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Esports: The Daily Life.
April 29th, 2009 06:50 GMT
The Daily Life of an Esports Journalist:
Introduction:
~ My typical view @ OGN. ~
I recently celebrated the anniversary of the first time I photographed a live StarCraft event using my DSLR camera and thus entered into the world of semi-professional Esports journalism. April 13th marked a turning point for me in my travels around South Korea. I've lived in two very different places since I left England in July 2007 - a small, rural town in Southern Korea with one main street to speak of and the capital itself - vibrant, noisy Seoul; the hub of Esporting events.
I used to travel for three hours via train to reach the COEX MBC Hero Centre. The last thirty minutes of every single Saturday from November 2007 until September 2008 were spent running headlong through Samsung subway station and COEX mall's crowded corridors to beat the rush of Korean fans and secure one of the tiny number of black seats inside the cupboard of a venue.
I remember accidentally bumping into Song Byungoo, Lee Sungeun and other faces I've come to know so well and asking for their signatures or presenting baskets of oranges and kimbap. Those were the days of video taping Saint as Light forced him to dance for the screaming girls gathered, of hugging Kim Taekyong during a fan meeting's free hugs day and accidentally walking straight past Lim Yohwan because at that point to me he was just another gamer amidst the crowd.
~ Kim Taekyong - hugging victim ~
Times have really changed for me now though. I've photographed over fifty gamers in solo photoshoots from Lim Yohwan himself to lesser known names such as Woo Jungho (Violet) I have attended more live Korean events than any other foreigner (including former progamers and anyone currently living in Seoul from the foreigner scene.) I am entering triple figures for the amount of events I have recorded via photos and video by now. To date I've shot everything from the Club Day MSL finals to the members of the eSTRO team at home in down town Seoul.
There's not a day that goes by where I don't consider these events to be utterly surreal. I am grateful for the chances I've been given by Kespa, OGN, MBC and other companies such as IEG and Nexon to get really involved in Korean Esports. I might complain about my sore limbs and tired mind, but when I look back over a year's worth of photos and memories - it's all worth it.
Daily Life:
~ Winners League Finals ~
So, what is it like to be a foreign journalist working in Korean esports?
From my humble beginnings as a fan (probably the worst kind of playing-chasing, gift-giving type if I'm honest.) I've worked my way up to photographing live events from the side lines, moving into the press area of venues and aquiring special photoshoots as well as doing press work for eSTRO, Nexon and foreign sites such as Team Liquid.net and SCforALL.com.
I used to report absolutely everything - Monday to Friday (with the exception of early Proleagues on a Wednesday.) I still don't usually get a weekend off due to Proleague (with a sprinkling of Special Force Proleague, Kart Rider and other FPS live events.) I realised that not all events have a necessary story to be told in photos - at least with time quality decided to win out over my desire to simply provide quantity.
So now I cover mainly proleague and finals only. I still don't have a weekend, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Weekend proleagues are my personal favourite event because due to their early time they provide ample opportunity to photograph players in a more intimate fashion and also to record the subsequent fan meetings.
I've been randomly interviewed for several Korean programs from KBS World reports on Esports to websites covering esports on a weekly basis like Afreeca. I never know when to expect these interviews (the Make a Wish Foundation one was surreal to say the least.)
Below, I'll share my daily routine in a condensed format just to give people an idea of how I go about my business.
The Routine:
~ Backstage with eSTRO ~
It's a widely known fact that I dislike the LOOX MBC Hero Centre intensely. I am disheartened by it's terrible lighting set up and the fact that the two main pillars displaying utterly superfluous video screens block any chance normal fans have of seeing the players sitting on the benches. The shop which once sold MBC Heroes merchandise is now dark and closed off more often than not. The only up side of going to this venue is the chance to bump into random members of the MBC Heroes and STX Soul teams.
I have visited LOOX twice to photograph the STX Soul and MBC Heroes training rooms (and to interview JulyZerg, Kal and Hwasin.) I can't count the amount of times I've bumped into Yeom Boseung in the elevator or had a quick chat with Thezerg on his way back to practice time. It's nice to see the players out of context from time to time and I've found the majority of them polite and welcoming (if a little shy in cases.)
