Bonus: Content 2025 with Tim Shields

Geoff: 00:00:00

Hey there.

Geoff: 00:00:00

Welcome to the Faith and Family Filmmakers podcast.

Geoff: 00:00:02

My name is Geoff and this is a special bonus episode.

Geoff: 00:00:06

Today I'm excited to have Tim Shields with us to talk about content 2025.

Geoff: 00:00:12

Now Tim is the co-founder of Content Media Conferences and is also on staff at Capernaum Studios and has served as a pastor for many years.

Geoff: 00:00:21

Tim has been on our podcast before, so if you wanna go back and, hear more about him, his life, his work, uh, and all of what he does.

Geoff: 00:00:30

Listen to episodes 72.

Geoff: 00:00:32

73. They're very interesting.

Geoff: 00:00:35

I encourage you to do that.

Geoff: 00:00:36

Episode 72 and 73, but today we're focusing on content 2025.

Geoff: 00:00:43

Welcome, Tim.

Tim: 00:00:44

Thank you very much.

Tim: 00:00:45

It's great to be here.

Tim: 00:00:46

You and Jaclyn are amazing.

Tim: 00:00:48

Your organization is incredible.

Tim: 00:00:50

I'm honored to be here.

Geoff: 00:00:51

Thank you so much, and, uh, content is amazing as well and we really, enjoy it.

Geoff: 00:00:57

Appreciate it, love going.

Geoff: 00:00:59

We'll talk more about that, but, of course purpose of this podcast is to talk about this year's, festival and conference.

Geoff: 00:01:06

But let's go back and take a, a couple of minutes to talk about the history.

Geoff: 00:01:10

Um, what can you tell us about content?

Tim: 00:01:12

Well, thank you Geoff.

Tim: 00:01:13

I really appreciate it.

Tim: 00:01:14

Yeah.

Tim: 00:01:14

I'm gonna give you the history here within a one to two minute history, and this is kind of how it works.

Tim: 00:01:19

We started it on prayer.

Tim: 00:01:21

So watch now, you're listening to this right now, and I'm gonna give a 32nd prayer for you right now.

Tim: 00:01:25

Father, I pray for everyone listening.

Tim: 00:01:28

You give them wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of you.

Tim: 00:01:31

That the eyes of their heart would be flooded with light, that they would know the hope to, which you called him to in media.

Tim: 00:01:36

In the name of Jesus.

Tim: 00:01:38

Open their eyes.

Tim: 00:01:38

Amen.

Tim: 00:01:40

So this was built.

Tim: 00:01:41

I, I hope that you're listening.

Tim: 00:01:43

Those listening will take that prayer to heart.

Tim: 00:01:47

See, this was built on prayer, Geoff.

Tim: 00:01:49

Just thousands of hours of praying and saying, Lord, what can I do with the giftings God's called me to?

Tim: 00:01:56

And just spending it in prayer and reading the word of God.

Tim: 00:01:59

Lord, can you use me in a mighty way?

Tim: 00:02:02

I just, whatever that is, and it started with toilets many decades ago, but with the content conference.

Tim: 00:02:10

It started, in 92 when we started selling stock footage and that led to a, church video association, which then led to a Christian Media Association, which then led in the mid, like 2014, we started our conferences.

Tim: 00:02:26

For those in media.

Tim: 00:02:27

But after tens of thousands of hours of prayer praying with over 10,000 pastors on the phone and exalting Jesus in everything we did, God opened up a window for us and said, okay, now let's start this conference.

Tim: 00:02:40

In 2014, we did, and now our conference annually, the big one, the five day one is at Capernaum Studios, where The Chosen filmed season one and parts of the other seasons, and we're just blessed Geoff to know the people of God and that God has brought this this far and he can bring those.

Tim: 00:03:00

He can bring those listening as far in their media calling also.

Geoff: 00:03:05

Yeah, you mentioned Capernaum Studios.

