Biola University School of Cinema and Media Arts

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Biola University School of Cinema and Media Arts

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For Biola students, alumni, and fans.

A place to receive updates about department events, student awards, and the latest happenings at the Biola Cinema and Media Arts Department. The mission of the Cinema and Media Arts department is to educate our students in the history, principles, art, craft, and technology of storytelling through media and prepare them for a career envisioned as a calling. And we endeavor to work out the enduring truths found in the person and work of Christ, and the entire Christian Scriptures, in an effort to create and bring to market transcendent, authentic, redemptive stories.

10/19/2026

Snyder School senior Chalise Robbins took on ”Lassen County Fair Media ” serving as a one-person media crew to shoot, edit and capture content across the entire event. From monster trucks, micro wrestling to live music, the project required managing full production duties while coordinating social media content on site.

Capturing a fast-paced, multi-day event solo brought valuable real-world experience and front-row access.

”It was such an honor to have the opportunity to solo shoot this event. The days were long and hot, but in the end front row seats to all the events and the many things I learned from this experience made it worth it." - Chalise Robbins (Senior, cinema and media arts major)

Chalise Robbins Chalise Robbins
Bill Payer (Lassen County Fair manager and internship supervisor)

10/13/2026

Snyder School junior Emily Volk’s short documentary

“There’s No Place Like Orange”has been officially selected for the Old Towne Film Festival! To watch it on Friday, October 23rd at 8 PM, purchase tickets by clicking the link in our bio. https://www.oldtownefilmfestival.com/links

What started as a Spring 2026 class assignment for Production 1 and 2 quickly turned into a heartfelt passion project telling the story of Historic Orange and local shop owner Brandy.

Driven by a love for the town’s charm and community spirit, the film highlights how local passion and leadership bring people together.

“From the moment I found Historic Orange, I fell in love with its charm, its history and the overall feeling of just being there. It’s very much Disneyland outside of Disney. Then walking into Brandy’s store for the first time, felt like an extension of my first experience. Her enthusiasm for the area was evident and then to learn how much she cares about her town, moved me. Her story is a great example of the amazing things we can accomplish, when we come together as a community.” - Emily Volk (junior, cinema and media arts major)

Navigating the documentary genre for the first time and utilizing Biola production gear for her own project offered valuable hands-on growth behind the camera and in post-production.

“I learned so much making this short documentary. I’ve never done this genre and having teachers who have was a huge help...I have a new found respect for anyone who makes documentaries for a living. You are discovering your story along the way almost like a detective, ” Volk said.

Credits:

Director: Emily Volk Emily Volk

Cinematographer: Bella Rose💐

Sound: Cannon Mcllhenney

Documentary subjects: Brandy Romero and Pablo Romero

Join us in celebrating Emily and her crew on this exciting festival achievement!

10/11/2026

Congrats to Snyder School alumna Kendra Pook ('24) who recently worked as an on-set property assistant on "Frisco King," an upcoming crime comedy drama series created by Taylor Sheridan for Paramount+!

Starring Samuel L. Jackson, the "Tulsa King" spinoff follows a New York hitman relocating to Texas to build his own criminal enterprise.

Stepping into the props department for a major studio television series provided empowering creative freedom and a fresh perspective on her future in the industry.

"Frisco King was my first TV show in the props department and it was so much fun. Being able to make creative decisions on such a big show empowered me as a filmmaker and widened my perspective on what my career will look like." - Kendra Pook

&MediaArts

10/07/2026

Snyder School students produced "On Cloud. Land Softly” a spec commercial that tells the story of a burnt-out collegiate runner who embraces her greatest insecurities and discovers courage while running with a lightweight shoe designed for max energy return and propulsion. To bring the visual narrative to life, the team focused on creating an emotionally grounded concept rather than a standard commercial spot.

"This project was really just an opportunity for Karlie (my co-producer) and I to produce something that was in the direction we wanted to go with our careers. I want to shoot non-fiction, she wants to work in sports media. This project became the combo of those two desires. With this, we knew we needed it to be more than just a flashy commercial, we wanted there to be a story, a heart. So we brought on Elijah Chen to direct and he brought a vision that was both commercial and emotionally narrative.” Naylah Jobe (senior, cinema and media arts student)

Producer: naylah Karlie Deckard
Writer / Director: Elijah Chen | Storytelling
Editor: Karlie Deckard elijahfilms_

You can see the full commercial and the bts video in our reposts!