Therefore, my guide focuses almost exclusively upon my second home - the venue I've frequented for months now upon a weekly basis and for which I hold a very special place in my heart. The crew are some of the nicest people I've ever met in my stay here. They ask if I'm sick or hungry and invariably I'll be presented with a little bottle of vitamin C drink or a roll of kimbap before the event is over.
My typical routine runs something along these lines; (based upon a typical Saturday.)
+ 9:00 - wake up and begin getting ready. Equipment is checked (camera charged, memory cards emptied etc.)
+ 11:00 - Take a taxi or the subway to Yongsan Station (depending upon relative levels of laziness.)
+ 11:30 - drop off camera bag at the OGN press room and go for lunch (usually Popeyes.)
+ 12:00 - Wander round the shops and buy some CDs or magazines usually.
+ 12:45 - Head back upstairs to the ninth floor and get the camera ready. I have a spot behind the press line next to the right hand side's main cameras and the team bench from which I work. Sometimes I go over and photograph players setting up in the booths.
+ 1:00 - The event begins. I wait until the first shots of fans' signs have been taken and then move forward to photograph players sitting at the benches on both sides.
+ Sometime between 3:00 and 5:00 - The event finishes. I then approach the winning team's head or assistant coach to get a photo shoot. Between one and three players are requested (usually a mix between veterans and new faces.)
+ Players are then taken outside if the weather is clement for photographs. We work with between two and six different poses and players are sometimes photographed together. After the photos are concluded players go out to the fan meeting.
+ The fan meeting is photographed - it lasts between thirty minutes and one hour. KTF fan meetings last forever.
(At this point if there is a second event I stay for that and photograph until around 9pm instead of only 6pm.)
+ I then get the subway or a taxi back home (again depending upon laziness.)
+ Between 6:00 and 8:30pm - I return home and begin editing photos. Editing usually takes around one to two hours depending upon number of special photoshoots and volume of general photos. The photos are then distributed to various sites including my own.
+ Around 11pm - Sleep time! Also I prepare for Sunday's events.
Conclusion:
~ Lee Jaedong - A photographer's favourite. ~
That is a typical day for me as an Esports journalist. I have fielded many questions about my work in the past, but here are a few quick answers about my current work;
+ Do you get paid?
~ No, I'm a volunteer for all my work from StarCraft to Special Force. I do this because I adore photography and Esports has become an intergral piece of my life here in South Korea. There have been several instances of being completely penniless in Seoul for me, but somehow I bounced back and Esports was the fuel that kept me going.
+ How many other foreigners attend events (regularly.)?
~ There's been a slightly significant influx of foreign fans attending events in the last five or so months. I used to be the only person who attended COEX proleague events every single week. I'm still the only foreigner who goes more than a few times a year, but there are more people randomly turning up for proleague than ever before nowadays.
+ What equipment do you use?
~ Nikon D40X with a Sigma EX 70-200mm lens, UV filter (which is stuck on it lol.) plus bog standard 2GB memory cards. I edit using photoshop 7 and paint (for those silly macros anyway.) I'm upgrading to a Canon EOS 5D in about three months though.
For any other questions feel free to ask me. I'll be updating the live events guide myself and Elric devised with new videos and other media in the coming weeks now that I'm off my two week hiatus (for ill health -_- ) Thanks again for all the support of TL.net and beyond.
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konadora
Singapore66364 Posts
Wow, didn't know you weren't getting paid, I thought you were doing (not just because of your love of e-Sports of course) because of work as well. Very nicely written article, kinda inspired to do the same 
Speaking of your equipment, I'm planning to get a DSLR soon for my 18th birthday. Do you heavily recommend Nikon, or is Canon or Sony good as well? I am considering Sony's Alpha350.