Geoff: 00:03:08

Uh, it is such a great setting for a conference.

Geoff: 00:03:11

So different from a, uh, well, often they're at a. Big hotel, of course.

Geoff: 00:03:16

And this gives it really a retreat feel, almost like summer camp where you get the conference, but you also get to, to hang out with friends or new friends.

Geoff: 00:03:25

And, uh, it really does have a social aspect to it that's unique, I believe.

Tim: 00:03:30

Yeah, you hit it right on the nail.

Tim: 00:03:32

It is like, um, it's, there's not one word for it, but it's like a retreat.

Tim: 00:03:37

A, a camp where you go to hear from the Lord, but also at the same time it's a conference and a festival on the grounds of an active, premier Film studio.

Tim: 00:03:49

For, Christian and family movies and, uh, short films and feature films.

Tim: 00:03:54

And so it's amazing.

Tim: 00:03:55

You get that vibe, you get that feeling, you sense the presence of God on the retreat, uh, a Capernaum studios, and you're in the country on a ranch.

Tim: 00:04:04

So it's just amazing.

Tim: 00:04:06

I don't know, you know, God has given us.

Tim: 00:04:09

For such a time as this to steward this well, and we're trying our best to steward this and every person watching, we will have a discount code for you if you wanna come, and it'll be a significant discount, larger than we normally give out to anyone, but we love the audience of FAFF.

Geoff: 00:04:24

We're gonna mention that at the end.

Geoff: 00:04:26

Uh, so you'll remember it.

Geoff: 00:04:28

So how many conferences have you had up to this point?

Tim: 00:04:31

Yeah, we've had a lot of conferences, you know, we used to do church video conferences in the early two thousands, many of them around the country.

Tim: 00:04:38

But then.

Tim: 00:04:39

When it became the Christian Media Association, we started the content conference.

Tim: 00:04:42

We started that in 2014, so it's 2025.

Tim: 00:04:46

So we've had at least 11.

Tim: 00:04:48

Um, and now we're starting one day conferences also in the winter.

Tim: 00:04:53

So we've had more than 11.

Tim: 00:04:54

I don't know how many it's been.

Tim: 00:04:55

It's probably closer to 15.

Tim: 00:04:57

Uh, but some of 'em are one day conference and so forth.

Tim: 00:05:00

I just believe that's a mantle on our life right now.

Geoff: 00:05:03

uh, Jaclyn and I have been multiple times, but if I understand correctly, there's some, changes and upgrades this year.

Geoff: 00:05:10

so let's talk about them.

Geoff: 00:05:11

One of 'em is hands-on workshops.

Tim: 00:05:14

Yeah.

Tim: 00:05:15

you know, every year Geoff would go back to the Lord, it goes back to prayer again and talking to him.

Tim: 00:05:19

We say, Lord, you know, uh, we all think that the last year was the best year we've ever had for the conference, but Lord, you have something new in mind.

Tim: 00:05:27

Show us what you want.

Tim: 00:05:29

And so every year we have to do that.

Tim: 00:05:31

We have to ask the Lord what does he want for the next year?

Tim: 00:05:33

And this year I just said, Lord, I just want something amazing, even greater than I could imagine.

Tim: 00:05:40

And so the first two days, we've taken the first two days.

Tim: 00:05:43

We said we are going to restructure it to where we have about 45 workshops.

Tim: 00:05:49

There's actually, I think 47, but about 45 workshops.

Tim: 00:05:52

Each one of them are somewhere between one and a half to three hours long, and it hits about every aspect of media.

Tim: 00:06:00

I. And we are asking every workshop, every workshop if they can, to have some type of aspect of hands-on training.

Tim: 00:06:08

So that means cinematography to AI, to directing a scene.

Tim: 00:06:12

That doesn't mean that every workshop will have a hands-on, but majority of 'em will have some type of aspect of hands-on training.

Tim: 00:06:18

'cause if I was in media, what would I want?

