Welcome to the GotFrag eSports Wiki BETA!
GotFrag TV
From GotFrag eSports Wiki
 |
|
| Formed: | January 2005 |
|---|---|
| Founders: | Scott "SirScoots" Smith Jason "Alchemist" Baker |
| Location: | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Live Stream: | Watch Live! |
| VOD Archive: | Library |
| IRC: | Gamesurge - #gotfrag |
| Fan Group: | Click Here |
| Website: | GotFrag TV Portal |
GotFrag TV is the video production extension of GotFrag.
Contents |
History
2003
In July of 2003 MFAVP, came to the CPL to produce daily videos of the event. A part of these productions included commentary by Scott "SirScoots" Smith, owner/manager of UGP and long time member of the eSports community.
Jason "Alchemist" Baker, a founding member and producer for MFAVP struck up conversation with Smith and the two quickly became friends. It was during these initial exchanges that Baker and Smith first compared and formulated their visions on how eSports should be broadcast. They both shared the reasoning that live streaming video content was an integral part of the future of eSports coverage. The ideas discussed would eventually evolve into what now is known as GotFrag TV.
2004
Following this preliminary stage of development the very first steps were made to forge a lasting relationship between GotFrag.com and MFAVP. Beginning at the CPL Summer 2004 event, GotFrag began hosting MFAVP on-site productions. The daily video coverage from the event was used to supplement GotFrag's news, scores, and analytical coverage. Provided free on GotFrag's website, many fans were able to witness competitive gaming from a observational point of view for the first time.
This mutually beneficial partnership between GotFrag.com and MFAVP would continue for two more CPL events. Covering the 2004 Winter and 2005 Winter events. Over this span of time thirty-eight videos were produced for online distribution.
2005
It was in early 2005 that Baker joined GotFrag.com. Together with Smith, who was at this point the Assistant Editor-in-Chief of GotFrag, they officially formed the GotFrag TV division.
The last of the CPL collaborations between MFAVP and GotFrag.com would be at the end of that year, during the CPL Winter 2005 event.
2006
This was the year that fans would be introduced to GotFrag TV and its new style of eSports broadcasting.
The young operation would see it's initial action in July of 2006 at the Verizon FIOS Tournament Finals in Los Angeles, California, a $100,000 Half-Life Deathmatch event. Special guest and former pro-gamer Brian "destrukt" Flander and experienced broadcaster Vince "VioLator" Oliverio were flown in to provide commentary on the matches. The broadcasting of the competition was not streamed online as the on-site activities were more geared towards broadcasting the event to the local spectator crowd.
Five months passed until December of 2005, when the crew would broadcast online live for the first time. The event was the GotFrag FEAR Combat Invitational. Everything produced for the event was done remotely from GotFrag TV's studio in Phoenix, Arizona. While still considered within the preparation phase, the broadcast is referred to as the "official" premier of GotFrag TV.
Two weeks later in Dallas, Texas, GotFrag deployed its video production arm to their first major on-site broadcast. Winter CPL 2006 featured competition in various popular competitive games, however the coverage was mainly focused on Counter-Strike. Non-game filming included interviews with personalities and professionals within gaming, and sideline reporting. Combined with GotFrag.com's online coverage, GotFrag TV gained public exposure on a much higher level than had previously been achieved.
2007
Following the Winter CPL event, GotFrag hosted its own on-site promotional tournament sponsored by Intel in February of 2007. Filmed in Phoenix, Arizona and broadcasted live online, the event dubbed the "Intel CS:Source Invitational" featured four top Source teams. The tournament was run over a single day span and included pre-game and post-game content, as well as exploratory analysis throughout.
For the subsequent months, Smith and Baker worked on renovating the operation and equipment of GotFrag TV for future endeavors. Those endeavors would soon come in quick succession beginning in early September with the broadcasting of the CEVO 1.6 Professional Playoffs. Working in co-operation with CEVO officials, GotFrag TV covered the two day event remotely from it's studio.
Less than a month later, the studio crew packed equipment into an industrial van and drove to Los Angeles, California to broadcast the Newegg LANFest2K7 event. The production was slated towards coverage of the Counter-Strike: Source tournament. A team of four broadcasters were brought in to assist in the long days of live streaming which included interviews and analysis along with the matches.
Once back in the Phoenix studio, GotFrag TV began preparing for the Dell Unleashed Counter-Strike Campus Challenge. A promotional head-to-head CS:Source tournament that brought collegiate qualifiers from six regions to compete for a top prize of a trip to Sweden along with Team Pandemic. The event was broadcast remotely with tournament commentary provided from the studio via Mark "jESUIT" Cheben.
The latest GotFrag TV production was the CEVO Season 4 CS:Source Playoffs. Much like the previous CEVO 1.6 playoff broadcast, matches were streamed live remotely from the studio. Vince "VioLator" Oliverio was brought into the studio alongside Cheben for the match commentary and the pre/post game shows.
Core Staff
Management
Scott "SirScoots" Smith - Vice President, Broadcasting
Jason "Alchemist" Baker - Director of Broadcasting
Production
Mark "jESUIT" Cheben - Art Director, also Editor-in-Chief, GotFrag.com
Nick "Shrew" Bee - Production Assistant, Street Team Manager, also Assistant Coverage Manager, GotFrag.com
On-Air
Mark "jESUIT" Cheben - Broadcaster, also Editor-in-Chief, GotFrag.com
Trevor "Midway" Schmidt - Broadcaster, also Strategic Brand Director, GotFrag.com
Vince "VioLator" Oliverio - Broadcaster, also Vinnie the Glock
Past and Present Freelance Staff
John "Gunner" Huebbe - Content creation and on-site production assistance
Mark "Prometheus" Huebbe - Content creation and on-site production assistance
James "Cobie" Foley - On-site production assistance
Nate "Avi8tor" Coulter - On-site production assistance
Jon "punkyraygun" Baker - On-site production assistance
JP "moogle" McDaniel - On-site production assistance
Chris "radioactive" Kennedy - On-site production assistance
Amanda "qtbug" Novocin - On-site production assistance
Brian "Karpov" Johnson - Guest broadcaster
Bobby "weenus" Hicks - Guest broadcaster
Brian "destrukt" Flander - Guest broadcaster
Rod "Slasher" Breslau - Guest broadcaster
Megan "beLLE" Ceder - Guest broadcaster
Marcus "DJ Wheat" Graham - Guest broadcaster
Luke "virulence" Bodenheimer - Guest broadcaster
