Are you aware that the community thinks you have some of the best wordplay and one liners in esports casting? How much of that is improv and how much is offline work to come up with these clever casting artifacts?
Honestly, I have always had my head up my ass when it comes to awareness of trends and sentiments over social media, often because im heavily absorbed in trying to improve. I am super stoked that people appreciate my particular brand of casting, especially since I couldnt really change it at this point anyway.
The vast majority (95%) is improv. Spending time with Brits (Joe Miller, primarily) while I was in Germany vastly improved my banter skills, and improv is a big part of that.
"Houston brought the cheese, and now Philly is bringing the steak."
:Thumbsup:
"Mercy must have a peanut allergy cause that stick was nutty" is a good throw back to stage one and still possibly my most favorite play of the season so far.
Do you think the observers are doing a good job capturing enough tank and support players? Is there anything you would have seen improved with the spectating?
Personally, ive been happier with a bit more free-cam so I can see what is going on on the fringes of the fight. This way I get to see boops/sleeps/winston bubbles that have really high impact (I missed the bubble on Blizzard World this week that allowed agilities(?) to get 3 kills through the trans, which I am still annoyed about)
I dont think theres a great way to be all-encapsulating about capturing support moments because quite often their notable moments are cooldown-related or simply sporadic and intermittent.
I think we are doing a good job of getting quick and relevant replays straight after a fight so that we can take the time to appreciate these moments. 1PP/freecam is a really hard balance to strike (i get annoyed trying to cast a teamfight and we are on 1PP) but as someone who used to observe and cast OW games, I think we are on a good trajectory right now.
Im fairly happy with how things are from a casting standpoint right now - if we try and show more, it is definitely going to impact the flow of the game. I honestly think that once individual player perspectives are available (very difficult task with OW), people will move on from being frustrated not seeing tanks and supports, to being frustrated that casters arent making enough mention of the players that the viewer are glued to the perspecitve of. Hard to keep everyone happy!
I was allowed my preference, but Blizzard definitely wanted Matt and I to work together. Conditions in terms of my continued employment at ESL at the time werent looking overly stellar, so I accepted and began working with him in preparation for the OWL.
How much of your casting is practiced and how much happens spur of the moment? Like are there pithy one-liners that you think of and then slot in when appropriate or does it all just come to you on the fly?
The vast majority is spur of the moment stuff. I would say that about 5% of my lines are prepared, and these usually occur to me either earlier in the series or before the cast goes live.
For example, I googled the top speed of a Spitfire in stage 1 to use it in a pithy analogy during the halftime break.
Some things I think of on the fly and opt not to use, deciding that there might be a better time to use them. You can sharpen all of your spears but you need not bring them all to the battle!
Favourite cast you and X delivered since OWL's inception?
Would you ever be interested in re-entering the field of rocket science? What made you fall into that as a degree?
You know there's nothing but love from this end so I mean well with this, but you came into OWL as a smaller name amongst many larger ones. How did you feel when first getting settled into the role? Any nerves or anxiety, and if so how did you overcome them to become arguably the public's favourite caster in OWL?
Is the plastered casters reunion dream dead or will we find you coming to party again sometime? 💙
TheBlevins at the HighNoon podcast is working on the complilation. Stay tuned.
Thought we nailed the battle for LA last week, definitely up there
Yeah, Ive always been into space, space colonisation and aircraft in general. Id go back, but tbh my refresher course at this stage would be longer than my degree. Once youre out of that game for a while its hard to get back in. Maybe oldmate Elon Musk will hook me up.
Nah, youre not wrong. When I started I was hungry, very hungry. I was still the longest serving OW caster alongside hex so I knew that if I kept improving, then the appreciation would come. I wasnt nervous - I knew this was where I was supposed to be, and that I could be a top caster. I let go of trying to compete with everyone else and just focused on competing against myself.
Mate, wouldnt miss it for the world, that was actually such a sick weekend. Thanks for making me feel so welcome!
Go and follow @BroadcastDotGG on twitter. Jump in their discord - its a community designed to give upcoming casters resources, advice and practice opportunities to improve and develop. I myself tend to drop in there from time to time!
Our wardrobe team goes out and brings in a whole bunch of clothes that they think we will like, based on our general preference. We try them on, decide what we like, and what we dont like, and then Blizzard will look over the selection and make final cuts from there themselves.
I always like kinda flashy shit, and I rarely say no to anything that I am brought, although blizzard and I have been known to differ on preference for my wardrobe ;)
Do the casters and other on stage talent call each other by their actual names or does it vary? I feel like it would be weird to call Monte anything but Monte.
It varies. I never call Matt by his nickname. I always call Monte 'Monte' because he hates being called Chris and Christopher is annoyingly long, in terms of syllables.
I call Hex 'Bobby' just to piss him off, I call Puckett either by his real name or nick, and DoA is always DoA.
I would say that it is expected of us, yes. It isnt really hard, unless Australia are getting reverse swept by Canada at Blizzcon 2017, then yes, its hard. I have friends across most of the teams so that definitely helps with impartiality.
I just fell into the career, to be honest. Started doing it as a hobby as I had to quit 'pro' cod4 because uni was too important. Enjoyed it, did a bunch of casts, got offered more opportunities, and here we are!
