Independent production company Earthling has announced the launch of their new behind-the-scenes e-sports documentary, Take Your Shot. The film debuts on competitive gaming title Dexerto and will be shipped to distributors/broadcasters this year.
Directed by RTS Awarded Ross Bolidai and produced by Matt Diegan, this rare fly-on-the-wall documentary offers a glimpse into world-leading e-sports organisation Fnatic. With an inaugural World Championship title on the line, the doc follows Fnatic’s decision to, alongside world gaming champions and professionals, enter an amateur team of underdogs led by the charming, musical theatre trained star, Jake “Boaster” Howlett into a competition with Riot Games’ hit Valorant. Can they turn this team, most of whom have never gamed outside of their bedrooms, into professional title contenders?
With unparalleled access, this feature-length documentary gives viewers a chance to get up-close and personal with e-sports’ favourite underdogs as they take their first steps into arguably the most exciting and important new gaming title to launch in a decade.
Shining a light on a hugely popular, but rarely covered space, the documentary covers the highs, the lows, the wins, and the losses of a compelling cast of individuals and their team. It follows them from their first tournament in Iceland to painful training bootcamps in Poland and London, and finally to a shot at their first World Title and a one-million-dollar prize pool in Berlin.
Launched on the Dexerto Originals YouTube channel, the documentary uses storytelling craft and the highest production standards to reveal intimate insights into the lives of a young team riding the rollercoaster of professional esports in a bid to be crowned world champions and win the respect of a global audience of fans.
Matt Diegan, founder of Earthling says: “Whenever we make sport films we’re always looking for a fresh angle that goes beyond competition and sporting result to tell human stories that reflect the world around us, for a wide audience to relate to. We’ve been fascinated by the esports scene for a long time and when we found the story of Boaster, Sumn FC and Fnatic’s approach to Valorant we knew we had a great opportunity in front of us – to make a documentary that shows what these experiences can really be like for young players. When they’re plucked from obscurity and thrust into a world where millions of people are watching them and millions of dollars are on the line, the pressure and the strains on their mental health are huge. The future of esports is bright and the storytelling opportunities are rich. We can’t wait to tell more.”
Mike Kent, Co-Founder and Director of Content at Dexerto says: “This feature-length documentary has been in the pipeline for a while, and in collaboration with Fnatic and Earthling, we’ve captured the essence of the trials and tribulations faced in esports today. The fly-on-the-wall experience brings fans that bit closer, and goes hand-in-hand with our objective on Dexerto Originals to combine intimate storytelling with high production value, in a way that speaks to our ever-growing audience.”
Jack Simcock, Executive Producer and founder of Audience First says: “Esports fans are fiercely protective so we aimed to raise the gaming documentary bar and bring world-leading brands Fnatic and Dexerto together with the unending talents of the team at Earthling. It’s been a journey of heartbreak and joy for the Fnatic team and producers alike, culminating in a film we’re proud of that adds yet more momentum to the global gaming juggernaut.”
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