Korea 2012 Part 2: Last BW OSL Finals

Continued from Part 1:

Moletrap and I started looking around for the SKT T1 coach, but he was nowhere to be found. Eventually, when we found him, he was talking to other coaches and players. It meant that we shouldn’t bother him because we didn’t want to interrupt his conversation. Finally, when he stopped talking, we got permission to interview Bisu.

But this time, Bisu is nowhere to be found. Coach Park calls him on the phone, Bisu responds: “I went to get burgers”. BURGERS, REALLY? Anyways, we scheduled another time for the interviews, got namecards, and said good-bye. Similar things happened with other coaches; either we got permission or we scheduled a different time for the interviews.

But seriously, burgers. Really Bisu?

Interviews from OSL Preliminaries, KeSPA:

+ Show Spoiler +

Another thing: On this day, I had the chance to talk with Chief Producer of OGN. Moletrap talked about his interest, translated for Moletrap, and it seemed like things were working out well. As we were leaving, however, I ran up to the producer and asked him if I can translate at the finals as well. He gave me his name card, told me to show up for finals and will work something out.

Cool. I finally had the guts to walk up and ask someone about something.

Next couple of days was just the same. Attending Proleague, watching games, doing personal stuff, etc. Moletrap and I did the scheduled interviews with scheduled players (+ Fantasy because he JUST advanced to Tving OSL finals after the qualifiers) and one WCS intervew. Here are the interviews:

+ Show Spoiler +

But other than that, I did nothing special. The day was approaching, yet I didn’t receive any notification of the official English stream and translations from anyone, except Moletrap who responded with ‘Yeah seems like its going to happen, and I want you to translate for the event if anything.” Since I did not want to miss out on the final BW OSL finals, I decided to get the VIP tickets myself, just in case.

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The day before, however, I had the sudden urge to call up the OGN Chief Producer. I waited, but I couldn’t wait any longer. Here’s how the talk went:

*greetings*
SNM: So I showed interest in translating at the finals, is that still going to happen?
PD: Yes, the English stream is going to happen.
SNM: And do you have anyone translating at the event?
PD: Err.. yeah. We’ll have some things translated in English and send that out on the English broadcast
SNM: What about the player interviews?
PD: Huh?
SNM: The player interviews that you guys conduct during the event?
PD: I thought there were people translating the interviews that gets uploaded after the event.
SNM: Err... what about the interviews that gets conducted during the event?
PD: No plans for that since we’re just going to use Korean output as the source and broadcast it online for English fans, with English casting over it.
SNM: Yeah, I understand that, but what about the interviews that happen on stage that happens right before and right after the finals? People want to hear what they are talking about.
PD: Ok, show up tomorrow and we’ll work something out.
SNM: Thanks.

(I still feel sorry because I felt like I was being a dick during the whole conversation. Some random person who translated for Moletrap one day suddenly calls him about the OSL finals, and pushes for something that the PD didn’t have in mind.)

Got the confirmation. Without this call, I might not have translated, nor the foreign fans might have not gotten a translation from the event (don’t get me wrong; I know there was a re-stream and someone probably translated there in text too. I’m talking about the official stream only).

We had a huge TL meet-up the day before the finals, with about 30 TL-ers at Shinchon station. 30 foreigners walking together in streets of Seoul. Even some of the foreigners were staring at us going ‘WTF?’

The next morning, we meet up at the finals venue at 8:30 AM to receive the VIP tickets, and we head off to Youngsan for Proleague matches, then back to the venue for the finals. I got there around 4PM, while the mic test already happened.

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Seriously GTR?

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YOU SNEAKY BASTARD

As soon as I get there, I say good bye to the TL group (BUT SERIOUSLY <3 YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS WERE AWESOME) and start looking around the arena for a place to enter. About 10 seconds into searching, I spot the PD. We greet each other, and he hands me one of these. It’s a staff pass into the stadium.

As soon as I walk inside, I see the empty stage, empty chairs, and screen testing of the TVing OSL Finals (didn’t take any photos because I was too busy setting up my headset, microphone volume etc). After all is set, I head outside to check up on my brother, as well as the TL group. I was able to go outside as long as I made it back by certain time for stand-by.

