"Liquid Rising" Documentary Interview with Michael Krukar
We are happy to announce the title of the documentary: "Liquid Rising." A full trailer will come out within the next few weeks and the full documentary will hopefully be released by the end of the month.
We sat down with Michael Krukar to talk about the progress of the documentary and his experience shooting the Liquid players and working with the TL staff.
How did you think of the title?
M. Krukar:We struggled with this for a long time. I was always pushing Team Liquid: The Documentary. One of my favourite movies is Spaceballs and I always found it funny how they name everything Spaceballs: Whatever. We didn't really agree on that so we kept thinking. I was adamant that it had to have Team Liquid in the name and I was just throwing out some names to a friend when he said Team Liquid Rising. It's a great title because the water level rising can symbolize pressure, fame, and the growth of the team and of StarCraft 2. It also just sounds badass.
How goes the editing of the documentary? Any surprises?
M. Krukar:I had so many ideas and plans on what to do and when I sat down to edit many of them were scrapped, mostly for time or to fit in with the feel of it. I'm surprised at how funny some stuff is. Someone in an interview will say something clever or funny and when filming them I'm too focused on the technical, I don't hear what they say. Now I can enjoy it and have a laugh.
What kind of film should fans be expecting?
M. Krukar:If you are a fan of Team Liquid, after seeing this you should be reaching an intense, radical fanaticism for the team. I want people who like these players to watch it and be able to connect with them. You can relate to some of the stories they tell and you can slowly realize that they're just regular guys like everyone else. If you aren't a fan of Team Liquid I hope you watch and become a fan.
Are there going to be any surprises in the documentary? Give us a preview.
M. Krukar:Without giving too much away I will say what surprised me most is that Zenio is actually the nicest guy on the team, and his English was surprisingly good. I told him he always comes off as a badass but then sitting down and talking to him he was sweet and a bit quirky.
Here's a sneak peak of the upcoming documentary I put together featuring one of the most important matches in heated EG/TL Rivalry...
Which was your favorite event? Why?
M. Krukar:I can tell you as a fan I am incredibly lucky to be sent to so many events. All the press/vip badges I received I have hanging next to my desk. I look over them and each one is a great memory. IPL3 was the first event and I couldn't believe people are paying me to be here. I'll never forget talking to Hot Bid the first time. TL purchased some equipment for me and left it in the hotel room so Hot Bid sent me a text "Room 1011. Equipment on bed." I felt like Agent 47 and it was a great way to start. I also met a lot of people from the Team Liquid community and I was introduced to Team Liquid Mafia. Anyone who was at IPL3 will know those insane Mafia games, I don't think we'll ever top those.
How is it working with the TL Staff at events?
M. Krukar:Some of you may not know but Hot Bid has a reputation for being a troll. I know that may sound shocking but working with him you never know if he's trolling you or not. I told him a few times I don't consider him a friend but currently he is dangerously close to becoming a friend. Wax like all great writers is the perfect drinking buddy and would never turn down a drink, especially a free one. Victor I have the utmost respect for and usually when someone disagrees with me I know they're wrong but Victor is one of those few people who I respect his opinion enough to listen to it. Several times we went out to eat just the two of us and we always had great talks. Just being associated with Team Liquid and having Victor vouch for me I was pretty much treated like a rock star. I could see it going to someone's head, it certainly inflated Hot Bid's already massive ego, but I always kept it cool even when getting free drinks or skipping waiting lines. The best way to describe it is Victor is the cool kid in high school and I have no qualms sitting at his table.
Are you friends with the Liquid guys now? How was it interviewing and filming them?
