Directed, filmed, and edited by Ian Cofino, it started out as a final project for college. The first cut (a duration of 40 minutes) known as the 'The Short Cut' was premiered on UFrag.TV on the 26th of July.



The documentary's primary focus is on the players and the scene, not on a particular game but it does document the impact that the juggernaut that is Street Fighter has had since the latest release in the series. I Got Next focuses on four players: Long Island Joe (iloveu), Mike Ross, Gootecks and Justin Wong. Gootecks appears as a businessman with an acumen for selling people "ideas". Long Island Joe presents himself as a family man who is very close to his father and someone who plays for the community. Mike Ross gives little away to the camera about himself other than his opinions on the scene. Justin Wong depicts a man who just enjoys the competition and playing fighting games.



Overall, the documentary presents an informative view of the scene, and perception of competitive gaming in general. Valle talks of the peak of players' interest and ability in competitive gaming, and how real-life realities like earning money, paying debts and raising children impacts a player's interest in the scene, competitively. The West and East players talk of the importance of the rivalry between the two coasts and how the concentration of players within an area/country/place is connected to the quality of players. The prime tournaments covered in the doc are Sinsation Fight Club and Final Round XII, and you're given a real picture of the atmosphere at these events and the 'hype', and the mental and physical burdens for players to win.



With such ground to cover in vast and massive scene, it's obvious that forty minutes wouldn't be enough to show all areas, and the one negative of the doc is its short length. A longer cut will be released in late winter or early spring and will include footage from EVO2009 - one of the biggest and most prestigious fighting tournaments in the world.

4/5

Torrents
I Got Next (Short Cut) - Standard Definition | HD 720p

I Got Next - Official Trailer

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Images taken from the I Got Next documentary. Gerard Comerford July 2009 ©