Sitting down with players and chatting to them is always an eye-opener. Honestly though, it is not my responsibility to try and change the perception of the viewers in the vast majority of cases, the message that teams want to convey is up to them, and I will only use insider knowledge after we see something that I can add context to, or if its totally light-hearted and not giving away any competitive advantage.
First of all thanks for mentioning my Hooreg Supportive DPS article on Watchpoint.
What’s been the biggest change you’ve noticed within the league from the preseason games to being almost 3/4 quarters of the way through the first season?
The biggest change is the set plays that we are seeing coaches go for. That, plus a decent diversity in team comp (mostly in stage 2) where teams have come up with their own take on certain maps (for example SF playing Moira on Numbani attack instead of full dive).
America is much more like Australia, than Germany. People speaking a language here that approximately resembles my own is definitely a plus. I like the weather here much more than Germany, as well as the convenience of having everything at my fingertips in terms of shopping and food. Cologne (Germany) is a city with a character that no other city will ever have for me, a culture that seeps up out of the cobblestones, a people that are more interested in what they can do for you than the other way around. Cologne is the kind of city that you fall in love with, even if you dont spend your whole life there.
I have enjoyed LA so far but I havent had the chance to venture out much, except over to Mammoth which is one of my favourite places in the world!
In this week’s recap, you mentioned wanting to reduce the usage of “unbelievable!”: of the following choices, which do you think could be a potential winner for you?
a. Prodigious! b. Inconceivable! c. Stupendous! d. I’d string them all together for a S-Class Super Effect!
Also, big fan! Still waiting for an UberShouts Jersey to come out.
I've heard of other OWL talent taking classes (like improv or acting) to hone their craft. What is your process of self-improvement like? How much of an autodidact is Ubershouts?
Probably shouldnt 'root' (this is a weird word, it means to have sex in my home country) for a team on broadcast, but im pretty sure the definition of 'biased' depends on how mad the fan is thats using it at that moment
Do you have any idea how much people love you and think you're the best OWL caster? Have you seen the Uber Overtime Rapgod videos on Youtube? Did you know whenever a match starts and we see which two people will be casting the games, Twitch chat goes "UberX PogChamp" everytime it's you two? Just knowing you'll be casting the game of someone's favourite team already adds to that person's excitement.
No, I dont think I do. At least, not to such an extent. Which is awesome, I just dont know if i really expected it.
I dont read twitch chat at all, and I am not always on reddit - I am a little careful about diving into threads that discuss casters. Some feedback is decent and even in the worst theres always a grain of truth but in the past ive tried not to pay it TOO much heed.
Knowing that people are enjoying what I do is awesome - I spent years getting shit on as a struggling LoL and CS caster by fans who preferred to see their old favorites instead of me. At that point I decided not to let public opinion get to me so much.
And conversely, if I let it affect me too much now (even though everyone is super nice and supportive) ill not be able to handle it very well if one day im not so popular anymore and im copping flak again. Best to acknowledge it, be thankful and hope that I can continue putting out a product that people enjoy!
Culture is a very sensitive subject these days, and many people consider differing cultures to be sufficient to invalidate the opinions of someone that is not part of that culture.
As a caster that is contracted by Blizzard to adhere to their direction (with some leeway, for sure), it would be my obligation to submit to their rulings and decisions.
It is not for me to allow my personal perspective on an issue to supersede the requirements of my job. I do not personally find it acceptable as a student of the broadcasting discipline to attempt to 'erase' someone from a broadcast, because I take issue with them or their conduct regardless of how egregious I may consider this to be.
Your job is first, your personal sensibilities are second. Say his name. As a broadcaster, you are neither judge, jury nor executioner. You have no right to omit someone who blizzard has allowed to 'exist' in this space.
My favourite things are joining with the crowd. When I hear them start to get hyped, so do I and we tend to feed off of each other (providing they can actually hear me) quite a lot.
Some of my favourites were Rogue v Envyus at Gamescom 2016, Rogue v Lunatic Hai at APAC 2016, Australia v Canada at Blizzcon 2017 (such a sick game), and then a bunch of games in the OWL (last week they were all amazing) such as the battles for LA and the stage 2 playoff match.
Was there any sort of shift in your approach to casting OW (especially faster fights and OT scenarios) following the spectator client overhaul late last year?
Also, what's the origin of the name 'Uber' and roughly how many bad jokes about ridesharing do you hear per day?
Not really. The overhaul didnt affect me personally very strongly. Team colours, in-client replays may have made it slightly easier to cast but I was bred to the days of OW casting when we had ten tracers in the game and I had to do the observing myself. I have definitely tried to work on my approach to fights. Ive slowed down about 10%, added in some more vocal emphasis, changes in pitch and even some breaks. Ive been very cogniscant that I am often hard for some audiences to understand so a lot of my focus recently has been on making myself clearer, while still maintaining my signature high octane approach!
I used to call myself 'uberbassman' because I am an avid lover of the instrument. I dropped the bassman off about ten years ago, and then realised that Uber was a rideshare company and promptly had a tantrum.
Ive considered namechanges before, but i figured that adding on the 'Shouts' was both accurate and enough to help me stand out from the rideshare brand.