M. Krukar:I've had the opportunity to hang out with some of the players and I have to say we've on good terms. Sheth is such a nice guy I feel like I can say he's my friend, but I'm sure there are thousands of people who can say that about Sheth. Haypro was at the Team Liquid Head Quarters for a few days with me and there were definitely some laughs there. Hero I probably spent the most time with, we flew together to Korea. We had plans to party but his schedule was so busy with practicing for GSL and Blizzard Cup that he couldn't leave the house. I told him I would take him to a club when he comes to America and I plan on it if I attend any future MLG events. I also brought back to Canada about 15 bottles of Soju so I hope to share one with him after a big win. As a fan filming them has been great because their personalities have come out and some preconceived notions I had of them have been completely shattered. Hopefully when watching the documentary people can see some of them are a bit different then they people think they are.
Do you have any funny stories about the TL Staff or Liquid players?
M. Krukar:Hero had his NASL cheque at the airport. It was one of those very large novelty ones. They told us it was way too big to take with us and Hero was ready to throw it out. I said no man, we're getting this to Korea. He asked me to take care of it so I argued it out and they let us check it in. When we arrived in Korea we couldn't find it so I said let's go ask. This is in South Korea, no one speaks English and it's just me and Hero. He was so shy he asked me to go ask them if they have it. We ended up finding it and bring it all the way back to the oGs TL House.
How is this documentary different than the many others out there?
M. Krukar:I think the most important fact that differentiates this documentary from the others is that I have no illusions of what I am making. I am making a documentary about Team Liquid mainly geared toward the fans of Team Liquid, not something trying to be bigger than it is.
Do you feel that the relatively fast editing and production of this documentary may hurt its quality? Why not go for a longer period of time?
M. Krukar:Unfortunately the SC2 community is very fickle and a player's 15 minutes feel more like 15 seconds. It's sad how fast today's heroes are forgotten tomorrow. Hero won Dreamhack and did well at NASL just two months ago, and since then losing Blizzard Cup and Code S up/downs, some fans have counted him out already. We are so over saturated with tournaments that they have become meaningless. If you win a major tournament one week you can lose in a smaller one shortly after. With that kind of structure we will never have a clearly defined champion and people will transfer their attention very quickly between whoever the flavor of the week is. That's why prolonging the release of a documentary hurts it greatly. I have footage of Nazgul talking about watching Ret playing an important game and at the time the win is very important. But think of all the games he's played since. That game is now completely insignificant.
If you had to do another documentary, what would you do it on?
M. Krukar:If I was given a choice to do it on anything I wanted I would like to do it on something controversial. Naniwa would be interesting to follow, possible even Destiny. There are some players that have interesting stories and the interviews we see or what little interaction we have with them doesn't come close to helping us understand how they think.
Are you going to do more documentaries on Liquid or work with them in the future?
M. Krukar:It would be a dream to keep working with Liquid, whether they hire me in the future is up to them and if this documentary is a success. I enjoy watching Starcraft 2 but I doubt I would be attending a tournament without a purpose, without work. I've told Liquid about some possible ideas for future projects and right now they said focus on this one. I can only hope it's success allows me to continue doing what I love.
Do you think the movie will be ready by the end of February on schedule?
M. Krukar:We decided on February before going to NASL and Korea so I lost a few weeks worth of editing time but I'm still confident in a late February release date. If something unexpected happens it might throw us off but I don't expect it taking any longer than early March.
Anyone you'd like to thank?
M. Krukar:I don't believe in impersonal thanks. Some people have helped me out and I will thank them myself because without them this project would not be as amazing as I hope it turns out. Ultimately the responsibility of the success and failure is on me and I just hope I can work hard enough to create what I've envisioned in my head.
ahhhhhhh *keyboard smashing* Super pumped!!!!! <3 That wrestling match clip put a smile on my face The title sounds really cool as well, "Liquid Rising." I like how it can have different interpretations ^^ Hope to see it soon!
I really hope it is pretty awesome and that it lives up to the community's expectations.
We are so over saturated with tournaments that they have become meaningless. If you win a major tournament one week you can lose in a smaller one shortly after. With that kind of structure we will never have a clearly defined champion and people will transfer their attention very quickly between whoever the flavor of the week is.
