Making the Magic Happen
Before he ever stepped behind a lighting console or created a rendering of a stage design, Matt Schick was mastering sleight of hand with cards and coins. What began as a childhood fascination quickly became a serious pursuit. Years of practice, study, and performance taught him how to hold attention, build suspense, and create moments of wonder.
Today, that same instinct for creating moments of awe drives his work as the founder of a thriving production company, Matt Schick Productions. He helps organizations, entertainers, and corporate teams produce large-scale live, virtual, and hybrid events that captivate audiences from the first moment to the last. Whether it’s a town hall for 500 company employees in the room and another 10,000 watching online, or a conference that fills a convention hall, he’s built a reputation for making the experience feel seamless—and unforgettable.
That ability to blend creativity and precision didn’t come out of nowhere. It started years earlier, long before he produced events in massive ballrooms for global brands.
Where the Magic Began
In high school, determined to stage a full-scale magic show as a fundraiser, he organized everything himself—lining up performers, securing sponsors, and convincing classmates and teachers to join in.
“I’m relentless when I set my mind to something,” he said. “I somehow convinced some of my favorite magicians to travel in and marketed up the wazoo, hitting the pavement every day with the goal of filling every seat.” He even appeared on local talk and radio shows to promote the event.
The show was a hit, selling out all 1,000+ seats and raising thousands for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The next year, he brought in acts from Las Vegas and in total raised about $30,000.
Backstage, Matt discovered something that would guide the rest of his career.
“Performing was never my highlight. It was the other work that went into creating the show that I loved, the contracting, the promotion, the outreach to local businesses,” he said. “Once I was on stage, I certainly enjoyed it… it just wasn’t the exciting part for me.”
Even so, he planned to make magic his profession. Through college, he performed at private parties most weekends and envisioned a future touring full-time. Then came the call that changed everything.
“I was literally sitting in my cap and gown on graduation day when I got a call from my friend that his magic TV show had just been picked up and he was looking for some production support,” Matt said. “And the rest is history.”
Matt agreed to produce the show—The Carbonaro Effect, a production that ran for five seasons and produced more than 120 episodes on truTV, with live tours in between. It was the start of a new kind of magic.
A Career Built Behind the Curtain
“When the pandemic hit, the two industries I was primarily working in, TV and live touring, both came to a screeching halt. I quickly found myself with a lot of free time,” he said. “I always loved production in general, so I thought I would learn everything I could about virtual shows, and through magic, I really built my business.”
While many industries took a nosedive during lockdown, magicians were suddenly in high demand.
“Some magicians were performing literally eight, nine, ten corporate shows in a day,” Matt said. While many invested thousands into home studios with professional cameras and video switchers, others needed production help. “They didn’t want to deal with any tech. They wanted someone like me to show up, interact with the client, start the Zoom meeting, and press all of the buttons to make them look good virtually. And I did hundreds of shows like that.”
People noticed.
“After many of these shows, the magicians’ clients started to call me directly and say, ‘You made the magic show look really good, can you make the rest of our meetings look that good?’ And suddenly my little pandemic pivot really snowballed into a full-on production company.”
In that first year alone, Matt and his team produced more than 200 virtual shows and events. He has never once advertised anywhere—clients simply keep coming back. And when you hear him gush about them, it’s easy to see why.
“I love my clients,” Matt said. “I enjoy working with them to understand their vision and then figuring out all the details to bring it to life.”
Bringing the Wow to Every Stage
Now, many events have returned to in-person formats, and Matt continues to produce them—large-scale conferences and gatherings in the biggest ballrooms and convention centers around the globe. His typical client is a major company hosting a hybrid town hall with 500 people in the room and another 10,000 watching online, all wanting the same energizing, memorable experience.
Sometimes, his team handles everything from start to finish, including writing scripts, designing content, designing scenery, and managing lighting, sound, and technical aspects. Other times, he produces sizzle reels, opening videos, and highlight recaps that help organizations extend the impact of their events.
“Both magic and event production revolve around this idea or the desire to create a memorable experience that people will never forget,” Matt said. “Whether I’m doing that with an amazing light and video feature that commands the attention of the room and really energizes an event or making someone’s thought-of card appear under their watch, I’m always working for the wow.”
That attention to detail—and his self-described “control freak” tendencies—are part of what keeps clients coming back.
He still produces for some of the biggest names in magic and recently produced a special on ABC.
“Francine has been an incredible partner in navigating contracts, booking agreements, cancellation policies, everything that comes with running a business in the production landscape,” Matt said. “Many of my magician friends have turned to me to help manage their careers, so I often work with her on negotiating contracts for them as well. She’s somebody who I’ve come to really trust in all legal realms. She’s so responsive and just makes me feel well covered on all fronts.”
When he discusses his work, the passion that began with a deck of cards still shines through. As does his skill in creating memorable events and shows.
“First impressions matter,” he said. “If you hit them with high energy and impact at the top of an event—whether it’s in person or a television show—you set the tone for the rest of it.”
And as for what’s next? After checking off a life-long bucket list item of producing for the Tony Awards two years ago, Matt has his sights set on bigger stages.
“Emmys, Grammys, Oscars—I am a sucker for live broadcasts,” he said. “I’d love to be able to work on those shows.”
It’s no wonder he’s found lasting success in an industry that runs on excitement, creativity, and connection. Matt’s magic was never just about illusions. It’s about creating experiences people never forget.