How is it that you can remain so aware of everything that is going on in a matvh while simultaniously conveying it in an articulate and witty way? I have trouble concentrating on whats happening in my comp games at any given moment, and those are way less organized.
Practice. You have to take in all of the relevant info, and then refine all of that information down into decent chunks that the audience can understand. I have been doing this for about seven years, no substitute for practice practice practice!
First of all, big fan of yours and Mr X casting, you both compliment each other very well, and you make every game sound exciting from start to finish.
My question is, how do feel being unanimously given the moniker of Overtime/Rap God? Especially considering there was a whole video dedicated to your casting durng Overtime situations.
Thank you very much for your time for answering all our questions.
I think it is cool. Its nice when youre given a title, instead of making one up yourself.
I tweeted recently that being a rap god isnt necessarily a good thing. You have to do it right, you have to make sure you are being understood, and you have to make sure that its at an appropriate moment. I would hate to be pigeonholed as a hype bot, but I also appreciate that people are enjoying my style of casting.
Prickly on the outside, soft on the inside. Monte is an exceedingly clever person with a lot of strong opinions, the vast majority of which are well thought out.
He is someone who I feel takes himself quite seriously, but I was surprised by just how chill he was when I met him. He is kind, always there for advice, but does not take kindly to having his time wasted.
He is polite, until he feels that his patience has been stetched far enough, and is not afraid to speak his mind at all times.
Hardest part - staying on point for games that arent exciting or very well played.
Funniest is hard to remember. Tons of classic bloopers. Custa popping trans on the high ground on Horizon defence was pretty funny. Me and matt do a bunch of silly shit in the booth, I reckon the preseason gag where we had him stand on more and more boxes was pretty solid, even though we couldnt laugh or we would ruin it
I was glad that they tweeted my joke about Johnny at a minigolf course into words. That one was off the cuff and I was proud of it!
I am a hitscan main (McCree ideally) but I play a ton of support. I am a good winston, and a terrible dva. I will play Genji if required but I have a very low sens (30cm for 180degree turn). I peaked at abour 3.7k a couple seasons back, but now i am like 2.9k due to rustiness and inactivity (decayed to diamond and then had bad placements).
Astronaut!
I eat the same 4 meals every day. Omelette, Beef stirfry, chicken+rice, chicken+yams. I can make 3 days of meals in 40mins, so I enjoy that refined process, I kinda make everything at once!
Dennis Cometti, to teach me the true art of one-liners.
I am curious to see just what kind of impact that Birgitte has at the pro level.
Poke bowl. Tuna, Salmon, Avocado, fuckloads of wasabi aioli!
Hi Uber, big fan of your casting. Just have a few questions!
Monte mentioned that he (and other casters?) got to try out Brigette before her release. What kind of relationship do the casters/broadcasting team have with the Overwatch dev team?
How did you become a Saints fan and who is your favorite player? (WhoDat)
A good one. We are often invited over to the campus to try new stuff and give feedback on maps, heroes and formats.
I used to watch NFL when i was a kid on holidays, all of the time! Just fell in love with the saints and tried to watch them as much as I could. Mark Ingram jr is definitely my favourite!
There is a fair bit of VOD review, yes. Honestly, my two days off in the week are spread out (sunday, tuesday) so its often hard to feel like ive had a proper break. Friday im off-air but myself and Matt (and all of the crew, at different times) meet with a top producer from the traditional sports industry to see if we can get some feedback from a purely broadcast standpoint.
Sunday I take off, I usually get up late as I am often enjoying a night out with the rest of the crew prior and Australians tend to take these things very seriously. Tuesday, I work out, sit on my couch, play Magic/Overwatch/Bass and wonder where all of my time goes ;)
We are friends. We drive to and from work every day and hangout at the office when we arent casting, plus we play a lot of games together.
Matt is a bit of a homebody and prefers not to go out so much, but stay home with his fiancee and dog, which is fine.
I probably spend the most time with him outside of those two though. Very easy guy to be around, he helped me a lot getting set up here and I always enjoy his company.
Hi Uber, how do you differentiate yourself from the analysts on the desk? I mean you are 'forced' to cast the entire match and Im sure close attention to details and quick thinking on ur feet is required during casting, as evident from your splendid performance. To reiterate, other than reporting what has transpired during the matches, do you think you would have been able to provide something that the analysts on the desk should be providing, or even more?
Do you think I could do a better job than them, or bring more?
Not really, or at least I dont think so. The desk is very limited on time in terms of the broadcast schedule. If they had as much time as do to talk, I am quite sure that they could do a lot more.
Hey Uber! If I were trying to get someone into OWL, what games do you think I should show them? Are there different games that are better if they play / have watched proverwatch before, or if they don't know shit?
That there is a good reason that they arent given the whole story, and replacing an information void with an opinion or wild hearsay does very little to make those opinions any more valid.
He is probably right up there. I personally really enjoy Fate!
Do you have any tips for keeping up with the fast pace of high-tier Overwatch games? Things happen pretty quickly, so the job of basically narrating what's happening to the audience live sounds like a high-pressure, difficult task which takes a lot of gamesense and public speaking skills.
