Construction is well underway on a film studio that university leaders say will rival the best educational facilities in the nation for media training.

The new home for Biola鈥檚 fast-growing Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts is set to open in mid-2026, greatly enhancing the experience of students preparing for careers in the film, television and gaming industries.

鈥淚 believe [this] will be one of the most influential buildings in all of higher education,鈥 President Barry H. Corey said. 鈥淥ur Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts 鈥 given its ranking, biblical fidelity, quality of education and resources, and location in greater Los Angeles 鈥 has the potential to influence for the good what is arguably the most powerful sector in society today, namely the world of media and entertainment.鈥

The university broke ground for the 45,463-square-foot building in September 2024 at a ceremony that featured dignitaries and donors, including Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson, owner and president of In-N-Out Burger, who, with her husband Sean, contributed the largest gift to date in Biola鈥檚 history in honor of her family, and especially her grandmother, Esther L. Snyder. Within six months, in March 2025, the community gathered again to celebrate a key milestone as a construction crew set the final beam in place atop the building鈥檚 steel skeleton.

When completed, the $73 million, three-floor building 鈥 located on the western edge of campus between the Lim Center for Science, Technology and Health and the Crowell School of Business building 鈥 will feature a 3,000-square-foot soundstage, a 285-seat theatre, screening rooms, classrooms and dedicated spaces for all stages of the production process.

The entirely donor-funded facility will play a critical role in preparing a greater number of biblically grounded students to make a difference across the industry as storytellers and leaders, said Tom Halleen, the school鈥檚 founding dean.

鈥淗ow can we provide hope in the most powerful form of communication on the planet if we are not within it?鈥 Halleen said. 鈥淭his is our calling: to prepare the voices of students to show the world what faith really looks like. And faith, as we know, is strength. It is not weakness. We celebrate not just a building, but more importantly, what鈥檚 inside that building and what comes out from it 鈥 and that鈥檚 people of character, that鈥檚 voices of faith.鈥

Biola鈥檚 Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts is one of the university鈥檚 fastest-growing schools, with more than 400 students enrolled. It continues to earn accolades from industry experts in Hollywood, including ranking as one of Variety鈥檚 30 鈥渢op film schools in North America鈥 and one of The Hollywood Reporter鈥檚 top local programs in Los Angeles.

Studio features include:

  • 3,000-square foot soundstage
  • 285-seat theatre
  • Color grading suites
  • Audio mixing suites
  • Scoring and Foley recording stage
  • New technology / motion capture stage
  • Movie prop and memorabilia displays
  • Editing suites
  • Game design lab
  • Classrooms
  • Computer labs
  • Faculty and staff office
  • Conference rooms
  • Writers鈥 rooms

Get a live look. See more renderings and watch the building鈥檚 progress on a live construction camera at biola.edu/film-studio.