, all sorts of different things. You are probably closing out of this tab on your browser and wondering when precisely I lost my mind, but even completely unrelated commentary practice helps formulate effective stream of consciousness. Who knew that commentating things that involve players making split second decisions would require require such a thing?
I've written one script, and the opportunity never came to deliver it (EVO 2013 introduction), rather I used it as bullet points for conversation as it was wrapping up. A few people asked if my speech about gods at MLG was scripted, nope. I wrote down "memento mori" and went from there after hearing from the producers that we had some additional time to kill. Being able to formulate thoughts and spit them out as the opportunity arises and knowing when to move on from a topic because something else is happening is of the utmost importance. Often times, commentators will stay on one thing for too long and let two or three skirmishes pass by, still remarking on the initial one.
4. Study other games and their commentators.
When I started getting comfortable doing commentary, I had learned a lot from Wife and Dogysamich. However, I spent a lot of time watching Ultradavid/James Chen/Seth Killian/Combofiend/Yipes. I wasn’t just a fan of the games they were talking about or how they presented themselves, but also interested in how they dissected and prioritized things. Frame data? Cool to throw out here and there, but more about the “why” of a move than a “what” really garnered my interest. I would watch the LCS to take note of the usage of stats, and also how they present these players to an audience that may or may not know them. Then I’d watch a game I was completely unfamiliar with to see how they removed the learning curve. You can learn from all of these, as your audience may encompass all of the above.
However, just like training mode helps you with certain things, practice doesn't truly simulate a real match. Unfortunately, nothing truly does except for actually doing it. Right where you are, the competitors seated, being in the heat of the moment, every word counts. You may have a partner you like working with or maybe one you’re working to find a groove with. There are so many variables in a real match, the best recommendation I can give is to just get out there and do it as often as possible. Just like locals are where players hone their craft, do the same there.
Silence is Golden
Not every moment needs a reaction. Sometimes the story is told by silence or a new chapter begins because of it. The first example, the air was sucked out of the room. It was a stunned silence after a shriek, and it captured the moment. Everyone knew what happened, and even if you didn’t, the reactions of the crowd, the walking away, you knew the gravitas of what just happened.
In the second match, there was more to the match than the players involved. The crowd dominated that portion of the match. Remember in Rocky how the commentators are talking about the fight, but then eventually don’t exist anymore as it’s all about the two in the ring and the crowd as “Going the Distance” plays in the background?
Words are expected. Silence is jarring.
The Art of Storytelling
In Part One, I said,
“Why does this event matter? Who are these players? I personally took on more of this role in 2013, and it’s something I learned from Dogysamich. He had his orange binder with player histories, what they’ve won, who they’ve beaten, and I really never understood the importance of it until maybe 2012. Dogy’s binder didn’t matter to me because I knew the histories, the events, etc. In this modern era, most people don’t.”
So, how do you do this? Remember that first and foremost, you’re on the clock and you don’t know for how long. You want to cover both players/teams, so you can keep it basic: their name, where they are from, characters they play, relative skill level (new player vs two time EVO Champion). You may not know a player, but you can of course glean information based on who they select and maybe you hear more about them as the day goes on.
I preach that everyone involved in tournaments needs a pen and paper. Players might take notes on matchups, situations, move choices, habits, etc. Commentators, the pen is your sword. Looking at APEX2014, I heard these murmurs about Excel Zero. When I got a break, I asked a few people about him, who was he, where was he from, his style, his body count at that point for the event, so on and so forth. When he finally stepped up to play on stream, I was confident enough to talk about him because of information I had taken down moments before. Even at MLG, when we weren't getting full bracket images, Wife was filling out a paper bracket as the event went on.
Your narrative doesn’t have to be in depth. You can keep things general, but as you get more specific it adds a layer of importance to the player, especially if you are listing their accolades. It not just shows how good they are, but gets people thinking about the past events and provides a backdrop. Just to do some comparisons, I had these two entries in my notes. This one is from January 2014, leading up to APEX.
