A New Voice Connecting Students with the Animation & Game Industry
The Miami Animation & Gaming International Complex (MAGIC) is proud to announce the launch of its new official podcast: Behind the MAGIC Podcast — a series of in-depth conversations designed to bring students closer to the professionals shaping animation, gaming, and immersive media industries.
Behind the MAGIC goes beyond portfolios and demo reels. Each episode features conversations with industry professionals, studio leaders, producers, directors, animators, game developers, mentors and students who share real-world experiences, career advice, and insights into how projects are actually built.
The podcast highlights the people working both inside the industry and inside MAGIC, including mentors actively guiding student capstone teams. These conversations give students a rare opportunity to learn directly from professionals who are currently hiring, leading teams, and shaping the future of animation and game development.
Each episode explores how creative careers evolve over time. Guests discuss how they entered the industry, the skills that helped them grow, and the challenges they faced moving from entry-level roles into leadership positions. These conversations provide students with a realistic understanding of how careers in animation and game development actually unfold — not as linear paths, but as journeys shaped by adaptability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
In addition to regular interviews, the podcast will feature special editions recorded at major industry and MAGIC events. Episodes captured at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) will bring perspectives from studio leaders, recruiters, indie developers, and technology partners, offering students insights from one of the most influential gatherings in the game industry. Special editions recorded during MAGIC Premiere Night will document the stories behind student capstone projects, featuring teams, faculty, and mentors reflecting on the creative process and lessons learned throughout production.
The podcast will also feature interviews with students leading capstone projects, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the creative and production process from concept to final delivery. These conversations highlight how student teams organize workflows, overcome technical and artistic challenges, collaborate across disciplines, and work with industry mentors to bring their ideas to life. By sharing their experiences, student leaders provide peers with practical insight into managing teams, meeting deadlines, adapting to feedback, and preparing for the transition from academic projects to professional production environments.
The launch of Behind the MAGIC reflects MAGIC’s ongoing commitment to connecting education with industry. By creating a platform where students can hear directly from professionals, the podcast strengthens mentorship, expands networking opportunities, and provides guidance for navigating an increasingly competitive creative workforce.
Behind the MAGIC will be available across major podcast platforms and through MAGIC’s digital channels, extending the reach of the program and sharing the voices of the MAGIC community with a broader audience. Through these conversations, the podcast aims to inspire students, celebrate industry collaboration, and document the evolving landscape of animation and game development — one episode at a time.
The Behind the MAGIC Podcast is available everywhere, you can also watch and download it on MAGIC’s YouTube page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.
For more information about the MAGIC academic programs, please contact us at (305) 237-7851 or magic@mdc.edu
Leave a Reply