What we forgot about though (and I almost missed this too) is that GTR and his gang requested for the Press pass. And they never got a notification about it (I don’t know exactly what happened nor who was involved in getting those passes... Well I kinda do but I don’t want to screw up the story). I head inside and ask for the person in charge of Press passes. He tells me that he didn’t get any notification about it (huh?), and tells me that all tables are reserved. However, after some persuasion, he agreed to give them Press passes, but no table seat unless someone does not show up.

Great. Now all I have to do is find them again before the stand-by, which is only few minutes away.

I run outside, give them the passes, and tell them to enter the stadium and stay at certain area (while telling them about the table situation). Then, something struck my head. They don’t need their VIP tickets anymore. I ask them to hand it over in exchange for the Press passes, and then I run off.

So for those who weren’t there, there was the eStars VIP pass (what TL people got), TVing VIP pass, Kakaotalk VIP pass (all VIP passes were guaranteed a seat), and regular tickets. Once the regular tickets ran out, they gave out back-up tickets. These tickets were numbered, and just like the regular tickets they were first come first serve basis. Basically, if the VIP tickets don’t run out by certain time, the back-up ticket holders will get those tickets.

I was about to yell ‘who has a group of 3?’ but suddenly I realized that it was bad idea. at a corner of intersection, I saw about 500+ people gathered up. So I started looking around for a group of 3. After a while, I saw group of 3 teenagers who were about to go home. It seemed like they were really sad and was about to give up on watching OSL live. I take a glimpse at their ticket, and it had a green line on top of their ticket (back-up ticket).

I pull them over, ask them if they were group of 3, and after the confirmation, I take them to an area where other back-up ticket holders can’t see us (don’t worry; I still had my pass so I was an ‘official’).

I tell them that they were very lucky, but they all had confused faces. I explain the whole situation, and hand out the tickets. All I can say is, they were really happy, and I was really happy to see them smile. They started shaking my hand, gave me some drinks and food (though unnecessary), and lined-up to enter the stadium. I was relieved that they were able to enjoy the finals.

I run back inside, and Moletrap tells me “Dude, we need to get you dressed up”.

Huh? I never heard about this. All I know is that we aren’t going to be on television!

Apparently I was wrong. We might show up briefly during middle of the match, stating that ‘We’re also broadcasting this in English to foreign fans!’ And my Angry Birds shirt would look completely unprofessional.

As soon as we get into the dressing room (besides seeing BoxeR and YellOw right in front of me, along with all the other casters), we get into an argument. “Should SNM wear formal clothes? How will we match the colors?” etc. It went into awkward silence, some talks here and there, and the whole situation lasted for 20 minutes. Eventually, I wear a pink shirt with yellow tie on top of what I was wearing, and head off to the foreign casting area. Oh btw, this is where we casted (some of these were taken during the broadcast, only to show you the awesome winners lounge):

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P.S. Sorry Moletrap and TorcH. I was a first timer at OGN, and I didn’t know that I had to ignore the camera!

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I’m looking at the arena, with about 6k people, and suddenly I start feeling nervous. I’m not even talking to the people inside the stadium, yet I start getting nervous, thinking that those 6k people are listening to me. On top of that, the past OSL winners were sitting right next to us, which made it more nervous. However, all of the nervousness went away when I started talking with TheMarine.

I’ve went to Proleague with CJ Entus shirt (the day when I took the photo with Horang2), and the casters were slightly confused when I was on stream, thinking that I was part of CJ Entus. Afterwards, I’ve met TheMarine at the OSL qualifiers, and told him that I was the guy wearing the shirt AND was fan of his casting. When Moletrap and TorcH greeted him (at the finals), it was normal. However, when TheMarine saw me, he was surprised that I was there working alongside Moletrap and TorcH. I asked TheMarine “Can you give me some tips on casting? At times, I get nervous a lot” (because I am also practicing casting at times). He tells me “Casting is like... talking to your friend. Don’t think that you’re talking to 6k people, think that you’re explaining the situation to your best friend.” After listening to the advice, I wasn’t nervous anymore.