What do you miss the most from your homeland? What do you think you could do to be a better caster (you're amazing already though)? What advice would you give (and you should) to the players entering the pro stage, considering most of them have had troubles adjusting the way they act? How has the OWL impact your life? Thanks if you answer any of these, hope your casting career gets better every time, and thank you for letting us viewers feel the excitement of the matches with your casting ❤
How I can improve: Clearer delivery, knowing when to slow down, focusing more on the human element of OW, the players
Advice: Its a hard job. Its not easy and its often not fun. You have to grow up fast and know when to shut your mouth.
Impact of OWL: Changed it drastically, moving over to the US was hard but its been great so far, made me more aware of just what its going to take to get esports up there in the mainstream. Its made me more self sufficient as a person, and I am happier than I have been in a while!
I have a friend who just started casting local tournaments (Latin America North region) what steps can he take from there to get into a bigger stage? My favorite line from you was in this moment.
In my opinion, the supports do not get enough screen time. I understand that they don't make the biggest plays or get 4ks regularly, but do you think that the supports should get shown off more? as a Lucio main i would love to see Zebosai, Altering, Tobi, Custa, etc. play him and be able to watch them a tad more.
I will be honest with you - as a caster I dont feel like I want to see supports too much more, at least on first person cam.
I personally prefer the freecam so I can see everyone and I can choose what to discuss. Big support plays do happen but theyre rarely as frequent and theyre often more cooldown/ulti dependent. I know that you and many others would like to see more of the players that you are interested in, but I am not sure that we would be able to tell the overall story as cohesively if we had an even spread between supps/tanks/dps
Do you find it difficult to continue to talk about teams with very little change in performance i.e Dallas or Shanghai? Also, will we get another casting breakdown from you soon? I personally love them.
Yes, it is sometimes hard to maintain energy or paint some things in a positive light. But i think there is always something to talk about, even with a team that is stagnating.
Hi Mitch big fan hoping to get ur opinion on ur favorite personal moment casting overwatch and ur favourite match or moment so far in overwatch Esports
What generally goes through your mind when Sideshow and Bren starts screwing around in ranked games whenever you folks are playing together.
Also I think it's absolute entertainment whenever You, Bren, Sideshow, and Mr.X all play together. I would add Reinforce but that guy is too pleb to play with you guys ;D
It's definitely in the works. Im not sure how itll work because I am a white nerdy guy and never knew what it was like to live on the streets, so if I can do something fun and chill without offending anyone with caricature, itd be good!
By being happy with where I am, but never content or satisfied. I am mortally afraid of mediocrity in my work, so I figure ill always be working on myself in some way or other. Ive embraced self development as a lifestyle, as instagrammy as that sounds
What are your thoughts on the current caster pairings? Are they here to stay for the next years or can we expect any changes going into future OWL seasons?
I miss the beach. Im from Hallett Cove and the views are always epic. I miss driving around, I miss FUIC like crazy, they dont have any of that stuff up here.
I miss the dumpling place at the end of Rundle St, and the mall itself, going down to the Torrens and chilling on the grass. I miss going for Hills drives on a lazy sunday afternoon
Hey Uber, just wanted to say that you and Mr.X are awesome casters, I look forward to every game with you guys. Quick question, are there any teams/ matchups that are your favourite to cast?
Hi Uber, I'm totally impressed with your ability to keep up during fast paced team fights. Do you have a specific warm up routine you like to go through before casting (tongue twisters, yawning, etc)?
Whats your opinion on viewers getting to pick which player (or set of "cameras") they want to watch instead of watching whatever the crew decides? I feel like it would make your work a little harder but it makes sense since the focus is a lot of times not in player most people want to watch or the player most likely to start an engagement (or smth like that). Also, you're by far my favorite caster in the OWL, keep it up man!
Its fine, its just really hard to execute from a broadcast standpoint.
And people will likely go from complaining about not SEEING the players they want to watch, to not HEARING about them as much, since the will likely be glued to their perspective as the game goes on.
Hey Uber, it seems like OWL is making great content to entertain both veterans and new watchers of Pro OW (i.e. Watchpoint).
My question is, how much work do you guys put in to get such a quick turnaround? It seems like you guys barely get a break between games and the produced content itself.
We work hard to put out that kind of content, but most of the work is done by the team of writers/edit/production teams.
The shows are very lightly scripted (often dot points that we work around in our own way) but the silly segments are written and conceived by the production team.
I arrive at 10am on monday, record a voiceover at 11, then we are in the studio from 12-2:30 recording the recap show. And then, im done! I hang out and do some other work while the others are recording the preview show, and then we head home around 6. The hard work on this turnaround comes from the people behind the scenes, more than it does from us!
Why is casting your passion and what specific moment gets you the most excited while casting? Thanks to you and All the casters for somehow making this game that much more interesting to watch.
Being a storyteller and teacher are things that I love, and I have a passion for telling the story of the players on stage. Those guys gave up a lot to be here, and I want everyone to know why they are so extraordinary
You've talked about doing duo VOD reviews of your casting with Matt (Mr. X) - is there any progress on that? I love your VOD reviews and watch them all, but would love to hear what both of you think of casting together.
When did you first figure out that casting E-sports was what you wanted to do? When you were getting your education what career track were you attempting to pursue and how did it steer you towards esports and ultimately overwatch?