Added into the articles thread 
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NeverGG
United Kingdom5399 Posts
On April 29 2009 15:55 konadora wrote:Wow, didn't know you weren't getting paid, I thought you were doing (not just because of your love of e-Sports of course) because of work as well. Speaking of your equipment, I'm planning to get a DSLR soon for my 18th birthday. Do you heavily recommend Nikon, or is Canon or Sony good as well? I am considering Sony's Alpha350. Added into the articles thread
Yeah - a lot of people seem to be under the misconception that this is my only job. I work Monday to Friday as an English teacher for kindergarten level. As for the DSLR - it really, really depends upon what you want to use it for. I've had fun with my Nikon, but it is not as good with low lighting situations (90% of what I shoot.) so I'm moving to Canon because the rest of the Esporting press uses that brand. I recommend checking out photo.net and Nikonians forum for reviews and advice from people with a lot more experience than myself. I'm not sure about Sony cameras because no one really uses them who I associate with professionally.
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konadora
Singapore66364 Posts
Ah I see. Thanks for your advice.
And I knew you had an other job (I thought covering e-Sports was something like your hobby+odd job thing), but didn't know it was being an English teacher. Pretty cool!
One of my path I am considering to take in the near future is teaching English in Korea, Japan or China, as I can speak English, Korean, Japanese and Chinese
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Nevergg's pure passion for esports photography and SC per se is pretty much unrivalled. Anyone who has met her will understand me instantly. Props!~
My Q: I guess you are planning to become a paid photographer in the future. How difficult is this? Can you do any freelancing work etc.?
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So English teacher is your day job eh.
I was wondering about that for a while. I didn't think you got paid for the photography.
I still wonder how Artosis earns his daily bread.
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So you don't need a press pass to be able to go up to the Progamers and get interviews and photoshoots? That's pretty interesting. Especially when I think of all the pictures you've shown us! Unless eStro and Nexon get you press badges because you've worked for them?
If not, do you just go up to the players or coach and say: "can a I get a few pictures to put online?" Or do you explain that your pictures go to fansites abroad etc...? Just wondering how hard it is to get some time from the pros, and I'd imagine it's extremely difficult 
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konadora
Singapore66364 Posts
I thought she did get Press Passes or something from the KeSPA folks? (CJ vs Hwaseung finals)
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NeverGG
United Kingdom5399 Posts
On April 29 2009 16:11 Elric wrote:
Nevergg's pure passion for esports photography and SC per se is pretty much unrivalled. Anyone who has met her will understand me instantly. Props!~
My Q: I guess you are planning to become a paid photographer in the future. How difficult is this? Can you do any freelancing work etc.?
Aww thanks hunnie I think most rational people would call my devotion excessive, but someone's got to do it! I'm not sure about becoming a paid photographer to be honest. I love photographing esports and sometimes other things (like my floral work and Seoul city photos.) but I'm also paranoid as heck about having a 'regular' income (mainly because I spend so much money lol.) so for now it's really not an option. I'd love to devote more time to my non-esports photography in the future. So, for now I just plan to research and do day trips to photograph other interesting elements of living in Seoul (I'm an architecture junkie!)
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you'll get paid eventually
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NeverGG
United Kingdom5399 Posts
On April 29 2009 18:05 Hammy wrote:So you don't need a press pass to be able to go up to the Progamers and get interviews and photoshoots? That's pretty interesting. Especially when I think of all the pictures you've shown us! Unless eStro and Nexon get you press badges because you've worked for them? If not, do you just go up to the players or coach and say: "can a I get a few pictures to put online?" Or do you explain that your pictures go to fansites abroad etc...? Just wondering how hard it is to get some time from the pros, and I'd imagine it's extremely difficult
Actually this isn't technically true (the part about not needing press passes.) For day to day photography of esports - proleague etc. I have permission granted to work behind the press line. I only tend to go backstage along with eSTRO because they are my home team so to speak. For finals you always need a press pass though - I am fortunate enough to know the head and assistant head of proleague planning at Kespa who have been wonderfully helpful and provided me with not only press passes for all finals, but also spots in the press areas so I can work properly during each event.
As for getting photo shoots - through my work for IEG I've been introduced to all the head coaches etc so most of them know I am legitimately working to bridge the gap between the Korean scene and foreign fans. They've all been very accomodating of my frequent requests for photo shoots. The first photo shoot I ever did was with Lee Sungeun (Firebathero.) - this was a personal request from me to him as a big fan of his and he graciously helped me out. Since then I've gathered the contacts and confidence to get photo shoots with eleven out of the twelve teams.