Before the whole match beings, I start walking around the stadium. With my pink shirt, yellow tie, AND BASKETBALL SHORTS. I don’t know how many people were laughing at me (I’M STARING AT YOU GTR), but it looked... hideous but funny at the same time. People were looking at me and gave me awkward looks around the whole stadium.

The stadium darkens, music starts playing, and BoxeR vs YellOw begins. I won’t explain what happened or put any detailed information about the finals because... you guys can watch that online. All I’m going to say is: I’m sorry that I couldn’t translate well. I couldn’t hear well through the headphones, and when I took them off, I couldn’t hear the players/casters well because of the echo inside the stadium (along with the fans cheering). I tried my best, and hopefully that was enough for you guys to understand what was going on/what the players were thinking at the moment.

As soon as the final GG was typed out, I started crying. Was it because I was happy that Jangbi won? Partially. But it was over. I couldn’t tell myself that there was “next seaon”. I couldn’t force myself to believe that the end was ‘almost here’. That was it. The end.

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My friends, whom I met through Proleague during my time in Korea, came over and started patting me in the back “It’s over, but it’s okay SNM. It’s alright. Job well done sir.” I turned back and said Thank You, but all that happened afterwards was tears. One of my friends was crying so much that she was escorted out from the stadium by her friend. All I did was asking others if they enjoyed the finals. I didn’t have guts to say anything else. After taking more photos and talking to some other people, I exit the stadium and head home.

After the finals, I started thinking what I did over the summer while I was in Korea. Although it was only semi-volunteer work (thanks for food Moletrap! <3 =P), I was very satisfied. I was able to work with the people that I wanted to in the field that I wanted to: something that I really wanted to do. I was never given a chance to do such thing, and before this trip. I was in the same situation. However, during summer 2012, I suddenly changed. Instead of waiting for those events to happen by chance, I went out and started making those chances happen. I was able to make new friends, both fans and players, while working alongside casters and players for interview. If I haven't stepped up and told Moletrap that I have translated in the past and wanted to do some translation work, none of this would have happened. I was a completely different person. Someone who doesn't wait for huge chances, but going out into the world and making chances myself. I was too afraid to do it in the past, but now I'm not.

I haven’t done much translation after the finals, partially because of schedule conflict and mess-ups (sorry!). However, for one summer of e-Sports, I think I did enough as a volunteer/fan. I’ve gone to fan meetings. I’ve helped out some foreign fans who wanted to watch SC in Korea. I’ve had the chance to translate player’s interviews and meet e-Sports personnels. And best of all, I’ve had the chance to work for the last BW OSL Finals.

Is this the end? I don’t know. I’m back at school, and right now I am a regular student. I might apply to few places here and there as a translator, but I won’t be visiting Korea again anytime soon. However, one thing is certain.

“Not The End. New Beginning.”

I want to say thanks to everyone that I have met while I was in Korea. You guys were really awesome, and made me realize (once again) that TL is an awesome community. Shoutouts to GTR and kjcwj for being awesome, and making my stay in Korea more enjoyable. In addition, shoutouts to jaaaaasper, lrmnoone, puppykiller, lumire, zaraki, and fold for giving me advice/motivation while I was in Korea. I want to give special thanks to Moletrap for giving me such opportunity to translate in the scene. He has so much passion for the scene, and overall an awesome guy. I also want to thank Crisis Wi for giving me a chance to work for one of the greatest e-Sports company in the world. I also want to thank the coaches and players who were nice enough to respond to our interview requests and allow us to conduct the interviews.

And I want to say thanks to TL. Without this website, I never would have found BroodWar, OSL, nor any other SC-related stuff in the first place.

P.S. It's satisfying to note that I was on television for 5 seconds after 20 minutes of argument at the dressing room.

Extra photos:

+ Show Spoiler +

"Hopefully we'll get a chance to see each other again, right?" - Jun Young Joon, OGN commentator.

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