Are you interested in Splatoon commentary? What questions do you have?

[falco]

Hi all,

I’m Falco and I’ve commentated for various tournaments in the Splatoon scene such as IPL events (Low Ink, Proving Grounds), majors (20XX, Super Jump), InkTV, and even Nintendo affiliated tournaments.

I know there are many folks who are interested in getting into commentary so I would like to know what questions you may have. I can’t promise I can answer them all here but my goal is to make a video on “intro to commentary” video to address these.

Thanks!

 

[kyubone]

absolutely!! i've done some live commentary for fighting games, but i find the action and events much easier to track in 1v1 games for obvious reasons, so team-based games like splatoon are a different beast. for starters, i'd love to know more about the items below.

1. camera control: starting with the neutral/bird's eye view seems useful, but how do you determine what action to follow and when to switch the camera without disorienting the audience? are there specific things you're looking out for in the course of a match, or just trying to strike a balance between following the objective and letting unexpected occurrences play out?
2. game state: what changes during the match are you paying (and calling) attention to as a commentator? do you focus on individual players making their moves, team dynamics and coordination, the good moments, the painful moments? what do you feel should be prioritized by commentators to make the viewing experience more cohesive and enjoyable for all? do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of action happening in-game, and if so, what methods allow you to keep up with the pace of a game as fast as splatoon?
3. other commentators: how do you approach casting with other commentators, particularly ones you haven't worked with in the past? how easy or difficult have you found it to establish a good rapport with someone else on the desk, and what tips do you have to help build that rapport without risking stepping on their toes or dominating the conversation?
4. general dos and don'ts: is there any broad advice you can give to new casters on how to perform their job effectively without crossing any explicit or implicit lines? especially for nintendo-affiliated events, i'd imagine there are some ways they'd prefer you to cast, so what should we be looking out for to ensure it's smooth sailing for everyone? (what comes to mind is saying "splat" instead of "kill" but i'm sure there are better illustrations of this point, and it's also speculation so correct me if i'm wrong)

ofc feel free to include any examples of your commentary that you're particularly proud of or feel illustrate your ideas well. i'm sure that i'm just one of many players in comp who would love some direction on how to get started with casting, and just knowing that someone who's already filling that role is willing to share their insight is very encouraging.

thanks for doing this! looking forward to the video!

 

[Sambews]

I think information on the actual act of casting would be *super* interesting, but I’d also like to hear you talk about how to actually get into casting. Where do you go get experience? Do you approach TO’s and ask if they want a caster, or wait for people to make requests?

Very excited to see this video, if it happens! I don’t think Splatoon’s casters are bad, but I’m always blown away by how good Smash casters are by comparison. Certainly in part because the game is more complex, but I also think Smash has just been more established for more time. So helping people get into casting would be amazing!

 

[Hitzel]

1. camera control: starting with the neutral/bird's eye view seems useful, but how do you determine what action to follow and when to switch the camera without disorienting the audience? are there specific things you're looking out for in the course of a match, or just trying to strike a balance between following the objective and letting unexpected occurrences play out?

Gosh, I could write an entire article on camera control.

 

[Alphine_Agnitio]

Personally I almost never watch live streams or vods of gameplay that isn't mind but thats moreso because I don't have the attention span and my mental disabilities more than any actual issues.

That being said, I am interested in the logistics of streaming.

How do you decide what games get streamed?

Is there anything in particular that might make a game more likely to be streamed?

Is there a team involved in archiving vods of casted games?

 

[Kbot]

Gosh, I could write an entire article on camera control.

Do it old man, you won't.

 

[Tableturfer]

How do you keep up with a game like Splatoon?

I originally got into this scene commentating competitive Tableturf matches, and that stuff's much more my pace. Tableturf has a lot of the strategic aspects of the regular competitive modes, but much less immediate action, so it's easy for me to keep up and even speak speculatively on what the players might do next.

Splatoon's main modes are way faster in pace, such that I struggle to accurately describe the action as I see it (and forget about speaking speculatively). Still, I'd like to try and improve on this aspect of my commentary skills; is there something I could practice to better keep up with the pace of comp Splatoon?