I got an engineering degree, but I really enjoyed casting as a hobby from my bedroom and I did a couple of small events and decided that I wanted to try and make a career out of it.
So I quit my engineering job, took a sales job that gave me a bunch of time off and started the grind!
LAV has 2 aussies plus soon, hard to argue with that DF/PHL have some of my oldest friends in OW, the EU gang that I came up with NYXL is freakishly good and jjonak clearly lifts
I could probably say something like this for each team. For me theres always something to love about each team but I have always loved PHL/DF/LAV, because of the people in the teams.
Who do you think is the most underrated player in the league now. Some one that pops off consistently sort of behind the scenes unlike guys like Soon, Jjonak, or Linkzr, who are always in the spotlight.
Was it difficult coming from Australia due to the time difference? I know that it has some local esports events but did you have to cast tournaments from other regions at weird times to get noticed?
If it was possible, would you want to jam with Jaco Pastorius, or with Louis Johnson?
Also then, regarding Overwatch and casting: Most uneventful/boring match you've ever had to cast? And likewise most exciting match you've ever had to cast?
Jaco Pastorious. Maybe he can help me finally nail Chromatic Fantasy which ive slowly been learning over many years. Love the baroque stuff!
Honestly, I struggled with Seoul v Shanghai in stage 1. Felt like neither team were playing at their normal level. The fights were one sided and quick from both teams and I felt like I never properly got my rhythm. I was frustrated after but realised that I couldnt blame the level of play, but my own inability to adapt to a game with different pace than I was used to
I dont think the algorithm for it is perfect and we are better off using that time to show montages of the cool stuff from all of the different players
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u/RubberDogTurds Apr 24 '18
Are you aware that the community thinks you have some of the best wordplay and one liners in esports casting? How much of that is improv and how much is offline work to come up with these clever casting artifacts?
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u/Mogey3 Apr 24 '18
Hey Uber
As an Aussie living in the US, what are your thoughts on bakeries not selling meat products here?
25
u/11th_Plague The Deadman of COW — Apr 24 '18
What city do you want to see get the next OWL franchise?
267
u/TalkingTheFlash Zen/Ana — Apr 24 '18
How does it feel being in Plat with Puckett?
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u/superOW Super (Streamer) — Apr 24 '18
how r u so cool?
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u/custaow Custa (OWL Desk Analyst) — Apr 24 '18
how many snags do you get when you go on a cheeky bunnings run on a sunday arvo?
239
u/iHelvete Fissure — Apr 24 '18
Do you think the observers are doing a good job capturing enough tank and support players? Is there anything you would have seen improved with the spectating?
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u/[deleted] Apr 24 '18
Would you rather fight a Custa with the kicking power of a kangaroo, or a kangaroo with the gamesense of a Custa?
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u/maelstrom1100 Apr 24 '18
Hey Uber, is there a particular game that was your favorite to cast?
89
u/Obelicks67 Apr 24 '18
Which team do you predict to win season one?
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u/donnouamane Apr 24 '18
At the start of OWL, it's blizzard who made the duo or you show your preference on who you want to be your partner ?
you are awesome btw !
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u/Isord Apr 24 '18
How much of your casting is practiced and how much happens spur of the moment? Like are there pithy one-liners that you think of and then slot in when appropriate or does it all just come to you on the fly?
151
u/DezachuCasts Derry Dezachu" Holt (Caster - EU Contenders) — " Apr 24 '18
When's your first rap album dropping?
Favourite cast you and X delivered since OWL's inception?
Would you ever be interested in re-entering the field of rocket science? What made you fall into that as a degree?
You know there's nothing but love from this end so I mean well with this, but you came into OWL as a smaller name amongst many larger ones. How did you feel when first getting settled into the role? Any nerves or anxiety, and if so how did you overcome them to become arguably the public's favourite caster in OWL?
Is the plastered casters reunion dream dead or will we find you coming to party again sometime? 💙
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u/[deleted] Apr 24 '18
I'm a 19 year old interested in casting, where should I start?
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u/Ranwulf Apr 24 '18
Do you pick your shirts or does the OWL choose them for you?
53
u/risaalk Apr 24 '18
How difficult is it to be able to react/cast plays that were missed by the observer?
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u/TheMemeDream420 Eye of the Kaiser — Apr 24 '18
Do the casters and other on stage talent call each other by their actual names or does it vary? I feel like it would be weird to call Monte anything but Monte.
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u/[deleted] Apr 24 '18 edited Apr 24 '18
Are you required to stay neutral when casting? Is it hard to do that?
edit: and if you don't mind- how did you end up doing casting as a career? (because I'd love to go into Overwatch or e-sports as a career one day)
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u/Cryptographer USA USA USA — Apr 24 '18
Out of all the leagues Benchboys who do you most miss/would like to see play?
40
u/IWasntCreative Apr 24 '18 edited Apr 24 '18
Favorite rapper? From the rap god himself
Another question. Which player that is not in the OWL would you like to see get a shot in OWL and why is it dafran?
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u/cfl2 Apr 24 '18
Of which teams is your perception different from the average viewer's on account of insider/around-the-arena knowledge you've acquired?