10/03/2026

On Monday September 28th, Dean Tom Halleen kicked off our monthly "Snyder School Celebrates” series with a special 25th-anniversary screening of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

"Snyder School Celebrates” is a monthly series of screenings recognizing the enduring legacy of cinematic storytelling. Honoring a different legendary film each month, we will together celebrate cinema’s greatest milestone anniversaries.

There was no better way to launch this series than watching the cinematic classic in our new state-of-the-art Dyer Theater with immersive Dolby Atmos audio and 4K projection.

Thank you to all the students, faculty, alumni, and community members who joined us! Missed it? "Snyder School Celebrates“ returns every month to honor cinema’s greatest milestone anniversaries free and open to the entire Biola community and public!

&MediaArts

10/02/2026

Recapping one unforgettable night!

Over 150 students from every Snyder School major plus music composition, theater, and animation majors from the School of Arts and Letters packed Stage One for our fall student mixer.

From first-year freshmen and transfers to seniors gearing up for thesis projects, the room was electric. Students spent the evening making new friends, swapping project ideas, meeting future crewmates, and building connections across departments.

Ben Cordner Ben Cordner announced about the Biola Film Festival Biola Film Festival 2025 and Rylie Edwards Rylie, from the Producers Guild of Biola The Producers’ Guild of Biola shared about their mission to help student filmmakers.

It was a night packed with a shared passion for storytelling and relationships that will carry far beyond Stage One!

Spotted yourself or your friends in the Reel? Tag them in the comments below! 👇

10/01/2026

Snyder School alumna Alissa Rooney (‘18) co-produced this interview with Brett Pawlak, the cinematographer of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The movie is now the highest-grossing film of all time in North America, surpassing Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Alissa has been a working professional cinematographer since graduating from Biola in 2018, including a 5.5 year run as a full-time, in-house cinematographer for Adobe. Alissa continues to shoot narrative films, commercials, and documentaries as a freelance cinematographer.

« This shoot was particularly meaningful to me, as Brett has been a sort of mentor to me for the last ten years, ever since I reached out to him in freshman year at Biola! »

BTS Photos taken by: New Gate Films

Biola University

09/26/2026

From Apple sets to NBCUniversal projects, true success in Hollywood starts with a servant’s heart!

Since stepping into the industry in 2022, Harrison has been making big moves in the AD Department for major projects and working right alongside fellow Biola alumni!

“My favorite part of any day is stepping onto set with a great team beside me and a story that is begging to be brought to life. My education at Biola University prepared me as a servant and a leader. I cut my teeth as one among many, working long days and nights to bring one person’s vision to life. Collaboration and selflessness are the secret keys to success in this industry, Biola showed us how falling in line pushes us upwards together.” - Harrison Zeiders (‘22)

We love seeing our alumni lead with excellence, humility, and a servant’s heart out in the field.

Harrison Zeiders

09/25/2026

« Sister’s Keeper, » a student film created right here at the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts, is officially premiering Oct. 1 on PBS SoCal after becoming a finalist in the narrative category of at Fine Cut Festival of Films.

Brought to life by Director Oliver Thrush, Writer Hannah Salzman, and Producers Declan Gregg and Jaicee Sargent, the project came together in associate professor Marcieanna Klaustermeyer’s Production Management course where students master the real-world nitty-gritty of filmmaking, from budgeting and scheduling to contracts and union rules.

« It was honestly pretty surreal seeing ‘Sister’s Keeper’ compete alongside films from USC, UCLA, CSUN, and some of the other schools there. Just being able to have our film be part of that group was a really cool experience. » — Oliver Thrush, director and senior cinema and media arts major

« Sister’s Keeper » will air on October 1st at 7pm on PBS SoCal in Southern California and will be available to stream via pbssocal.org/finecut and the free PBS app.

Address

13800 Biola Avenue
La Mirada, CA
90639

Telephone

+15627774052

Website

http://cma.biola.edu/

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