Aisengobay (Fox) - best player from Brazil, first major in the States
Pretty bare, but I have his main, his region, how he's ranked there. Having the note of his first major in the states, lets me set him up as being untested at majors in North America, which sets up this underlying question, how can he do against some of the best in the world?
Meanwhile, this is one from EVO 2014.
PPMD (Falco Marth) - one of the big 5, wasn’t able to duplicate his success post Pound V until APEX 2014, but cemented his place with that and a win at SKTAR3
5th - Apex 2012 (beating Zoso, Silent Wolf, Sfat, Wobbles, losing to Armada and Javi)
1st - Northwest Manifest (beating Westballz, Eggz, S2J, SFAT, Lovage)
1st - Zenith 2012 (wins over Swedish Delight, Stric9, PC Chris, loses to M2K, beats Jman, Hungrybox, Chudat, M2K)
2nd - Impulse
2nd - Smasher’s Reunion (wins over Paju, Adam, Ice, loses to Armada(but took a set), wins over Leffen)
1st - Kings of Cali (beats Eddy Mexico, Fiction, Westballz, PewPewU, Axe, loses to Mango in winners, beats him 2 straight sets)
2nd - APEX 2013 (losing only to Armada, beating M2K, Hax, Colbol, Trail, Tope)
4th - Zenith 2013 (beats Vist, DJ Nintendo, DaShizWiz, loses to Hungrybox, beats Hax, loses to Mango)
5th - EVO 2013 (wins over Armada, Hax, Mattdotzeb, Redd, losses to Wobbles and Mango)
3rd - The Big House 3 (wins over trail, nintendude, darkatma, sfat, loses to M2K and Hbox)
1st – APEX 2014 (beats Mango and M2K twice in top 8, Mattdotzeb, Kage, Hugs, aMSa in round 2 of pools)
1st - SKTAR3 (beats Reno, DEHF, Shroomed, Armada, Mango, M2K all from winners side of the bracket)
4th - MLG Anaheim (beats M2K, Axe, Hax, Colbol, Remen, Soft in pools, loses to Leffen; loses to Mango, beats Leffen, loses to M2K)
What does all of this really let me do? Of course, I can point out placements, I can point out marquee players they've beaten (matches against great players with X character to point out experience), regions they’ve traveled to and how they’ve performed, and you'll also note that I don't put stock in locals for the most part, it has to be a local that has enough gravitas to be noteworthy (not even a stacked region, I'd go into power rankings and talk about the depth there). It also helps knowing their backstory, it humanizes them. Where they are from, character transitions, their journey, how long they’ve been involved, etc. And even beyond that, I had notes on how Armada/Mango/PPMD/M2K/Hungrybox are head to head, and even some info on how they do against one another on certain stages (thanks Tafokints!) in my pocket.
With all of that info, what’s the most important? That, my friend, is up to you. Personally, I like placings and marquee names. You can't just say X player is among the best in the world (unless they are synonymous with the game or series, like a Justin Wong, a Mew2King, etc.) If they get far enough in the tournament, they should be recognized as that (at least on that day). Besides, talking about results grounds it all. It forms their story, how good are they traditionally (from 25th at X event to top 4 at Y), how they do on the national/international scene, or even locally if they haven't gotten the opportunity to really display their skill on the national level.
With all of this chat about the players, don’t forget to tell the story of the event. How long it’s been around, where you are in the bracket, how large of an event it is, so on and so forth. It’s all killer while still being filler.
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Here ends the second part. Possible future topics to discuss:
1. Just Killing Time
2. Crafting Doubles
3. Tongue-Tied
4. The Power of Adjectives
Also, if you have any questions, comments, or things you want me to expound on, don’t hesitate to comment here on Smashboards or message me on Twitter at @progducto. I’ll certainly look to go in depth with a few more of these topics, or do more Q&A in Part 3. Thanks gang.
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