I was fortunate enough to discuss with DustMouret about some of the behind the scenes aspects of casting. In the interview he talks about his introduction to the scene, the work that goes behind every cast and gives some tips for any aspiring newcomers.

How did you get introduced to Counterstrike?

DustMouret: I got introduced to counterstrike by a bunch of buddies of mine back in 2006. A bunch of friends I had met played Halo 1 together on PC, and they would go off and play CS Source at night. After some time, they convinced me to buy the game, and we’d play mini games, like zombie escape, and I actually didn’t play competitive 5 v 5 until early 2008. I didn’t know CS 1.6 existed originally as my friends had only introduced me to Source! I then played and commentated Source until CS:GO came out in 2012 and I immediately transitioned.

Did you predict the future Success CS:GO would have?

DustMouret: I never thought it would compare to the numbers of lol or Dota 2, but I certainly had hopes it would be huge if it could accomplish the task of uniting both communities of Counterstrike (Source and 1.6). However when it first came out it didn’t seem as if it was going to succeed in that aim, and it eventually took Organisations and Valve to throw large amounts of money towards it to eventually make people take that jump across games. Teams like NiP took that jump quickly, potentially a large factor for their era of dominance, whilst teams such as Na’Vi took a lot longer.

DustMouret and Vansilli casting at the last ESEA LAN he attended back in early 2014. Image courtesy of ESEA

What got you into casting?

DustMouret: I started following the Pro Scene at an early stage in my introduction to Counterstrike Source. The first tournament I followed was CGS with the casters such as Fatality and Redeye. From that point forward I was definitely hooked to the NA pro scene at the very least. It wasn’t just the CGS guys that inspired me, an early ESEA LAN with the likes of Corey Dunn and Jimmy Whisenhunt as well as all the work Redeye and Joe Miller were doing in the scene all acted as inspiration for me. As far as how I got into casting, it all started as a joke with friends to be honest. We’d be playing a scrim, it would be dead silent as someone was doing a clutch and I would come out of nowhere and just start shoutcasting. Everyone would laugh their ass off! But my friends, the same ones that introduced me to the game, said I should actually try and do it for real. So I made a little YouTube clip of me casting a few rounds and sent it off to multiple companies. At first it was volunteer work, so I started up at one company called Gamefire, casting a little bit of 1.6, a lot of CS:S and also a bit of COD4. The main reason why I casted for free at companies like this was because I didn’t have the know how to run my own stream at a time when there was no easy outlet such as twitch so I just hopped around as needed when companies died out. After working as a volunteer and casting as a hobby for several years, I got my real job casting with ESEA in 2012. So that’s where it all started for me, the tail-end of CS:S and the beginning of CS:GO.

Do you remember anything you had to work on specifically hard on before or you’re currently working on to get to where you are today?

DustMouret: One of the biggest things I’ve learnt is paying attention to the scene. I’ve seen a lot of casters focussing on play by play who don’t feel the need to have a deeper knowledge about the games, whilst you see the successful casters such as Anders and Semmler have such a deep knowledge about the game despite mainly being play by play, although now I would say they were pretty balanced. So that’s definitely one of the biggest things, as to begin with I was much more a play by play caster because I just didn’t have enough knowledge to be a colour commentator. But when CS:GO came out I focused a lot more on the history and the players, even interviewing players to expand my knowledge. Now it’s just about watching the key LAN events, as it can be difficult to follow the online matches due to the heavy saturation at the moment. I also make sure to study demos, look at statistics (Map win rates, player’s stats, team stats, etc…). It’s just about heavy research mainly at the moment, which is really one of those behind the scenes things that most people don’t realise, has to be done to be a good colour commentator. There’s a lot of hard work that you have to do behind the scenes, generally unpaid work, to succeed at colour casting and do a good job at events, which is definitely one of the more lacklustre sides of casting.

DustMouret interviewing n0thing and Hiko when they played for coL in a LAN for ESEA in 2013.

Do you have any anecdotes or general insights into ‘life’ behind the scenes. What’s the process?