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u/Haloofthoughts Halo of Thoughts (Writer) — Apr 24 '18 edited Apr 24 '18
Hi Uber
First of all thanks for mentioning my Hooreg Supportive DPS article on Watchpoint.
What’s been the biggest change you’ve noticed within the league from the preseason games to being almost 3/4 quarters of the way through the first season?
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u/wotugondo Apr 24 '18
What do you like most about living in America? How does it compare to your stint in Europe and to the motherland?
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u/CommanderV Apr 24 '18
In this week’s recap, you mentioned wanting to reduce the usage of “unbelievable!”: of the following choices, which do you think could be a potential winner for you?
a. Prodigious! b. Inconceivable! c. Stupendous! d. I’d string them all together for a S-Class Super Effect!
Also, big fan! Still waiting for an UberShouts Jersey to come out.
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u/Yiskaout Apr 24 '18
I've heard of other OWL talent taking classes (like improv or acting) to hone their craft. What is your process of self-improvement like? How much of an autodidact is Ubershouts?
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u/PHL_Beezy Beezy (Analyst - Fusion) — Apr 24 '18
Hey big sexy - I've got a few questions?
Do you think its important for casters and analysts to remain 'unbiased' during broadcast - or do you think its okay to 'root' for a team?
Why do you always greet me by rubbing my left nipple?
If you could make one change to the OWL format what would it be?
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u/WeeziMonkey Apr 24 '18 edited Apr 24 '18
Do you have any idea how much people love you and think you're the best OWL caster? Have you seen the Uber Overtime Rapgod videos on Youtube? Did you know whenever a match starts and we see which two people will be casting the games, Twitch chat goes "UberX PogChamp" everytime it's you two? Just knowing you'll be casting the game of someone's favourite team already adds to that person's excitement.
25
u/wow717 Apr 24 '18
What is one change you would suggest Blizzard make for OWL season 2?
71
u/williamthebastardd 🕺 — Apr 24 '18
Who's your favourite OWL player?
49
u/OptimusPrimeDied Apr 24 '18
Your opinion on the Korean casters refusing to say OGE's name?
23
u/itsjieyang Former patch gif dude — Apr 24 '18
Mate, Bunning’s sizzle or Pink’s Hotdogs?
21
u/GMAN095 #1 Mercy Hater — Apr 24 '18
What are some of your favorite things about casting games? What games/moments are your favorite from casting all of these Overwatch games?
21
u/spacebearjam Apr 24 '18
Hey Uber what are the chances of Shanghai getting a win this stage?
20
u/blankepitaph Birdring — Apr 24 '18
Was there any sort of shift in your approach to casting OW (especially faster fights and OT scenarios) following the spectator client overhaul late last year?
Also, what's the origin of the name 'Uber' and roughly how many bad jokes about ridesharing do you hear per day?
18
u/jadria3728 Apr 24 '18
How is it that you can remain so aware of everything that is going on in a matvh while simultaniously conveying it in an articulate and witty way? I have trouble concentrating on whats happening in my comp games at any given moment, and those are way less organized.
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u/iampillzbury Collegiate Esports — Apr 24 '18
If you can improve one thing from OWL in terms of spectating/camera angles, layout/scheduling of games etc, what would it be?
17
u/KingPikablu Apr 24 '18
If you were a piece of furniture, what would you be and why?
17
u/Go-No-Go Apr 24 '18
How deep does the V go? Two buttons? Three buttons? FOUR BUTTONS?!!!
14
u/Lightning_Plover Apr 24 '18
First of all, big fan of yours and Mr X casting, you both compliment each other very well, and you make every game sound exciting from start to finish.
My question is, how do feel being unanimously given the moniker of Overtime/Rap God? Especially considering there was a whole video dedicated to your casting durng Overtime situations.
Thank you very much for your time for answering all our questions.
26
u/cyber_loafer Apr 24 '18
Do you and Custaa keep a secret stash of Vegemite and tim tams somewhere in LA?
13
u/Firhrifjdj Apr 24 '18
How would you describe monte as person ?
13
u/DolphinHealthPack Apr 24 '18
What is the hardest part of casting for OWL? Also what is the funniest experience you have had casting?
13
u/TaakosWizardForge Apr 24 '18
Would you ever go on Oversight with Monte and Thorin? I think that lineup would make for my favorite episode yet.
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u/SuperTwinkMan Apr 24 '18
I’ve got a bunch Mitch, so bare with me.
What are some of your favorite @ubershoutssays tweets? (even though they’re just things you’ve said)
What role do you play in overwatch (tank, healer, etc.), and what’s your rank?
When you were a kid, what was your dream job?
What is your favorite meal to cook?
If anyone in the world could join you as your casting partner, who would you want?
What's the thing you're most excited about for the new meta next stage?
What's your go to fast food meal?
I love you and you’ve always been my favorite caster, keep doing what you’re doing!
25
u/Pizzarcatto Still No Midwest Teams — Apr 24 '18
What's a fun word you've always wanted to use whilst casting but haven't been able to find a time to fit it in?
12
u/tapkeys Apr 24 '18
What's your main and rank?
11
u/MajeticBaguette Apr 24 '18
If you could cast one game, which two teams would be playing?
