Interview with Peter Rudi Pettersen - MrSavage’s Personal Manager
Peter Rudi Pettersen is Martin ‘“MrSavage” Foss Andersen’s Personal Manager and Player Manager for 100 Thieves. We have asked Peter to shed some light about his role.
This interview was originally published in 2021 in the book Build It Like benjyfishy & MrSavage: The Unofficial Fortnite Esports Guide for Players and Parents, written by benjyfishy’s mother Anne Fish and me.
Martin (left) and Peter during a photo shoot for 100 Thieves apparel. Photo credit Erik Hem, Twins Productions.
How did you become Martin's manager?
Peter: ‘In late 2018, I watched videos of a crazy talented fourteen-year-old placing second in the Fortnite Winter Royale EU Qualifiers. To my great surprise, I found that he lived only ten minutes away! I decided to go for it, prepared myself well, got a meeting with Johnny (his father) and presented my views on how to develop Martin’s brand. I started part-time focusing on the social media side, but it gradually evolved to a full-time position as a manager as his popularity grew.’
How much is Martin involved on social media?
Peter: ‘Initially Martin did everything, but shortly after signing NRG in early 2019 it became clear that it was impossible for him to cope with the explosion of followers and the increasing demand for content. Nowadays, Martin approves posts, clips and videos that differ in style from previous material and he does all Tweets himself. He spends around half an hour each day overseeing his social media, including reading and liking comments, plus providing feedback to me.’
What are your main responsibilities?
Peter: ‘I’m the single point-of-contact for every request going to or from Martin and coordinate all his activities with 100 Thieves, sponsors, vendors, and the general media. I’m also in charge of his social media, but day-to-day video and clip editing and posting are done by an almost full-time employed Channel Manager (Teodor “Th0rn3d” Thoresen Skarpaas). Teodor handles contracted video and graphics editors and stream moderators and takes on some of the video editing himself. I report to Johnny, who handles legal matters, accounting and all of Martin's business operations.’
What is most important in your role?
Peter: ‘Definitely to make room for Martin as a talent to develop in the direction he wants – which is mainly competitive – and support him by alleviating any obstacles in his path. This means to really pay attention to his needs, to help him adjust his direction and say yes to only the most fitting requests from sponsors and media. I also have a responsibility to tell him when I disagree. This is something that is important for Martin’s family, as they don’t want to risk Martin burned out at a young age by saying yes too much. However, it is very clear that in the end all decisions are Martin’s. Martin is the boss!’
Martin and Peter in New York City during the 2019 World Cup co-ordinating activities. Photo credit MrSavage.
Does every professional player need a personal manager?
Peter: ‘Martin didn’t at the start of his career, and I worked part-time until he passed about one million followers across his social media. However, Johnny did a lot of manager tasks the first months before shifting to a more business oversight role. I guess a parent, a relative or a friend can act part-time as a manager for a period, until the amount of work becomes overwhelming. It also helps to join an organisation and get help from the organisation’s player manager. All in all, I guess it is a question of timing that depends on the player’s popularity, but also ambitions, as a full-time manager most likely will accelerate the player’s growth and improve his results.’
You are also a player manager for 100 Thieves. What does that involve?
Peter: ‘In the talks leading up to Martin joining 100 Thieves (in February 2020), it became clear that both parties wanted a tight partnership. Making me a 100 Thieves player manager gives me inside information about all relevant things taking place inside the organisation, allowing for a very smooth cooperation both ways. It also allows me to work closely with other players at 100 Thieves to exchange ideas and insights. I have had the joy of working closely with Jackson Dahl (VP Talent and Entertainment), which has been a huge inspiration for me.’
What is your top tip for aspiring professional Fortnite players?
Peter: ‘Have fun while you compete! Of course, you need to grind and work hard but remember to take breaks and never forget the fun of competing with friends!’
How have you organised the work around content production?
Peter: ‘The main source of content is Martin’s streams on Twitch, which are assigned to an editor and a thumbnail designer along with a short description and a checklist of what we want to achieve.
A clip scouter goes through the stream to come up with clip candidates. The resulting video, thumbnail and clips are reviewed by our Channel Manager and me before posting to Martin’s various social media channels, which are his three channels on YouTube (main, RAW and Shorts), his TikTok and stories, reels or IGTV on his Instagram, plus the occasional clips on Twitter.
I shoot most of his photos for regular Instagram posts myself, plus handle other type of content like YouTube vlogs and sponsor posts through contract editors. A single stream can result in multiple videos, clips and posts and involve as much as seven people from start till end(!). We use a Trello board (www.trello.com) to keep track of all steps in these processes.’
Finally, do you have any advice for parents?
Peter: ‘I think it is very important for parents to understand that esports and gaming are a very social thing and allow players to share experiences and fun with friends. If you don’t understand this, try asking your child to tell you what they do in their games and with friends. If they won’t, at least have them share a YouTube video or two that they think explains their hobby – or future career.’
Peter at one of many photo and video shoots. Photo credit Erik Hem, Twins Productions.
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Interested in learning more about MrSavage but also his duo partner benjyfishy and how they built their career? Check out the book Build It Like benjyfishy & MrSavage with a wealth of useful information both for players and parents alike.