This is so true. We have a ridiculous amount of tournaments that winning one is just like, oh ya that one player won that tournament a few weeks ago-nbd, its actually rather sad that so many tournaments means less meaning. We need something like FIFA to manage sc2...
We are so over saturated with tournaments that they have become meaningless. If you win a major tournament one week you can lose in a smaller one shortly after. With that kind of structure we will never have a clearly defined champion and people will transfer their attention very quickly between whoever the flavor of the week is.
This is so true. We have a ridiculous amount of tournaments that winning one is just like, oh ya that one player won that tournament a few weeks ago-nbd, its actually rather sad that so many tournaments means less meaning. We need something like FIFA to manage sc2...
I agree there is an oversaturation of Starcraft 2 content (major tournaments, weekly tournaments, daily tournaments, player streams, etc.).
At first glance, having an abundance of content is great because only the best will survive, but simultaneously I feel we are spreading the viewership too thin and making it hard for casual viewers to feel connected. Too much supply with not enough demand.
Although I prefer SC2 as a spectator, I think Korean BW has better content management. BW generally has one team league (Proleague) to give exposure to all teams and most players, and one (formerly two) individual league (OSL) to give exposure to star players. That's it.
With a limited amount of content available the value of each game goes up, all fans know when / where to view BW, and view all the same matches (allowing better discussions, etc.).
I doubt this is possible at the moment with SC2 still being so young, teams needing to get more exposure and sponsors, and it being as international as it is, but I would definitely prefer this in the future.
I feel so odd because my 2 favorite teams are liquid and eg. I am VERY excited for this, and can not wait to see the part of HerO and NonY! This is going to be fantastic!
On February 06 2012 15:27 Krukar wrote: Hot Bid asked if I wanted to give a preview of the special effects in the movie. I sent him this but he wasn't too excited
On February 06 2012 15:27 Krukar wrote: Hot Bid asked if I wanted to give a preview of the special effects in the movie. I sent him this but he wasn't too excited
God this is going to be so good. No pressure Michael, any film with TLO in it can not only do no wrong, but also is the perfect film. You have this in the bag!
On February 06 2012 15:27 Krukar wrote: Hot Bid asked if I wanted to give a preview of the special effects in the movie. I sent him this but he wasn't too excited
Lol that is from Megaman, right? If not ignore me and stay your sharp hand. Excuse my ignorance >.<
On February 06 2012 15:27 Krukar wrote: Hot Bid asked if I wanted to give a preview of the special effects in the movie. I sent him this but he wasn't too excited
Lol that is from Megaman, right? If not ignore me and stay your sharp hand. Excuse my ignorance >.<
Two things, though. The maker of the documentary seems completely biased (seems more of a propaganda film, which is fine, than a documentary).
Secondly, the title only made me think of Metal Gear. The newest title will be called Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and the main enemy in MGS 1 was Liquid Snake (thus Liquid: Rising sounding like it's about that character in that series).
On February 06 2012 16:39 HuK wrote: why are every1 on liquid so bad at wrestling? first tlo then victor then sheth. take some classes or something kids
Super excited. Liquid is my favorite team and most certainly has my favorite player (hero!), so this documentary is going to be major fan-service for me <33
This guy doing the documentary is really nice! When I was at providence I was hanging around the player area. He saw me trying to snap a picture of MVP (was pretty far away) and he took my iPod and went and got me a close up of MVP.
Totally forgot this was due this month already :D (kinda similiar to how he talked about too many tournaments making major wins insignificant...). Anyways sick interview, can't wait! Only thing that makes me sad is that the return of nony won't be a part of it
His goal is to make everyone fans of team of liquid? Not gonna lie that's sort of a strange goal for a documentary. Sounds like it's gonna be more of a propaganda film.
It's going to be awesome. After watching the clip I'm just a bit worried about the sound levels. I thought the volume from the wrestling scene was a lot higher than the volume in the interview afterwards.
