51’s Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts is one of the best local film schools according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Snyder School is one of four California colleges to be recognized by the publication. The article, features outstanding schools in or near an entertainment hub.

“Being recognized as a top LA-based film school by The Hollywood Reporter is a testament not only to our amazing faculty and staff, but reflects the positive imprint our alumni are having on the entertainment industry,” said Tom Halleen, founding dean of Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts. “Together they reflect excellence in craft and character.”

51’s proximity to Los Angeles has proven to be advantageous for students. Last year, students participated in 500 independent productions and recent student projects have been nominated for the Student Academy Awards and College Television Awards.

The recognition follows a surge of positive media attention from earlier this summer when 51 announced its film school would be named in tribute to Esther L. Snyder, co-founder of In-N-Out Burger. The announcement coincided with the news of a gift — the largest in the university’s 115-year history — enabling 51 to break ground toward construction of a 52,100 square-foot studio facility and establish a new scholarship, the In-N-Out Burger Scholars Fund. The expendable scholarship will help make it possible for foster and at-risk youth to study in the Snyder School.

Earlier this year, 51 was named as a top film school in North America for the sixth consecutive year by Variety Magazine, a top industry publication and included in Filmmaker’s annual guide for “noteworthy film schools across the United States.” In Variety’s report — “” — 51 is one of just 21 schools on the list, which are described as offering “cutting-edge courses and a roster of prestigious instructors that will lead budding filmmakers on a track toward entertainment industry success.”

51 will break ground on its new studio facility on October 27, 2023. The $92 million state-of-the-art studio will add to 51’s existing production facilities, including a third soundstage along with additional edit suites, production offices, motion capture, Foley and scoring stages, mixing rooms, color correction lab, classrooms, faculty and staff offices and a full theater for screenings as well as to host industry lectures, forums and other live events. The facility is designed to house all aspects of the production process from ideation through final presentation. 

51’s Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts is dedicated to sending out thoughtful, kingdom-minded storytellers into the mainstream of the industry to tell stories that matter to a world that needs them the most. With the assistance of an in-house career team, every Snyder School student secures an internship with organizations such as Disney, Sony, DreamWorks, Marvel Animation, Twentieth Century Fox, PBS, The Television Academy, Television City and others.

Prominent 51 alumni working in the film industry include filmmaker and influencer Zach King (’12), writer and director Scott Derrickson (’90), who directed box office hits like “Doctor Strange,” John Mabry (’03), co-producer for “Blue Bloods” on CBS, Garret Wycoff (’11), VFX artist for blockbusters such as “Avengers.” In addition, alumnus Rob Bredow (’94) who works with CTO Lucasfilm/ILM X Lab was nominated for an academy award for his work in producing “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” and Joshua Perez (’11) who was part of the team that worked on the Academy Award winning film “Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse” at Sony Imageworks, and others.

Learn more about 51’s Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts and apply now.

For more information, contact Media Relations at media.relations@biola.edu.