Tim: 00:06:21

I'd want hands-on training.

Tim: 00:06:23

I'd want funding.

Tim: 00:06:24

I want a team.

Tim: 00:06:25

and I'd want distribution.

Geoff: 00:06:26

Yeah.

Geoff: 00:06:27

So hands on.

Geoff: 00:06:28

I think by definition for a workshop in general would just mean it's not just about sitting and hearing a, a lecture or something being taught that you take notes and learn from, you actually work on something practically put your hands to doing what is being discussed.

Tim: 00:06:44

That is correct, either practically putting your hands on doing it, standing and watching right beside somebody who's doing it or being a part or participating in some type of scene or a part of what they're doing so that you can feel like that you are getting some training out of it.

Tim: 00:06:59

This is amazing.

Tim: 00:06:59

So yeah, two days of that, it's gonna be incredible,

Geoff: 00:07:02

Yeah, Jaclyn's teaching some workshop so I can give an example.

Geoff: 00:07:05

Um, she's doing, I think it's a three hour workshop called Connecting the Plot Dots.

Geoff: 00:07:09

So for screenwriting, she's actually gonna have you work on your story and, write out all of the, key plot points, in a systematic way that makes it simple and gets you writing your story quickly.

Geoff: 00:07:23

but again, it's not just telling you what this is all about.

Geoff: 00:07:27

It's you writing down, sitting down, writing it out, so you're working on your own project during that time.

Geoff: 00:07:33

So that's an example of, something that's hands-on.

Tim: 00:07:37

Absolutely.

Tim: 00:07:37

And there's, all kinds of things, like on all day cinematography, all day ai.

Tim: 00:07:41

There's.

Tim: 00:07:41

On and on, I go to the list, christian media conference.com and under workshops, go to the list of workshops and you'll be able to see,

Geoff: 00:07:49

Okay.

Geoff: 00:07:49

And you've got also this year some coaching and mentoring that's kind of unique for a conference.

Tim: 00:07:55

That's brand new for us and we just said, you know what, what else would a media leader need?

Tim: 00:08:01

A media missionary.

Tim: 00:08:02

A media minister that's who's watching?

Tim: 00:08:04

All of you are media ministers.

Tim: 00:08:05

What would you need?

Tim: 00:08:06

You want hands-on training.

Tim: 00:08:07

You want building community?

Tim: 00:08:08

We got it.

Tim: 00:08:09

You want exposure?

Tim: 00:08:10

We're doing it for you and you.

Tim: 00:08:11

probably want some sort of mentoring or coaching.

Tim: 00:08:14

And so what we're gonna do is on Wednesdays and Thursdays, probably more on Thursday during the screenings we're gonna have where you sign up under a coach and they'll give you free 15 minute consultations and you will then explain your need, your want, the wall you've hit.

Tim: 00:08:31

Or the roadblock you're, you're facing.

Tim: 00:08:34

And then they will try to help you with that need.

Tim: 00:08:37

And if you wanna go further, then you can connect with them later.

Tim: 00:08:40

And most likely it will be paid coaching later on if you wanna go further than the 15 minutes.

Tim: 00:08:46

But um, just so you know that.

Tim: 00:08:49

And so I hope this coaching is something, it's new for us, but we're doing that because it's something that's absolutely needed.

Tim: 00:08:56

We need each other.

Tim: 00:08:57

Iron sharpens Iron Brother.

Tim: 00:08:59

So we're doing coaching and mentoring.

Tim: 00:09:00

And then all day, there's one day Wednesday I. Uh, Geoff that we're doing all day networking and collaboration, that means there's a job board.

Tim: 00:09:10

That means that, let me give you an example.

Tim: 00:09:12

Like at the beginning on Wednesday, there'll be several people, several organizations, like 20 of 'em, will have two minutes.

Tim: 00:09:19

They get to stand up in front of everyone for two minutes.

