David Wilson in an interview with Corey Plante from Polygon has revealed new details about his upcoming documentary, The Gathering is the Magic. Initially, he planned to begin filming at SCG Con Louisville in March 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic caused a delay. When filming began in 2022, he started at SCG Con Dallas by walking the floor with a camera crew. Wilson recalled, "Everyone was sort of like, 'Who are these people with cameras?' They thought we were outsiders."
It wasn’t until Wilson signed up for an event, as he had often done, that people started warming up to his crew and offering to contribute. This moment helped define the documentary away from being about the product and more about the people. In the earliest concept of The Gathering is the Magic, Wilson had decided to film at conventions to get access to artists, and those involved in the tournament from players to organizers, could shine some light on the history of Magic: The Gathering. This moment in Dallas allowed the focus to shift to the players instead of the game.
After years of filming in various locations and at various events, Wilson has edited the documentary down to about 75 minutes of footage. This includes interviews with everyone Wilson could get access to, including players, artists, people on staff, and even MTG content creators and influencers.
Wilson needs a final push to finish his documentary and so on April 7, a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of raising $25,000 will launch. If the campaign is successfully funded, Wilson hopes to add additional interviews and polish some of the post-production work. Stretch goals will be added to give backers exclusive playmats from MTG artists.
Ultimately, the goal is to bring a film that Magic players can truly resonate with because instead of focusing on the games, it focuses on the players, the relationships formed, and the experiences. It truly lends itself to the name The Gathering is the Magic.
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