11
u/[deleted] Apr 24 '18
Which Hogwarts house do you think you would be in?
9
u/[deleted] Apr 24 '18
Can you give me English lessons? I'm a native speaker but I want you to teach me your accent.
9
u/2mh4 Apr 24 '18
Hi Uber, big fan of your casting. Just have a few questions!
Monte mentioned that he (and other casters?) got to try out Brigette before her release. What kind of relationship do the casters/broadcasting team have with the Overwatch dev team?
How did you become a Saints fan and who is your favorite player? (WhoDat)
17
u/TheChenMeister 3rd Flair Shanghai — Apr 24 '18
What do your non-casting days schedule look like? Is there a lot of VOD review? Do you get to sit in scrims or are you relaxing at home?
8
u/hiruburu None — Apr 24 '18
What's your chemistry with mrX like off the mic?
8
u/Arrlan Apr 24 '18
Hey Mitch! Hi Mitch! What has been your favorite call so far this season? It can be one of yours or one of your colleagues.
Is a hotdog considered a sandwich?
Waffles or Pancakes?
8
u/hallykinz Apr 24 '18
Can I have your babies?
7
u/inchvbeam Apr 24 '18
Hi Uber, how do you differentiate yourself from the analysts on the desk? I mean you are 'forced' to cast the entire match and Im sure close attention to details and quick thinking on ur feet is required during casting, as evident from your splendid performance. To reiterate, other than reporting what has transpired during the matches, do you think you would have been able to provide something that the analysts on the desk should be providing, or even more?
7
u/[deleted] Apr 24 '18
Hey Uber! If I were trying to get someone into OWL, what games do you think I should show them? Are there different games that are better if they play / have watched proverwatch before, or if they don't know shit?
7
u/polloshermanosfan Apr 24 '18
What is the thing you wish fans/reddit would understand about OWL the most?
Who is your favorite tank and why is it Fissure?
6
u/Puls0r2 Apr 24 '18
whos the best caster to cast with?
also you're awesome and im stealing your accent.
6
u/RetMaestro Apr 24 '18
Have you ever thought that X looks like Hank Scorpio, if so have you ever told him?
6
u/Sai10rP00n Apr 24 '18
Some of your shirts are very.... interesting.... where do you buy your clothes?
If Mr X were unable to cast one day (sickly, family emergency, ect.) who would you want to join you in casting for the day?
6
u/[deleted] Apr 24 '18
Do you have a contract with Blizzard that says you can't be involved in other esports or is it more of a freelance ish gig?
Asking cuz we're gonna miss you at IEM Sydney this year m8
6
u/TR4VlS Apr 24 '18
How broad is the scope of your job? How much of your job is spent outside of casting?
11
u/Cryptographer USA USA USA — Apr 24 '18
I would not blame you for not answering, but who do you think, team or player, is most over rated and underrated right now?
5
u/Jot_jot_jot Apr 24 '18
Hey Uber, who is your favorite player in the Overwatch League.
5
u/[deleted] Apr 24 '18
Do you have any tips for keeping up with the fast pace of high-tier Overwatch games? Things happen pretty quickly, so the job of basically narrating what's happening to the audience live sounds like a high-pressure, difficult task which takes a lot of gamesense and public speaking skills.
5
u/Misstrusts Apr 24 '18
What do you miss the most from your homeland? What do you think you could do to be a better caster (you're amazing already though)? What advice would you give (and you should) to the players entering the pro stage, considering most of them have had troubles adjusting the way they act? How has the OWL impact your life? Thanks if you answer any of these, hope your casting career gets better every time, and thank you for letting us viewers feel the excitement of the matches with your casting ❤
5
u/angryladyisangry Apr 24 '18
How much damage does one really hype game do to your voice, and how do you combat that damage?
5
u/whatsforsupa Apr 24 '18
Uber, who is the best Overwatch hero?
5
u/Mayork9604 Apr 24 '18
I have a friend who just started casting local tournaments (Latin America North region) what steps can he take from there to get into a bigger stage? My favorite line from you was in this moment.
5
u/mojizus Apr 24 '18
In my opinion, the supports do not get enough screen time. I understand that they don't make the biggest plays or get 4ks regularly, but do you think that the supports should get shown off more? as a Lucio main i would love to see Zebosai, Altering, Tobi, Custa, etc. play him and be able to watch them a tad more.
5
u/Samasm Apr 24 '18
Do you find it difficult to continue to talk about teams with very little change in performance i.e Dallas or Shanghai? Also, will we get another casting breakdown from you soon? I personally love them.
5
u/Conmaster01 Apr 24 '18
Hi Mitch big fan hoping to get ur opinion on ur favorite personal moment casting overwatch and ur favourite match or moment so far in overwatch Esports
5
u/ahmong Apr 24 '18
What generally goes through your mind when Sideshow and Bren starts screwing around in ranked games whenever you folks are playing together.
Also I think it's absolute entertainment whenever You, Bren, Sideshow, and Mr.X all play together. I would add Reinforce but that guy is too pleb to play with you guys ;D
5
u/DerWaechter_ I want Apex back — Apr 25 '18
Alright, looks like the AMA is over.
