What does the observer do in Starcraft II eSports productions? As far as current events goes, I've heard the WCS Season II Finals casters repeatedly refer to "the observer" behind the scenes.
Does the observer spectate the game looking for hacks being used? Do they watch the players to see if they're getting signals? Are they a spectator that's under more direct control by the show's director that gets mixed into the stream in addition to the casters?
Your third guess is the correct answer.
Observers direct all the camera work that you see on screen during the match. They work in tandem with the casters to provide the view on screen to what the casters are talking about. In large events there are dedicated observers that are experienced in paying attention to the minimap and have a good understanding of the game. At smaller events, the casters sometimes will also do the observing.
Observers highlight key things that are occurring during a match. It can be the big fight is going on in the middle of the map, or a drop going on at the same time. Sometimes, it is something as little as noticing that a player is getting a quick upgrade. They are the cameramen of the game.
Or they could just be talking about the Protoss unit ;)
