Is it really a career?
When people asks Sam Wright whether they should pursue shoutcasting as a career, she is not falling over herself to encourage them.
“I try tell the truth: this is not a career in South Africa,” she says. “The industry is still too new and there aren’t enough opportunities to truly make it a career. I am a full-time esports commentator but the majority of my income is derived from working overseas at various events. I’d not be able to do this full time if I relied on the local industry. So that’s important to understand right from the start.
“It’s also a difficult field – there are hundreds of people around the world chasing the same dream and you need to put in ten times more work being so far away from the action. Your own content becomes your showreel and much of that content will be made off your own dime. Travelling is also tough. I was lucky because I had a British passport, but without that foreign passport you need to look at securing working visas for various regions and that will all need to come from your own pocket.”
She insists, though, that does not want to put anyone off choosing this path.
“It can be done, I’ve done it. Trevor ‘Quickshot’ Henry is a phenomenal voice and face of international League of Legends, and is also a South African, who moved to Europe. It isn’t impossible, but like any entertainment job, it really isn’t an easy ride. So if this is the career you want. you need to be aware of the mountain ahead.”
Industry pioneer Paul “Redeye” Chaloner’s advice to prospective shoutcasters is not very different to what one might tell gamers:
“You need to be incredibly passionate about what you do, whether commentary or hosting. You need unlimited passion because, at some point, you’re going to be challenged, from a monetary point of view, by real life issues like children, marriages and mortgages, and you will definitely be challenged by the community. It’s an incredible community, but we say what we think. You need a thick skin, and drive , ambition, tenacity, all before we talk about the main thing, the skill to do the job in the first place. It’s an incredible industry, but its an incredibly difficult industry to conquer.”
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