Image courtesy of Dreamhack Flickr/Adela Sznajder
Hello Pala, thank you for dedicating time for this interview. How are you? How was DreamHack Leipzig?
I'm good, thanks, and Leipzig was great! It had amazing teams exhibiting the highest level of competition, a fun atmosphere throughout the entire venue, and was, overall, just a well-run event. In terms of the area, I didn't get to see much of Leipzig. It was pretty much just hotel to venue each day. However, I can at least say the snow was charming. Although, being from London, anything other than a grey sky is interesting...
First of all I would like to congratulate you with your success in the form of participation at large CS:GO events as an interviewer/stage host throughout last year and the beginning of 2016. What are your feelings on your journey so far?
Thanks for the kind words. It's been very exciting getting into stage and desk hosting, whilst continuing to work on my YouTube channel. I've been interested in eSports most of my 'gaming life', in the first proper instance, discovering the Counter-Strike scene through Source at the end of 2004. Even before then, me and my brother were into competitive Call of Duty (2003), playing clan vs. clan Search And Destroy games on GameSpy. In fact, I've always been into competitive sports/competition in general, and my interest in eSports is just an extension of that. As a whole, it's very enjoyable to now have an active role within eSports beyond just watching.
Could you describe the timeline from YouTube videos to hosting CS:GO tournaments for those unfamiliar with your persona? How did it all happen?
The current situation I'm in has come together over a long period of time – starting at least 3 years ago, when I first started making YouTube videos. Just a heads-up: I will try to make this rather long, usually nuance-laden story short, to make it easier to read. So, be aware that not everything will be explained thoroughly.
I started watching YouTube videos around 2006, and I would always joke with friends that I wanted to make a channel. I never would, until about 6 years later, in 2012, when circumstance – having a lot of free time due to post-university unemployment, and being physically injured, and thus, not being able to take part in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training, which at the time I was very active in – seemed to suggest it to me.
"We have some wonderful, genuine people working in eSports."
After eventually getting a normal 'desk job' in early 2013, I realised that sort of working environment/lifestyle was one I could, quite possibly, never be happy with, and, by that point, I was genuinely very passionate about making videos. By the start of 2014, I'd saved just enough to take a risk and quit that first job. The plan being to focus solely on YouTube for 2014, and see if I could make progress in improving my content, and toward making my YouTube a 'career'.
I made some progress over that year, but at the start of 2015, I had used most of what I had saved from my previous job, and was financially under pressure to get a job with guaranteed income. And so, I took a job making content for a company, confident I could continue growing my YouTube channel at the same time. I did that, and then the job came to an end a few months later, around April.
By this point, I had saved up some money again, and decided to focus solely on YouTube once more. I decided that if within the next 2 months I could see some considerable growth on my channel, and if the channel could become at least somewhat financially viable, I would not look for another job. As it turns out, this started to happen.
Fast forward a few months to July 2015, and I was at DreamHack/FACEIT Valencia (courtesy of the great people at FACEIT), where I met a representative from DreamHack. They expressed interest in using me in some capacity at their future events, and said they would be in touch.
Eventually, they did get in touch, and asked if I would like to stage host DreamHack London, and Sweden. I'd never done anything like it before, but it was something I was very interested in doing, so I was very happy to agree. Since then, I have also worked at the last major (Cluj-Napoca), Fragbite Masters (as desk host), DreamHack Winter, the DreamHack Play It Cool event (again as the desk/panel host), and most recently, DreamHack Leipzig.
And that's pretty much it, for a shorthand, condensed version of what has led me to where I am now. Working more passionately than ever on my YouTube channel, trying to make the best, most constantly-improving content I can, as well as getting into presenting, hosting, and more.
Image courtesy of Dreamhack Flickr/Adela Sznajder
Out of all the events you have hosted so far, which one would you say impressed you the most?
Each event has it's own unique flavour, and so they can all be impressive in their own right. For instance, in terms of pure spectacle, Cluj-Napoca was amazing. The stage, the lighting, the teams, the talent line-up – everything was absolutely spot-on, and mind-blowingly well-produced. But then, in a different light, Fragbite Masters and Play It Cool were fantastic. They were more loose, with a bit more of an emphasis on comedy and interaction. I think the fact I have enjoyed all the events I've attended says a lot about the people working behind-the-scenes, and the production teams. We have some wonderful, genuine people working in eSports.
What do you consider to be the hardest part about hosting large audiences?
It's difficult to say, as I would still say I'm relatively new to this role, and have limited experience. If I were to push myself for an answer, I would say having to balance everything you're doing as a stage host. For example, making sure you're connecting with the people in the arena, presenting to the camera/audience online, interacting with whoever you may be speaking to on stage, remembering set things/lines to say, whilst being ready to improvise, and listen to the producer talking in your ear, all simultaneously.
"Every video I make, just like each bit of presenting/hosting I do, I am trying to make it better than the last."
How busy a year was 2015 for you?
2015 started off at a reasonable pace, juggling my YouTube and a full time job, but then really ramped up once that full time job came to an end. That might sound nonsensical, but it's because I fully focused on doing my best at creating content on YouTube, and then, at the same time, getting into stage and desk hosting. The end of the year was really crazy (and fun), as I did a lot of events in relatively quick succession, as well as make a lot of content on my YouTube channel. 2015 was a blast.
As you have progressively become more occupied with hosting events for CS:GO, has that affected your ability to consistently produce YouTube content? Or have you worked out some sort of compromise that allows for both?
My YouTube content has not been affected negatively at all. Like I described before, my passion for YouTube and content creation is the highest it's ever been. Every video I make, just like each bit of presenting/hosting I do, I am trying to make it better than the last. When I'm making content, I'm always conscious as to how I'm making it, and why. I actively try to make my videos the most enjoyable I can for the great audience I have supporting me, and the people who are yet to discover me.
Do you enjoy travelling around the world for events or does jet lag get the better of you?
I 100% enjoy it. It's unfortunate I don't get to explore the areas that I travel to properly due to tight schedules, but I'm always excited at the chance to see a new city, or country, even if it's just a brief encounter. With regards to jet lag, I don't suffer badly from it. However, my general sleep pattern can be all over the place, which seems to be quite common for YouTubers.
Image courtesy of Dreamhack Flickr/Sebastian Ekman
We saw you take some hilarious interviews from professional players during DreamHack: Cluj-Napoca 2015 in cooperation with DreamHack on their YouTube channel. Can we expect to see more of these in the future or was that just a one-off gig?
The Cluj-Napoca content was an absolute joy to make, and it wouldn't have been possible without the amazing team behind it. Huge shout-out to the director, cameraman, and editors. We all had fun, and the players did, too. I will definitely be working with DreamHack again in the future, but in what roles, we'll have to see. If they wanted to, I'd definitely be up for doing similar content with them. I think it's something audiences enjoy, seeing players just relaxing, and having fun. Either way, who knows what ideas DreamHack and other organisations have in the works with regards to content. We'll just have to see.
What advice would you give to people that are just starting out their career in eSports?
This is a difficult question again, as I'm not sure I'm entirely qualified to respond. eSports is just one side of what I do, and I'm still gaining experience in it myself. Nonetheless, I would say, like any career, try to figure out specifically what you want to do in eSports. That way you have a clear, tangible goal, making it much easier to build towards. You then just have to put the steps in place to get there. Don't be too hard on yourself if things take time, or seem to go wrong, too. And try to be as positive as possible, all the time.
Best of luck to anyone out there building their dreams, or who's about to start.
Headline image courtesy of DreamHack Flickr/Adela Sznajder
