EPTI felt rather apprehensive about writing this post, for fear of my intentions being misinterpreted. However, with the future of the BSL set in stone, I figured reaching out for help would be the right move to make.
The community’s reception of the BSL exceeded all my initial expectations. The Bombastic StarLeague started out as a pet project, driven by my passion for Brood War. However, as the project gained traction, it became clear the people wanted more and I ended up being trapped by the success of the endeavour. The onslaught of questions regarding the future of the BSL that came with the conclusion of each season kept me up at night as I tried to come up with the right answers. Don’t get me wrong - although often exhausting, running the event fills me with an unparallelled amount of joy and pride.
Looking at the production value alone, we’ve come a long way. Casting BSL1 and BSL2 I didn’t have a webcam, nor did I cover all the games, not to mention the fact I didn’t even stick to a set schedule. Every season I tried to build on what we had. During BSL4 we added an in-game overlay, gfx for the casters, and player profiles. For BSL5 and BSL6 we went a step further, adding map intros and stream bumpers for smoother scene transitions, on top of creating an animated logo (we’d also had an animated background made - I’m sorry I haven’t got to show it off yet due to hardware issues - my computer couldn’t keep up!) and we even launched a website.
The BSL is coming back. Preparations for a number of seasons are in full swing. And we’re not slowing down. Our goal is to keep moving forward. Always. We want to get more professional at what we do and to provide an even better viewing experience to the fans. There’s a lot of room for growth. My personal motivations are driven by a desire to see a steady influx of new players, viewers, and supporters, not just to the BSL itself, but StarCraft in its entirety.
Since I’m asking for financial help, being transparent is paramount. Here’s what’s going to be needed in the coming seasons, as well as rough estimates (where applicable):
A rig capable of:
- running SC:BW (both for playing and observing)
- screen-sharing with the casters (so as to make sure they’re seeing the exact stream output)
- processing caster greenscreens (so far they’ve had to switch their webcams off in-game, otherwise the stream would get choppy)
- running sundry animations, including screen transitions and various clips
- during any downtime in between games
- capturing player webcams for post-game interviews
- streaming in 1080p
This is at the top of my agenda. I need to make sure I can provide a smooth viewing experience to the fans. You probably still remember robo-voice streams, power shut downs, animations lagging etc.)
Production value:
- sundry gfx: a caster scene, maps, intro, break, in-game, game start, etc.;
- TL.net gfx, battle.net gfx, news, and so on
- player profiles and post-game interviews
- a refurbished website adding various new features, such as player profiles and a system tracking their statistics
- stream intro and various animations
- zoom.us ($15/month)
Business expenditures and tax-related costs (10% on all prize money) - the BSL is now registered with the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS - the Polish equivalent of the IRS in the US or the HMRC in the UK)
https://www.pkt.pl/firma/bombastic-production-dawid-pazdzior-7598346
Remuneration for the admins, casters, and other persons working behind the scenes
During the previous season I received ~$480 in donations which I split between the whole crew. Personally I don’t see the BSL as a revenue-generating scheme - we’ll be good as long as we’re breaking even. For the time being I’m unable to cover all the expenses, and having just tied the knot I’m also trying to maintain a healthy balance between work, family time, and running the BSL.
How can you help?
If you happen to run a company interested in a partnership with the BSL, don’t hesitate to reach out. Below you’ll find enclosed a spreadsheet outlining the viewership for BSL5 and BSL6. Sponsors can expect to have their logos displayed during all streams as well as on our website and social media channels.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1X3H69mtG7tecf953U3WY9VyO9D0izj4jV5rCVm-JFMw/edit#gid=0
- Become a BSL Patron over at https://www.patreon.com/Bombastic
- Donate:
paypal - dideko.o@gmail.com
https://streamlabs.com/zzzeropl/tip
All donors will be included in post-cast credits.
Your support is highly appreciated. Thank you for sticking with us for the past six seasons.
More information about next seasons of BSL will be released soon !
Contact info: dideko.o@gmail.com
Regards,
Dawid
