You may remember a couple of weeks ago an article about streamers we think you should be watching. One of the members of that list was DayZ streamer SilentSentry who we’ve managed to grab from his busy life to sit down for a quick interview about how he became so popular on Twitch so quickly.
Hey Silent, so let’s start with the obvious question, what made you want to start streaming?
I have always enjoyed gaming. However, as a teen parent most of my social life was halted for quite a while. I thought streaming would be a great way to share my hobby with others.
What do you think is the reason you became so popular in such a short amount of time?
I firmly believe it was being in the right place at the right time. The fact that other streamers in the Twitch community are willing to pay-it-forward and help out those just starting is an amazing thing!
You say streaming is a hobby for you, did you ever think that your hobby would become something that thousands of people watch you do?
Honestly no. I had the occasional daydream of being a big streamer, but I never imagined how fast things would grow.
So you play DayZ as your main stream game, what made you choose DayZ as the game to stream and do you think the choice of game influenced your success in such a short time?
I feel like I take a different approach to DayZ. I have been playing it for years, and found new ways to entertain myself while playing. I think people enjoyed the change in scenery and stuck around my channel. DayZ is just one of those games that I never really get tired of due to the fact that it is different every time you play it.
It is very hard to get noticed as a new streamer in more popular titles such as DayZ and League of Legends. However, as you begin to climb the list on such popular titles that also means more exposure as well.
You often say on your streams that the money is by no means the reason you stream, but with the support of your obviously loyal fans, have you ever considered going full time and making a career from streaming?
I have never asked for a single donation or subscription from anyone. For those that do, I am extremely grateful.
I don’t think I could ever describe streaming as “work” or a job. I’m a fan of the Confucius quote: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
By no means is streaming easy though. There is a lot that goes into it in the end. I spend anywhere between 60-80 hours a week with things involving the stream. So I am already beyond full-time.
My wife has also recently been able to go part time and spend more time with the family due to the amazing support by my viewers.
I don’t plan on stopping streaming any time soon. I honestly enjoy doing what I do.
So your biggest streams that most people will know you for are you 24 hour weekly streams. But how did they come about?
Honestly, my wife first mentioned the idea of doing weekly 24 hour streams. All I thought at the time was “that’s a lot of time to game”. I didn’t know then how long the weekly marathons would last, but here we are 17 weeks later and still going!
Where do you hope your streaming career will go? Are there any big plans for the future?
I’m not entirely sure yet. I would like to do more on YouTube, and maybe branch into podcasting/media production way down the road. Video editing has always been something I enjoyed. I also really want to film a documentary should time/funds allow.
Streaming will always be a part of what I do. If I’m gaming, I’m streaming.
What advice would you give to new streamers of people curious about getting into streaming?
Too often I see newcomers mimicking the styles/personalities of larger streamers. My biggest piece of advice is to be original. Being yourself ensures originality, and you never get caught up trying to continue putting on an act or fake personality.
I also recommend people upgrade their stream (designs/equipment) as they are able too, and not rush anything.
I also see many people getting discouraged because they aren’t growing as fast as the other guy, or they don’t have as many views. STOP. If at any point you find yourself unhappy with your stream, I firmly believe you are doing something wrong. If you aren’t happy with the stream, how can you expect viewers to be? My ONLY expectation when getting in to streaming (and still today) is that I’m going to have fun. I have yet to be disappointed!
So there you have it guys, we’d like to thank SilentSentry for taking the time to talk to us. If you want to check him out head over to his twitch page.