Tim: 00:09:22

Say what they do, their contact information, and once those two minutes are up, then we have an hour for networking with them, getting their business card information, getting to know them.

Tim: 00:09:31

Then there's a lunch, and then we do it again after lunch, and then there's some demo reels of actors and producers and directors, and then we have a dinner again, and it's just all done in a process.

Tim: 00:09:43

We can get to know each other, become a family, or build a team and have opportunities all day long.

Geoff: 00:09:50

Cool.

Geoff: 00:09:51

Cool.

Geoff: 00:09:51

So if this conference is like previous years, um, just as a rough number, there could be around 400 people, so what this will do is make that smaller by allowing you to meet, smaller groups of people meet one-on-one.

Geoff: 00:10:05

that's very, very profitable for anybody in the industry.

Tim: 00:10:09

That's next level networking for sure.

Tim: 00:10:11

I mean, generally you might get an hour of networking or two hours of networking at a conference.

Tim: 00:10:16

That's a possibility.

Tim: 00:10:17

And those are all very good.

Tim: 00:10:19

But we decided to take it next level.

Tim: 00:10:22

We're we're gonna, instead of having necessarily an exhibit hall, we're gonna have Next level networking where you can meet 70 to 80 people all day.

Tim: 00:10:35

Uh, and then select which ones you wanna have lunch with or dinner with, or have one-on-one talks with.

Tim: 00:10:40

Get your contact information and relax a little bit and not be pushed into what I call speed networking.

Tim: 00:10:48

Okay?

Tim: 00:10:48

So no need to have speed networking here.

Tim: 00:10:50

You'll have all day to get to know everyone.

Geoff: 00:10:52

Cool.

Geoff: 00:10:53

Very cool.

Geoff: 00:10:54

tell us about the young content creators, uh, what have you got planned for them?

Geoff: 00:10:57

I know this has always been a big part of content.

Tim: 00:11:01

The young content creator's, uh, 60 Hour Challenge.

Tim: 00:11:04

You know, five years ago, Geoff uh, the Lord put it on my heart to create a scholarship fund for young content creators and, and, ask our followers and people who believe in our mission to, to donate.

Tim: 00:11:17

Those, those funds would go into a scholarship fund for young content creators to attend.

Tim: 00:11:22

And so we've done this for five or six years now.

Tim: 00:11:25

Over a hundred young content creators have attended.

Tim: 00:11:27

Their lives have been changed.

Tim: 00:11:29

Now what we got for this year.

Tim: 00:11:31

on Monday they'll come in to get all the all day, those hands-on training workshops.

Tim: 00:11:35

Right?

Tim: 00:11:36

And then in the evening you have worship.

Tim: 00:11:38

we start at the cross and then we have networking right after worship.

Tim: 00:11:42

And that's when they'll sign up for groups for the 60 hour film Challenge if they wanna be a part of it.

Tim: 00:11:48

They'll sign up in small groups, many of 'em, and they're gonna create a film in 60 hours from beginning to end.

Tim: 00:11:54

I say a film, not like a feature length, but about two to three minutes, four minutes long film, and then they have to be done and submitted by Thursday morning at nine in the morning.

Tim: 00:12:05

And then they have all day Thursday to watch screeners to sit down with mentors or, and then Friday also to enjoy the award ceremonies, uh, that we're gonna have at lunch and dinner.

Tim: 00:12:16

And so they'll have a great time, uh, getting to know one and know the building community.

Tim: 00:12:20

And on this film challenge creates something that's incredible.

Tim: 00:12:24

So we have something really amazing for them.

Tim: 00:12:26

That'll be life changing.

Geoff: 00:12:28

Yeah, you already mentioned screenings earlier.

Geoff: 00:12:30

of course we've been talking about the conference and haven't even mentioned that it is a film festival.

Tim: 00:12:35

Yeah, it is.

