MC Magic – 30 Years of Magic

Documentary & Live Performance Film

30 Years of Magic is a documentary film and live performance project exploring the career, cultural impact, and legacy of MC Magic. The project blends interview-driven storytelling with cinematic coverage of a live performance at the historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix, capturing both the artist’s journey and the energy of a career-defining moment.

Documentary interview with Nichole, backup singer for MC Magic, filmed at Salt Mine Studios in Mesa Arizona

Documentary interview with artist Chino Brown filmed at Salt Mine Studios in Mesa Arizona for the MC Magic documentary

Documentary interview with Marco Cardenas, son of MC Magic, filmed at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix

Documentary & Live Event Video Production in one

We are heading all production, editing, live performance production, and creative direction. To celebrate Magics 30 year performance, “30 Years of Magic” at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix. After 5 months of filming, what came to be was 3 acts. The 3 acts were created as a celebration piece, but also created time increments for Magic to change and give the audience something unique and an inside look into his life.

Documentary and live event intro title for the 30 Years of Magic performance at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix

Project Goal

The goal of this project was to document MC Magic’s 30-year career while capturing the emotional weight of a live performance celebration. By combining long-form documentary storytelling with cinematic concert coverage, the film was designed to preserve legacy, connect with fans, and create evergreen content that lives beyond the event itself.

How It Was Made (Documentary + Concert Capture)

Live Performance Execution

On November 29th, 2025 in downtown Phoenix. The 30 Years of Magic show, all three acts, the crew, and a sold-out theatre was underway.

The Ragtown live production team consisted of 1 producer/director, 1 director of photography, 1 co-producer, 1 technical director, 1 production coordinator, 2 production assitants, 1 assistant camera, 6 camera operators, 7 cameras, 1 audio for audience/crowd mics/house backup, 2 still photographers. (Crew listed below)

Behind-the-scenes live event production crew coordinating multi-camera coverage during the MC Magic performance at the Orpheum Theatre

Camera operator filming MC Magic’s live performance with cinema camera during the 30 Years of Magic show in Phoenix

Interviews & Personal Stories

Leading up to the performance. In 4 months 7 production days, conducting 15 interviews, 3 of those of Magic in 3 different environments.

Locations:

iHeart Radio (Phoenix, Arizona)
Historic Phoenix Arizona, Orpheum Theatre (Pre-Performance)
Salt Mine Studios (Mesa, Arizona
ASU Studio (Phoenix, Arizona)
Magic’s Residence (Arizona)
Airbnb (Hollywood Hills)

Behind-the-scenes documentary interview setup with crew filming interviews for the MC Magic documentary

Multi-camera documentary interview with MC Magic filmed on stage at the Orpheum Theatre before the live performance

1 hour before the performance started at 7 pm, we pre-staged lights and two FX6s the day before. This setup was in a small green room downstairs, designated for an interview with Mario Lopez for Magic’s longer documentary.

He was flying in to introduce Magic to the stage, but we wanted to do a sitdown with him before he went to the stage right after.

We managed to get his interview wrapped in 15 minutes, and he went to the stage without a hiccup.

The Mario Lopez interview

Cinematic sit-down interview with Mario Lopez filmed for the MC Magic documentary at the Orpheum Theatre

Close-up documentary interview shot of Mario Lopez filmed for the MC Magic documentary before the live performance

See More Live Events

Act 1: Played at the beginning of Magic’s performance to introduce him to the stage. The piece showed the story of Magic being on his own at first, and then his family begins to come together to symbolize his family values, and the support from them has driven him to do more and more in his career.

Act 2 & 3: Played two important roles. The first was to continue the story and show behind the scenes, which the fans of Magic did not know. The second was to be a place for Magic to do his outfit changes at the show.

View more case studies

Live concert coverage of MC Magic performing on stage in front of a packed audience during the 30 Years of Magic show

Cinematic live performance moment captured with motion blur during the MC Magic 30 Years of Magic concert

MC Magic performing on stage while holding Mexican and American flags during the 30 Years of Magic live concert

Looking to Combine Documentary & Live Performance?

This project blends our documentary filmmaking approach with large-scale live event production. If you’re planning a documentary project that includes a live event, concert, or cultural moment, we’d love to talk about how to capture it intentionally and at scale.

Discuss a Documentary Project