In this episode of Behind the MAGIC, we sit down with Bill Buckley, Senior Vice President of Animation Production at Big Shot Pictures and industry mentor at the Miami Animation & Gaming International Complex. With more than two decades of experience across AAA games, VR, and real-time production, Bill shares how animation pipelines have evolved from traditional offline workflows to real-time environments powered by Unreal Engine.

Bill discusses what students often underestimate about production, the importance of systems and communication, and how leadership shapes successful animation teams. He also reflects on mentoring MAGIC capstone students, balancing creative ambition with production realities, and the discipline required to deliver high-quality work in collaborative environments.

The conversation explores real-time storyte ...