I am looking forward to watching this, but the clip shows a disturbing lack of editing knowledge. No suspense, no build-up, no feeling for characters. I hope this is going to be better in the final version.
On February 07 2012 03:25 FlyingDJ wrote: I am looking forward to watching this, but the clip shows a disturbing lack of editing knowledge. No suspense, no build-up, no feeling for characters. I hope this is going to be better in the final version.
is there a relation to Liquid players wrestling and Nazgul being a wrestling fan? could it be its in their contracts to wrestle for his amusement? Such brilliance!
On February 06 2012 15:27 Krukar wrote: Hot Bid asked if I wanted to give a preview of the special effects in the movie. I sent him this but he wasn't too excited
Lol that is from Megaman, right? If not ignore me and stay your sharp hand. Excuse my ignorance >.<
It's actually from Super Mario Brothers.
/facepalm
Coulda sworn I saw that in Megaman lore in a minute... EDIT:
On February 06 2012 15:27 Krukar wrote: Hot Bid asked if I wanted to give a preview of the special effects in the movie. I sent him this but he wasn't too excited
Lol that is from Megaman, right? If not ignore me and stay your sharp hand. Excuse my ignorance >.<
It's actually from Super Mario Brothers.
/facepalm
Coulda sworn I saw that in Megaman lore in a minute... EDIT:
I think he's mistaken that listing people to thank in an interview is impersonal. It isn't impersonal, and it's actually pretty rude to just refuse to mention anyone like he did. People deserved to be recognised publicly for their contributions.
Forgive the noob question, but... who is Michael Krukar, exactly? I see his name thrown around in this thread left and right like I he's some well-known celebrity, but I've never heard of him before.
So phyched for this! Thank you Michael Krukar for getting involved with the StarCraft community and making what promises to be an amazing documentary. I'm eagerly awaiting the release (along with everyone on TL)!
pls pls, cant wait for anymore, its the end of feb, and march already in asian time. maybe it could be the best present for liquidhero's performance today
thats a really cool title for a documentary in my opinion.
one a side note: when someone has you in an underarm-lock, or is going for it, the best thing to do is pop the elbow, shoot a high-c, and switch it to a fireman's carry. if they sprawl but keep the under-arm: short-carry.
On April 30 2012 02:52 Ercster wrote: They might be waiting for GSL, as both Hero and Taeja are in the ro8.
But they wouldn't be able to put that footage into the documentary without delaying it considerably because of the time it takes to edit the footage to fit into the documentary.
We are watching a first cut internally tonight. Lots of work to do still to get it to the quality we want, but we're making a lot of progress. No hard ETA, but we should have it out in weeks, not months. Stay tuned. + Show Spoiler +
Unless hero or taeja get to Code S finals because well fuck everyone i want that clip at the end :o
On April 30 2012 06:13 Kennigit wrote: We are watching a first cut internally tonight. Lots of work to do still to get it to the quality we want, but we're making a lot of progress. No hard ETA, but we should have it out in weeks, not months. Stay tuned. + Show Spoiler +
Unless hero or taeja get to Code S finals because well fuck everyone i want that clip at the end :o
On April 30 2012 06:13 Kennigit wrote: We are watching a first cut internally tonight. Lots of work to do still to get it to the quality we want, but we're making a lot of progress. No hard ETA, but we should have it out in weeks, not months. Stay tuned. + Show Spoiler +
Unless hero or taeja get to Code S finals because well fuck everyone i want that clip at the end :o
Not possible =( but it would be awesome, might be seeing a liquid semifinals though. I'm still patiently waiting for this to be released ha. Thanks for the update!