DustMouret: So as I said, a lot of research takes place before any of these events. I generally like to watch a lot of demos, and watch atleast 2 games on every map for every team, unless it’s one they don’t generally play such as Na’vi with Cache, instead trying to focus on maps I feel they put time into. Also keeping up on statistics and form, who are they beating and who are they losing to. It’s also about reading all the content out there, so if a player does an interview I’m going to read to get some insight into their mentality and what they’re thinking going into an event. When you actually go to an event that’s when you can start to sit back and relax, assuming you’ve done your prep. Behind the scenes we generally get to hang out, have a good time; it’s like a family reunion at times! So there’s two sides really at every event, the business aspect as well as the social aspect of seeing people you don’t get to see that often, especially as someone like me who doesn’t get to attend events all that often and doesn’t have anything lined up for the future. For people like me it’s always a cool way to catch up with people.

How does it feel to read support on the CSGO subreddit?

DustMouret: Obviously it feels good to read because I feel like I’m a guy that’s received a lot of hate in the past on different forums. I’ve always felt that reddit has been rather neutral towards me I guess, so I don’t get much hate or support on there. For instance when I post my content on the website, it doesn’t get much attention compared to bigger names, so it’s always been a neutral or lukewarm reception from the subreddit, therefore it’s always nice to see an increased support for you. Also it may be somewhat helpful to get future jobs at events if the community is positive towards you. No one is ever going to tell you they hate reading support!

DustMouret at the MLG Cevo Pro league LAN, Mid 2015. Image courtesy of CEVO

Alternatively, I know you’ve often asked for and received criticism via reddit, how do you respond to these and differentiate between the trolls and those who are trying to help?

DustMouret: I’m probably one of the worst at this! I take criticism very hard, and whilst a lot of people say you have to have thick skin to work in the business I’m in, I think I’m one of the worst at that. I get baited too much by trolls, and I definitely take it to heart too much and let it get me down in the dumps. I think recently I’ve tried to get better at that, ignoring straight up insults but trying to pay attention to the reasoning behind the criticism I receive. For instance recent feedback I’ve gotten is at times I talk too much, and whilst I’ve proven to the community I do have great knowledge of the scene, I need to work on being more concise. There’s always room for improvement and things people can point out you could improve on.

Those who follow you via your YouTube channel would know at one point left your job to try and take it full time, before becoming part time again. Could you talk about your reasoning behind your decisions and some of the struggles you perhaps faced?

DustMouret: When I decided to attempt full time casting I had just graduated college so I decided to take a few months to really try and have a go at it, around the point when I really started gaining paid gigs. However I was obviously at the mercy of being hired and I think I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve basically had to give up on casting full time, as the gigs simply aren’t there. So at this point I’m applying to other jobs from areas around my degree to work behind the scenes in Esports. Obviously the dreams always there to do casting or analysis work and I would always take those opportunities if they ever came around but it’s not something you can really rely on unless you’re the best of the best.

One of the first LANs DustMouret casted for ESEA back in 2013, casting alongside Corey Dunn. Image courtesy of ESEA

I know previously you’ve expressed an interest to be on a desk rather than cast, is that something you still stand by?

DustMouret: Yeah, I would love to do that! I feel that’s something I’m better geared at, as I spend a lot of time on my research, and I feel I have a very good grasp on top teams and how they play and I am very knowledgeable. Especially as the North American scene grows and we see more and more NA LANs, like the IBuypower cup, I feel I have a lot of knowledge to bring to the table at an analysis desk. But then again who are you going to hire? A guy you know will do a good job at the desk as he’s done it a tonne before or a guy that’s never done it but is knowledgeable. I actually have done it before in a very small capacity, at a CEVO event over a year ago, and people seemed to like it with a positive response on Reddit. Hopefully as some people want to see it and I want to do it, something may happen one day.

Finally, do you have any advice for someone trying to get into the scene, and any shoutouts?

DustMouret: I think if you’re trying to get into the scene as a caster you have to understand there is already a very established pool of talent, so it’s going to be hard to break through. But it’s definitely possible if you’re super talented; just look at YNK or Vendetta for example. But it’s going to take a lot of hard work, like all the research I mentioned earlier, so make sure you understand that. Oh, and take care of yourself! Always have a plan B, a fall back option, and a solid ground below you to use as a ‘launching pad’. Good luck!

And if you want to follow any of my social media or check out my YouTube channel, that would be cool!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/dustmouretTwitch: www.twitch.tv/dustmouretYouTube: www.youtube.com/user/dustmouret