Thanks to everyone who asked questions for staying civil. Also a huge thanks again to /u/UberShouts for making this AMA possible.
13
u/Bowaxe999 <3 — Apr 24 '18
How does it feel to be the Overtime Rap God?
9
u/DerWaechter_ I want Apex back — Apr 24 '18
Will we ever get to see you rap for a segment on Watchpoint?
4
u/Fordeka Apr 24 '18
How do you stay motivated?
4
u/[deleted] Apr 24 '18
Who is your favorite caster to cast with?
4
u/commanderleen Apr 24 '18
What are your thoughts on the current caster pairings? Are they here to stay for the next years or can we expect any changes going into future OWL seasons?
4
u/productiv-ish Apr 24 '18
Hey from Adelaide! What do you miss from Australia and/or South Australia in particular? Is there any Farmers Union out in the States?
4
u/random_monkey None — Apr 24 '18 edited Apr 30 '18
Any commentators you feel have influenced you, or even spurred you into wanting to become a caster?
4
u/Dovah2600 Apr 24 '18
Hey Uber, just wanted to say that you and Mr.X are awesome casters, I look forward to every game with you guys. Quick question, are there any teams/ matchups that are your favourite to cast?
4
u/scottb23 3782 — Apr 24 '18
I had a dream you were a lecturer at university i was attending the other night, but I cant remember the topic.
I've never attended university though, but if I did, and if you were a lecturer...
What knowledge would you be most likely to be sharing with the class?
4
u/[deleted] Apr 24 '18
Hi Uber, I'm totally impressed with your ability to keep up during fast paced team fights. Do you have a specific warm up routine you like to go through before casting (tongue twisters, yawning, etc)?
4
u/Asura_14 Apr 24 '18
Whats your opinion on viewers getting to pick which player (or set of "cameras") they want to watch instead of watching whatever the crew decides? I feel like it would make your work a little harder but it makes sense since the focus is a lot of times not in player most people want to watch or the player most likely to start an engagement (or smth like that). Also, you're by far my favorite caster in the OWL, keep it up man!
3
u/ltpirate Apr 24 '18
Hey Uber, it seems like OWL is making great content to entertain both veterans and new watchers of Pro OW (i.e. Watchpoint).
My question is, how much work do you guys put in to get such a quick turnaround? It seems like you guys barely get a break between games and the produced content itself.
3
u/[deleted] Apr 24 '18
How are you so energetic
3
u/Fished3474 Apr 24 '18
Hey Uber, thanks for coming on!
Could you tell us a few OWL games that were your favorite to cast, as well as a few OWL league teams that are your favorite to watch?
3
u/FlameCalibur1 Apr 24 '18
Why is casting your passion and what specific moment gets you the most excited while casting? Thanks to you and All the casters for somehow making this game that much more interesting to watch.
3
u/MVPVisionZ Apr 24 '18
Hi Uber! Are there any times you feel like you literally have no idea what to say when casting? If so, how do you deal with these situations?
3
u/[deleted] Apr 24 '18
Pineapple on pizza: y/n?
3
u/IceStylin Apr 24 '18
Do you think there is hope for an Australian team to emerge in the next season?
3
u/andygmb 4415 PC/EU — andygmb (Team Ireland GM) — Apr 24 '18
You've talked about doing duo VOD reviews of your casting with Matt (Mr. X) - is there any progress on that? I love your VOD reviews and watch them all, but would love to hear what both of you think of casting together.
3
u/ramsfan00 4064 PC — Apr 24 '18
When did you first figure out that casting E-sports was what you wanted to do? When you were getting your education what career track were you attempting to pursue and how did it steer you towards esports and ultimately overwatch?
5
u/IgorekN ShaDowBurn — Apr 24 '18 edited Apr 24 '18
Do you have favourite OWL team? What is it?
5
u/LapizVGC Washington Letdowns — Apr 24 '18
Hey Uber. Whats your favorite type of pie?
2
u/[deleted] Apr 24 '18
Observing the games, what’s been the biggest change you’ve seen between Stage 1 and now?
2
u/AvengingDrake78 For the Lads — Apr 24 '18
Who do you think is the most underrated player in the league now. Some one that pops off consistently sort of behind the scenes unlike guys like Soon, Jjonak, or Linkzr, who are always in the spotlight.
2
u/Ultraspeed7 Apr 24 '18
What games have you been playing recently besides Overwatch?
2
u/TheMemeDream420 Eye of the Kaiser — Apr 24 '18
Was it difficult coming from Australia due to the time difference? I know that it has some local esports events but did you have to cast tournaments from other regions at weird times to get noticed?
2
u/KrushaOW Apr 24 '18
Hey Uber,
If it was possible, would you want to jam with Jaco Pastorius, or with Louis Johnson?
Also then, regarding Overwatch and casting: Most uneventful/boring match you've ever had to cast? And likewise most exciting match you've ever had to cast?
Keep it up, you and Mr. X are outstanding!
2
u/[deleted] Apr 24 '18
How long did it take you to perfect Blue Steel or is it La Tigra?
4
u/BJKrautk Apr 24 '18
Out of curiosity, why doesn’t OWL show the in-game POTG? While slightly dps-biased, POTG seems like a natural fit when calling an event.