They say that January is the best time for a job change - do you have what it takes to be part of the ESL video team? Here we chat with director of video and editorial at ESL TV Alexander "carni" Holtz Shedden about what he does, how 2014 has treated him and what it’s like being part of the ESL TV family.
ESL: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. First of all, can you tell us a little about your role within the team?
Alexander "carni" Holtz Shedden: I run the video department within ESL, which produces all the videos you see in our productions on online platforms. With all the different products we’re involved in, it’s not the easiest job, but it’s also one of the most interesting positions you can have here. I‘d say this view is shared throughout the team - we’re involved in practically every single project.
ESL: We last spoke to you properly back in April 2014: has your role - and that of the team as a whole - changed much since then?
carni: Not much except the workload! It’s getting to be too much for us to handle by ourselves, so in 2015 we’re planning to expand our team to make sure we’re able to give fans what they want: the very best on and off stream videos, like our event aftermovies.
ESL: What’s it like to work for ESL?
carni: We have a very familiar hierarchy - it creates a really good harmony within the team and with everyone else at ESL. The video team are particularly close as we all travel and work together when it comes to our main products like Intel Extreme Masters, ESL One and WCS, where it’s necessary to rely on each other. However, I’m not gonna lie - things can get pretty frantic during events!
ESL: Do you have any particularly funny stories from your time working on the video team at ESL that you can tell us about?
carni: It’s always nice to have freelancers aboard, but probably one of the funniest moments was when one of these didn’t check the current game status and thought he got a brilliant winning moment by SK Gaming at Intel Extreme Katowice 2013 event - it turned out he recorded the wrong team. Well, at least we now have one of the best losing moments on tape! However, this was a one-time issue which has never happened again 😀
ESL: The video team travels a lot as part of the job. When looking back at 2014, is there any place you want to visit again this year?
carni: In 2014 we definitely had to travel a lot. Looking back, there are many events I would like to do again in 2015, but specifically I’d love to go back to San Jose. It was a big success on multiple levels - the venue looked amazing and the fans were awesome. What Katowice has shown me is that events get better and better year by year, so a bigger and better San Jose is something I’m really looking forward to.
ESL: At what point did you feel most proud of the video team last year?
carni: It’s more a project I’m proud arround than a video. BlizzCon was really challenging this year with a lot more stages and content than we had in 2013. It was simply amazing how much effort our guys gave to make all the videos happen.
ESL: So there are currently a couple of open positions in the video team at ESL TV - could you tell us a bit about these?
carni: As previously mentioned, we need to expand our team, so we’re currently in search of primary video editors. We’re also offering an apprenticeship alongside a regular position to ensure the opportunity appeals to up-and-coming talent from all walks of life. World will primarily revolve around video editing, the scale of which can vary from creating recaps at our Cologne HQ to traveling around the world to cover our brands in person. Of course, you need to want to travel 😉
ESL: Do you need a university degree or video qualification to apply?
carni: No, absolutely not. In our experience, great talent is hidden everywhere, so don’t hesitate to apply if you can show us some of the great editing work you’ve done before. Although we do have graduates on our team, we also have very talented people who taught themselves.
ESL: What awaits the people who apply for these positions?
carni: An awesome bunch of video enthusiasts and esports maniacs. When it comes to the job, expect to pitch in in creating a lot creative projects when Carmac rushes to the video department looking for our help 😉
ESL: You recently gave us your video review of 2014 - is there any event you’re particularly looking forward to covering in 2015 or video you really want to make?
carni: We’ve a big lack of Counter-Strike content in my opinion, maybe not streaming-wise but by featuring players I really want to stir things up in 2015. But hey - it’s the beginning of a new year, and I’m sure we’re going to have plenty of opportunity to create awesome videos!
There are two positions currently available in the video team - click on the links below to find out more!
Good luck with your application!
