The Miami Animation & Gaming International Complex has leveled up thanks to its recently launched podcast series, Behind the MAGIC, which coincides with the program’s 10-year anniversary.
Started in March, the podcast invites speakers working in the gaming and animation sector to give advice and perspective to students on how to break into the industry and what skills are needed in the workforce.
The series is hosted by Mauricio Ferrazza, who has served as the chairperson of MAGIC for more than ten years.
“I want to know who they are hiring and why they’re hiring those individuals, and how can we make the bridge between the academic program and getting a job,” Ferraza said.
Thus far, the show has released nine episodes. It has spotlighted 17 guests, including animator, director and producer Chris Bailey, who has worked on Disney classics such as The Little Mermaid and The Lion King, and Leah Hoyer, the founder and CEO of Level Headed Games, who was interviewed at this year’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.
The weekly series, which is on a hiatus for the summer, plans to release ten to twelve episodes every fall and spring semester.
Each episode is recorded at Wolfson Campus, in either Room 1221 or Room 8106. Regular episodes range from 20-30 minutes while special segments are typically more than an hour.
Behind the MAGIC kicked off its inaugural episode on March 19. It featured Hannah Imperial Cannon, who serves as the senior director of global partner relations and director of business development for Xencelabs, a company that produces tools for digital art.
Aside from helping students in their career pathways, Behind the Magic aims to inform its general audience with in-depth discussions about MAGIC, its programing and curriculum.
Student speakers are invited to present their capstone projects and reflect on the challenges they underwent while completing them.
Recent MAGIC graduate Estefania Mora, was one of those success stories. She appeared twice on the podcast this season, including discussing her animated short, Behind the Paper.
That project featured Archie an architecture student dealing with creative block as his deadline nears.
“To have this experience first-hand, [at] a place like MAGIC…many people don’t think a state college is going to have these resources and I think it’s really good that we have this podcast,” Mora said.
Sophomores Diego Ramirez and David Glazier also took centerstage on the podcast during an episode this season to discuss their student project, Fallen Fate, a psychological gameplay video game that focuses on the themes of grief and loss.
“I think it’s really important to give the students a voice so they can really express themselves,” said 27-year-old Ramirez. “This media and entertainment brings everyone together.”
Behind the MAGIC can be found on most podcast platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.
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