10 Questions with Ketan 'K18' Patel
K18 is one of the most recognizable voices in the PUBG MOBILE community. He has been a regular feature at most major tournaments and more recently, his popular vlogs have also provided some much needed behind the scenes insight. From starting his journey casting scrims, to having voiced the world’s best teams, Ketan has found success rather quickly. He has recently joined 8bit as a content creator and influencer, but continues to lend his voice to the world of casting.
A video version of the interview is also available below.
10 Questions With K18
How did you start casting?
I started casting scrims and then I got my first break casting a tournament called Streamer Battles. After that I went on to do PMIS and the PMCO and so on.
Image via Instagram
What type of content do you prefer making?
I think it’s a balance between what I want to do and what the audience wants to see. Of course, I want to stream more, but given my casting commitments , it’s just not possible.
Do people get annoyed if you’re vlogging all the time?
I’m generally mindful of who I’m recording and what their mood is like. For example, in a LAN setting, I probably won’t go and bother players in between matches when they are strategizing and working with their coach and/or teammates. I try not to force people into the vlog and more or less whatever happens, tends to be a natural consequence of the situation. The main criteria is that I don’t desperately try to shoot the vlog.
What tips do you have for upcoming vloggers?
One thing I feel is important for a vlogger is to be able to tell your own story. This can often mean turning the camera around and speaking to the audience. If you’re just shooting other people all the time then it doesn’t add that personal touch. And secondly, it’s important to build our own audience which in turn gives you the freedom to play around with your content.
What was your experience like in Kuala Lumpur at the PMCO Fall Finals?
Kuala Lumpur was a whole new experience for me. The way some of the international players were approaching the game was truly eye opening. For example the two brothers in RRQ Athena, G9 and D2E would be there in the gym for hours and hours before the games. I don’t know why they were in the game but I think for your mind to be active and ready, these types of activities are necessary. Another good thing was interacting with other content creators and discussing ideas, learning new things etc.
Is there a conflict of interest in being a content creator for an organization and being a caster?
For me personally, I have been associated with Entity Gaming in the past and now I’m with 8bit. It’s about being professional and knowing where the line is. In the Fall Split South Asia finals, when Entity won, I obviously was very happy and wanted to go and celebrate with the team and the players but I knew that I couldn’t.
Image via Instagram
When I’m casting, I focus on each and every team’s positives and when any player or team makes a mistake, I have to call it out. During the PMPL casts, I got some flak from some fans for being biased towards SouL because of my 8bit connection. For the next 3 days, I didn’t even mention SouL in my casts and I would ask my co casters to go ahead and do their parts. I try not to think too much about this, because in the end, I know that I am being fair and doing my best.
What are your responsibilities as an influencer?
here are a lot of impressionable young audience members who are watching the streams, so I think we all have to be a bit careful about how we talk and behave on streams. In certain situations as well, especially where there is drama involved, influencers can play a strong role in spinning a positive narrative and helping clear the air.
Which content creators do you look up to?
As a caster, I look up to John Allen, who is one of the English talents in PUBG MOBILE. As a vlogger, I enjoy FlyingBeast and Casey Neistat. I also enjoy Peter Mckinnon for his cinematic shots and then Logan Paul for his high energy screen presence.
Who do you enjoy casting with?
I do enjoy casting with iSuperJohnny and and of course, 8bit Thug.
If you had to choose between vlogging, casting and streaming, which one would you choose?
I would choose vlogging as I want to explore the world and make new content.
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