Biola Media Conference

I thought today would be a good time to share my thoughts on the Biola Media Conference that I attended in Los Angeles last week. For those of you who are not familiar with Biola, this conference is undoubtedly the largest gathering of Christian filmmakers and media makers who work in Hollywood and the entertainment industry. The conference is sponsored by Biola University. The event takes place every year on the lot of CBS studios. The conference offers extensive seminars, workshops, and an abundant opportunity to network with your fellow peers.

I have been asked in the past if the Biola Media Conference is worth the time and money to attend. I would say yes, but it would depend on your individual situation as well as your expectations. First of all, the conference has a great setting. The CBS lot offers a perfect backdrop and creates the right environment. This is one of the best organized and best run events that I have attended. They put a great deal of thought and planning into this conference. It’s very impressive. So hats off to the organizing committee for their hard work and effort.

Because the Biola Media Conference has been around for several years, they are now in a position to draw some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. I suppose the biggest reason for going to Biola is the networking opportunity. Especially if you live in Los Angeles or work in the business or are trying to break into the business, this conference makes total sense. Plus if you are a film student, the networking opportunities make this conference a must attend.

If you are traveling from somewhere outside of Los Angeles, then you have to weigh the added expense of air travel, hotel, and car rental. Since Biola is a one-day conference, does the expense justify you attending? My best advice is to bundle your trip with other activities. If you are a ministry leader and you are trying to understand how Christians are using media in Hollywood, then Biola is a good starting place, but it will not provide you with all they answers you may be looking for.

Let’s talk about seminars. They are the backbone of any conference. I have been attending all types of seminars for over 20 years. So Biola is no different than any other conference regarding the quality of the seminars they offer. It all depends on the presenters and how well they have prepared.

There are two types of seminars: panel discussions and individual speakers. I prefer individual speakers because they are most often better prepared. They usually have a specific topic or they are an expert in a specific field. With usually one hour to one hour and a half to speak, they have to be prepared and focused. Panel discussions, on the other hand, are a shot in the dark. Sometimes because a panelist can rely on other panelists they are not always prepared or focused. All I can tell you is “buyer beware”.

I attended two individualy-lead seminars that were excellent. The first one was “The Moral Premise and the Top Ten Secrets of Box Office Success”, lead by Stanley Williams. Williams is a script consultant who knows his stuff. In fact, this seminar was jam-packed. He could have taken the entire day. If you are interested in storytelling and scriptwriting, you should check out his book, The Moral Premise. His concepts give you the keys to how Christians can write content with Biblical truth and a Biblical message for a mainstream audience. The second seminar was lead by Perry Lanaro, who is the Vice President of Finance for Paramount Pictures. His topic was “The Movie Money Tail…Film Economics from a Studio Perspective”. This was an incredible, enlightening hour. I would have to say that every film student or any Christian who is coming to Hollywood should understand and have a knowledge of how the economics of the entertainment industry works.

Lanaro told the audience that the studios had cut back on the number of films that they plan to distribute and that they would not be taking as many risks due to the current economic environment (that’s something we were all aware of). What I found surprising is that the major studios are not planning to cut back on big-budget projects or tent pole films. But they have decided to dramatically decrease the number of independently produced films they plan to acquire as well cut back on medium-budget projects. What that means is less opportunity for new or emerging filmmakers in the foreseeable future. With that said, Lanaro indicated that if somebody could develop a business model for marketing and distribution for low-budget or independent films, this would be an ideal time to jump into the market

Now on to the general sessions. Biola offered a morning and afternoon general session. Usually these aren’t deal breakers for conferences, but they certainly can enhance your experience. Frankly, this was the weakest link for this year’s conference. At the morning session, hearing from former Walt Disney Studios chairman, Dick Cook, seemed to be out of step with the theme of the conference. I certainly appreciate Cook’s history and how he created a successful financial model for Disney; however, I didn’t hear a lot about how his Christian faith interacted with his decisions at Disney. And, I’m not sure how conference-goers could relate to his story.

I was puzzled by the final session. It featured a discussion with Terry Botwick, who was the former Senior Vice President for CBS, and Ralph Winter, who is a well-known producer of such films as X-men and Fantastic Four. Phil Cook served as moderator. Both Winter and Botwick discussed their launch of a new production company called 1019 Productions.

The session was generally about their inability to find support and financing to create a production company that offers quality and moral programming. Both men are well-known Christians in Hollywood. And I certainly feel for their frustration. But, to be honest, it was a rather depressing topic for the final session. I would prefer a speaker who would bring a message of encouragement and inspiration for Christians who are trying to make an impact and a difference in Hollywood, not someone taking about the financial woes of a production company. What were they thinking? Maybe this could have been a topic for a seminar but not for a general session.

I’m sure the organizers were convinced that somehow this would speak to everyone at the conference because if successful and influential Hollywood insiders like Winter and Botwick are experiencing challenges, they would have some answers for us beginners. But it just missed the mark.

There you go. That’s my thoughts on this year’s Biola Media Conference. Yes, I thought it was worth attending, but I hope they take a look at bringing in some speakers for the next conference’s general sessions that can tie the main theme back to the needs of the average conference attendee because they failed to accomplish this with this years theme: World’s Collide.. Finding Answers in Today’s Media Chaos. I didn’t find any answers.