On April 30 2012 06:13 Kennigit wrote: We are watching a first cut internally tonight. Lots of work to do still to get it to the quality we want, but we're making a lot of progress. No hard ETA, but we should have it out in weeks, not months. Stay tuned. + Show Spoiler +
Unless hero or taeja get to Code S finals because well fuck everyone i want that clip at the end :o
Wow, I'm just thinking about how epic of a ending it would be for the documentary if a Liquid player won the GSL finals. Seems like theirs a fair chance of it happening as well! Either way, can't wait for this to be released, I'm sure it'll live up to the typical liquid quality of outstanding.
On April 30 2012 06:13 Kennigit wrote: We are watching a first cut internally tonight. Lots of work to do still to get it to the quality we want, but we're making a lot of progress. No hard ETA, but we should have it out in weeks, not months. Stay tuned. + Show Spoiler +
Unless hero or taeja get to Code S finals because well fuck everyone i want that clip at the end :o
Wow, I'm just thinking about how epic of a ending it would be for the documentary if a Liquid player won the GSL finals. Seems like theirs a fair chance of it happening as well! Either way, can't wait for this to be released, I'm sure it'll live up to the typical liquid quality of outstanding.
Agreed I think that a GSL win would be worth the wait for sure!.
On April 30 2012 06:13 Kennigit wrote: We are watching a first cut internally tonight. Lots of work to do still to get it to the quality we want, but we're making a lot of progress. No hard ETA, but we should have it out in weeks, not months. Stay tuned. + Show Spoiler +
Unless hero or taeja get to Code S finals because well fuck everyone i want that clip at the end :o
All this hype. Can't stand it anymore. Must hold out. Can't even wait to see Hero and TaeJa play their matches. Speaking of Taeja, did they edit him in there somehow?
Pretty sure that the buck stops at Code-S. It doesn't get any bigger than that. To continue filming after a possible Code-S final only to keep telling the story at some relatively minor international event would just be illogical.
On April 30 2012 15:04 p4NDemik wrote: Pretty sure that the buck stops at Code-S. It doesn't get any bigger than that. To continue filming after a possible Code-S final only to keep telling the story at some relatively minor international event would just be illogical.
You miss the point, you can't bitch if you don't make up random "slippery slope" arguments and act like TL is just postponing the movie to screw with your busy schedule.
I'm glad the movie is coming up soon though! I think Hero/Taeja finals would be worth another month(s) worth of delay though, just sayin'.
On April 30 2012 14:57 BigKahunaBurger wrote: By weeks away they mean like 6 weeks.
Unless Taeja or HerO make it to the Code S final. Then it's months.
Unless of course Ret has a really good showing at the Red Bull Invitiational, then thats probably another few week of cutting.
And if the team is all going to be there at Anaheim, they can't really release it until they get that vital footage.
Which will be great, because it'll be extended to show the strong run Taeja has at Dreamhack....
Ad infinitum.
Winning the GSL is much more significant than any of what you mentioned there. Try to look at it from the teams point of view, and just be patient. Whining won't do any good.
On June 22 2012 22:45 KOtical wrote: only 5 hours left... i hope
If it's delayed more,which I highly doubt(by highly I mean 99%). it would be to the greater good. But the little footage I've seen has been amazing so far. so can't wait!!!! Liquid fighting!
as a film production technology graduate looking to get in to the industry, this documentary is as close to broadcast quality i can think of without actually being made for TV/Film. Although some of the sound dips in places (due to lack of external mic in the gaming halls for example) It's technically well made, however stylistically inviting and beautiful.
Just constructive criticism here, but even as a big fan of e-sports I found this documentary rather boring. The profiles of each player were too long and should not have been the main focus of the film. *Insert liquid player here* is such a great guy, etc. etc. for 10 minutes long. My favorite part of the film was also the shortest, when talking about the rivalry between EG and Liquid. I think you should have focused more on Liquid competing rather than focusing on the players.
That's just my opinion. It was a valiant effort but I think it could have been much better.
EPT
![[image loading]](http://michaelkrukar.com/tl/tlplayers.jpg)
i prefer when they talk or play soccer or play sc2
![[image loading]](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11056840/Screenshots/sfbg.jpg)