Admittedly working with certain people still makes me nervous. I was a jibbering wreck after my photo shoot with Lim Yohwan (hearing him tell me I did a good job was one of the best motivators EVER!) However, I try to do my best with each shoot and make sure the gamers enjoy it as well. I've had feedback from several gamers who have seen my work by now (including one of my favourite boys - Violet who is a team liquid fan!) and it's always gratifying and nice to know I'm doing a decent job for them as well as fans.
TBH it's not hard to get time with the pros at all - fan meetings provide that connection between fans and players. I've seen everything from players dancing for fans to a Hwaseung coach running round playing tag with the girls. It's this personalisation of the experience that I think keeps so many people coming back for more.
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Your dedication is unparalleled.Keep up the good work and as always you bring out the Korea Esport to life for most of us.
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On April 29 2009 16:03 konadora wrote:Ah I see. Thanks for your advice. And I knew you had an other job (I thought covering e-Sports was something like your hobby+odd job thing), but didn't know it was being an English teacher. Pretty cool! One of my path I am considering to take in the near future is teaching English in Korea, Japan or China, as I can speak English, Korean, Japanese and Chinese
Konadora: He's not just awesome, but he's really freaking awesome.
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On April 29 2009 16:03 konadora wrote:Ah I see. Thanks for your advice. And I knew you had an other job (I thought covering e-Sports was something like your hobby+odd job thing), but didn't know it was being an English teacher. Pretty cool! One of my path I am considering to take in the near future is teaching English in Korea, Japan or China, as I can speak English, Korean, Japanese and Chinese
how the heck can you speak all those languages.
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NeverGG
United Kingdom5399 Posts
On April 29 2009 21:25 Zurles wrote:Show nested quote +On April 29 2009 16:03 konadora wrote:Ah I see. Thanks for your advice. And I knew you had an other job (I thought covering e-Sports was something like your hobby+odd job thing), but didn't know it was being an English teacher. Pretty cool! One of my path I am considering to take in the near future is teaching English in Korea, Japan or China, as I can speak English, Korean, Japanese and Chinese how the heck can you speak all those languages.
I think he's really a cyborg. Good luck konadora - you sound like you have plenty of options. Japan is pretty expensive, but fun to visit, Korea is....well Korea and I've heard China is great for living really cheaply and saving tonnes of money.
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konadora
Singapore66364 Posts
Uh, I'm born Korean, so I speak Korean.
Singapore's main language is English, and I study there sooooooo yeah.
Singapore's education system is really a bitch, they force you to take 'Mother Tongue' as a subject, and I didn't have a choice but to take Chinese (I didn't want to take Malay or Tamil lol)
As for Japanese, it's out of my own interest :D
On April 29 2009 21:28 NeverGG wrote:Show nested quote +On April 29 2009 21:25 Zurles wrote:On April 29 2009 16:03 konadora wrote:Ah I see. Thanks for your advice. And I knew you had an other job (I thought covering e-Sports was something like your hobby+odd job thing), but didn't know it was being an English teacher. Pretty cool! One of my path I am considering to take in the near future is teaching English in Korea, Japan or China, as I can speak English, Korean, Japanese and Chinese how the heck can you speak all those languages. I think he's really a cyborg. Good luck konadora - you sound like you have plenty of options. Japan is pretty expensive, but fun to visit, Korea is....well Korea and I've heard China is great for living really cheaply and saving tonnes of money.
Haha, thanks. I find Japan very interesting as a whole, plan to live there once I get a good job (I plan to work for Sony rofl). China sounds interesting, always want to visit it someday
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So who's your favorite player to shoot? (Don't answer backho, I know you have a fetish for him)
Do you consider some of the players in eSTRO (or any players for that matter) your personal friends? In that case who?
What was the wackiest photoshoot you've done so far? Stuff that went wrong etc.etc
Have you ever noticed anything wierd progamers do before a game? Flash's twitching is well know, but other players? Some wierd rituals maybe? (Heard roumors about JD telling himself "I'm going to fucking kill him" over and over again before games)
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