Nine cities.  30+ interviews. Hundreds of hours of editing. Lots of long nights.

That’s just a few of the things that went into my latest feature: “Road to King of Iron Fist.” Its release today concludes an amazing adventure that started back in March 2016, when I sat down with Mark Religioso, Mark Julio, and Rick Thiher as they put together what would become the 2016 Tekken Tour.

Honestly, before starting this project I didn’t really know much about Tekken. Sure, I was aware of the game and players such as Anakin and Mr. Naps, but the rest of the scene remained unknown to me. This helped shaped my end goal for the event recaps and this feature; I wanted something Tekken fans could show others and proudly say, “Hey, this is what I do. Pretty cool, huh?”

I had never done a tour movie like this. Seven individual event recaps that had to capture the story of each event and also link into a cohesive narrative was a daunting task. The Tekken community, however, was incredibly welcoming and worked with me every step of the way to make something special and unique. I hope I’ve done them proud with this feature.

With Tekken 7 quickly approaching, there’s an excitement in the air. This game is good and not just by Tekken standards. With the presentation, heart-stopping, slow-motion finishes, and a slew of extras, Tekken 7 is looking like a solid package. Couple all of that with a bigger worldwide audience for competitive gaming and you have all the ingredients for a very big year for Tekken and its fans, and it has been an honor to be a part of it.

Enjoy the movie!

-    Esteban (@TheBesteban)