When Paul “ReDeYe” Chaloner was asked to give one tip to aspiring esports shoutcasters, he initially found it difficult to provide an answer as he had so many things he wanted to say. Until he was able to narrow it down to one.
“If you don’t have a thick skin in this industry you will fail, no matter how good you are.”
And he even emphasized the importance of a thick skin in his book entitled “Talking Esports,” where he discussed how to deal with trolls and bashers in social media sites such as Reddit, Twitch, and Facebook.
Yasumeow, like most of her shoutcasting peers had to endure the abuse. She would recall that moment when her twitch chat was flooded with haters. “I remember hearing comments like “Walang kang kwentang caster, ang bobo magsalita, magpakamatay ka na lang” (You’re a terrible caster, you don’t know what you’re talking about, please die already) or “Lipat na tayo sa MineskiTV or sa WomboXCombo” (Let’s just switch to MineskiTV or WomboXCombo).
And all she could do from her critics was laugh. As Soloplayer, her shoutcasting partner would say, “Dapat masaya ka sa mga basher dahil sinyales yun na sikat ka na” (Be happy when you have a basher because that’s a sign that you’re famous)
But the thick skin isn’t just applicable with the trolls and bashers in social media, as Yasu experienced other tribulations in her career. Rejection was one of them. And she witnessed this first hand when she knocked in front of the doorsteps of Tier One Entertainment, only for her to be left hanging. “I felt disappointed because I have been waiting for months. I didn’t know what went wrong. But looking back, I don’t seemed fazed at all especially when my audience started to increase,” she said. Eventually her disappointments lead to the establishment of the Yasumeow Production Team, which allowed her to gain a cult following.
But it didn’t just stop there, as there are other factors involved. Living in the countryside of Bulacan was always a struggle, as she would find it difficult to attend esports events, which were primarily held in Manila. Internet connection is likewise an issue and she would recall those instances when her streams were disrupted. Copyright issues have likewise taken its toll as seen when she was given a memo from Twitch that she was illegally broadcasting the 2017 Starladder i-League Invitationals, forcing her account to be suspended for 24 hours. Even the income she earns can only be spent on monthly dues and needs.
“Dapat masaya ka sa mga basher dahil sinyales yun na sikat ka na” (Be happy when you have a basher because that’s a sign that you’re famous)
Like the cat that survives a fall from a high-rise building, Yasu isn’t fazed with the difficulties she encounters. Shoutcasting has not just become a pastime, but a passion. “As long as you love what you do and you’re passionate about it, no matter how hard life is and how unsure the future of the career you choose, as long as you stand your ground, you will definitely succeed,” she said.
And her passion stems from the fact that she could never imagine herself working in a corporate setting. Yasu would rather sit at home and play video games.
But it wasn’t just her passion that really pushed her to shoutcasting as other parties became involved. Luckily for Yasu, her family and friends have been supportive with her decisions. Her parents even made a contribution in terms of setting up the studio, and her peers Soloplayer and EyFaege would devote most of their time to edit videos, setup tournaments, and create banners and logos.
Even her viewers serve as her inspiration, by reinforcing her with positive feedback. Yasu is heavily praised for her rapping skills, which oftentimes leads to comparisons with WomboXCombo’s Heneral Tuna. But her viewers don’t just provide her with positive reinforcement, they even provide constructive criticism to further enhance her shoutcasting skills. “I get a lot of positive feedback like rapgod and the praises I receive motivates me to work harder. Comments from other people are important. Whether be it criticism or tips on casting, I take them to consideration and apply them in order to avoid the unnecessary,” she said.
And her perseverance has paid dividends when MineskiTV recently invited her. Ironically she applied in MineskiTV, thinking that the studio slammed the door in front of her. It turns out that the studio had a lot of projects, forcing the screening process of the applicants to be moved. “The experience is totally worth it. I was nervous the first time I was live on their channel but I felt comfortable after some encouragement from the veteran casters.”
The invite could be a start of something big. The International? Maybe. Perhaps that day will come when Yasu will be given a chance to shake hands with her favorite player, Dendi, and cast a match alongside her idol, TobiWan.
“As long as you love what you do and you’re passionate about it, no matter how hard life is and how unsure the future of the career you choose, as long as you stand your ground, you will definitely succeed.”
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