100 players and 50 streamers battled it out for $100,000 in a live Fortnite tournament
Founded in 2019 by esports production veterans Scott Smith When Jason BakerDo Not Peek Entertainment (DNP), operates a complete studio in Phoenix that produces live broadcasts, original programming, and post-processes esports and gaming content.
Do Not Peek Entertainment’s production takes place in the control room of BitFire Studios in Phoenix.
Smith and Baker are legends in the esports production space, each with over 20 years of experience. As co-founder of GotFragTV (acquired by MLG), owner/COO of team Evil Geniuses, and his host/broadcast analyst for over 20 years on air, Smith is one of the most iconic faces in esports broadcasting. One. Co-founder of GotFragTV, Baker launched Turner’s Eleague as a producer and Blizzard’s Overwatch League as a director.
“After living through and pioneering the origins of esports broadcasting and seeing the power of corporations pour into the field, we wanted to combine top-notch production with the heartfelt joy and excitement of gaming. We founded Not Peek to tell real stories about the most exciting entertainment on the planet and create cool things with cool people.”
Odyssey Invitational: Creating Workflows for 100 Players and 50 Streamers
DNP took its live production capabilities to new heights this month with the $100K Odyssey Invitational, a Fortnite tournament featuring 100 total players, including 50 celebrity streamers, competing for a $100,000 prize pool.
DNP had to build a system that could capture each stream and switch between them on the fly. Integrating the cloud solution with the switching system allowed the production team to capture all 50 of his Twitch feeds and observers select 12 to be displayed in multiview using his Elgato Stream Decks. It is now possible. From there, the director could see which players were in the action, and at any time he could switch to POV or free camera observer.
The Fortnite tournament saw 100 players, including 50 celebrity streamers, compete for $100,000 in prize money.
“This is the first time we’ve done a show like this,” says Baker. “This is certainly one of the most complex he’s done. We were thinking about how to design something on this scale, but this show has us going all in and developing our own solutions.” He gave me the opportunity.”
In addition, DNP provided the hosts and casters with the LED stage set-up and a complete control room at the Phoenix production facility.
DNP provided the hosts and casters with the LED stage set-up and a complete control room at the Phoenix production facility.
Streamer events like the Odyssey Invitational have exploded in popularity in recent years thanks to Twitch Rivals events like the Streamer Bowl. However, while Twitch and other high-profile streamers boast high-end API tools to power their productions, DNP built a new production workflow from the ground up for his Sept. 8 event. .
Without an API tool available to streamers like Twitch Rivals, DNP had to find a way to get the source from the browser and properly capture 50 streams at once. Baker and company have come up with a solution that includes switching, automation, fonts, and multiple data flows. The biggest challenge, he says, was testing everything and combining them into his one workflow for the ultimate end-to-end solution.
The Odyssey Invitational was held on September 8th.
“The biggest challenge was testing everything and combining them into one workflow for the ultimate end-to-end solution,” says Baker. “From idea to execution, this event proves that big problems can be solved.
“The feedback from clients has been very positive and we see all indications that the broadcast has been a success. people stay in the streamer’s stream and don’t often step into the main broadcast.”
On the horizon: DNP sees big things ahead with new production model
In 2021, DNP will move into the newly opened 16,000 square foot BitFire Studios. The Phoenix production facility offers a cost-effective solution to the high prices of East/West Coast production hubs.Turnkey studio with multiple stages includes broadcast control room with full Ross suite I have. Carbonite Ultra switcher with Tria+, XPression graphics and Mira+ playback/playback system. While the new bargain has served his DNP well, the production model used for the Odyssey Invitational marks a new chapter in the company’s capabilities, says Baker.
Do Not Peek Entertainment believes the new production workflow will be a hit with future clients.
“Since moving to BitFire Studios, we have had access to incredible toys and powerful technology. But this is something we designed from the ground up. No. This time we did 50 streamers, but next time we have 100? 1000? We want to push this medium forward as much as possible.
“Now that we have tested a large streamer array at its pace, we would like to introduce this large scale creator collaboration model to other clients and games. Remote production is also available. [projects] It comes out for some very important reasons. “