Tim: 00:12:36

You know, it's it, it is a film festival, but I have to say it's probably about 30% film festival, 70% camp.

Tim: 00:12:44

Retreat and conference all mixed together and it's, that's the amazing thing is we do have submissions.

Tim: 00:12:50

You know, we do have a film festival.

Tim: 00:12:51

We have submissions that are open for about six months for writers, best seen, best feature films, short films, documentaries, TV animations, best actor, All that.

Tim: 00:13:03

Probably about 75 winners, hundreds of nominations.

Tim: 00:13:07

And we award them with what we call the Honor Awards where we honor people's great work.

Tim: 00:13:13

You know, again, Geoff I wanna just focus here.

Tim: 00:13:16

It's all because of God leading the way, the Lord leading the way.

Tim: 00:13:20

Our prayers, their prayers, everyone's prayers for content, and was built on Jesus Christ.

Tim: 00:13:25

We will never leave that foundation.

Tim: 00:13:27

And I wanna always exalt him and put him first.

Tim: 00:13:30

And so your audience knows Jesus is first when they come on the scene.

Tim: 00:13:34

Jesus is first at content.

Geoff: 00:13:36

That sounds like a really good note to end on.

Geoff: 00:13:38

but we are gonna mention again, the discount code.

Geoff: 00:13:42

Um, Tim,

Tim: 00:13:43

Yeah, absolutely.

Tim: 00:13:44

We love those who follow the mission of FAFF, So we created a coupon code and it's FAFF75.

Tim: 00:13:53

$75 off a full five day registration.

Tim: 00:13:56

That is very significant.

Tim: 00:13:58

I believe that's somewhere between 25 and 30% off right now for the first 25 people.

Tim: 00:14:05

That ends the end of July, either one, now it ends.

Tim: 00:14:08

When I say it ends mean it's either 25 people sign up and use the coupon, or it ends in July regardless.

Tim: 00:14:17

And so it's FAFF 75 for $75 off the registration.

Tim: 00:14:23

So make that clear.

Tim: 00:14:24

It's not off the meals, but it's off the registration.

Geoff: 00:14:27

Yeah.

Geoff: 00:14:27

I'll just mention because you said that, those who have not been to content or to Capernaum Studios, it is a little bit out in the country.

Geoff: 00:14:34

It's, uh, what, 20 minutes or so from Weatherford.

Geoff: 00:14:37

So there's lots of accommodations, but, uh, once you are at the conference, it is much more convenient and very, cost effective to buy the meal package that goes with the conference.

Geoff: 00:14:48

Do you wanna tell us about the food?

Tim: 00:14:50

Oh, absolutely Geoff This is the thing.

Tim: 00:14:52

Um, we learned through just accident years ago that you build community around a meal.

Tim: 00:14:59

So we bring in a, five star caterer, uh, one of the top rated in the Dallas Fort Worth area, which we have every year.

Tim: 00:15:06

They're incredible people and they feed us lunch and dinner, and everyone Raves about the quality of the meals

Tim: 00:15:13

But you don't have to leave it.

Tim: 00:15:15

It's not like a hotel.

Tim: 00:15:16

You don't have to leave.

Tim: 00:15:17

You enjoy yourself.

Tim: 00:15:18

You can sit and build community, or you can talk to the person you've been wanting to talk to.

Tim: 00:15:23

You can grab a group of people and say, Hey, let's talk about your project.

Tim: 00:15:27

How can I serve your project?

Tim: 00:15:28

It's right there on site.

Tim: 00:15:30

Don't even have to leave.

Tim: 00:15:31

And you, you pay for those meals beforehand.

Tim: 00:15:33

And the cost of each meal, Geoff it's 10 meals.

Tim: 00:15:36

10 meals for $185.

Tim: 00:15:37

That's $18 and 50 cents a meal.

Tim: 00:15:40

That's unheard of for a caterer.

Tim: 00:15:42

That's of that quality.

Tim: 00:15:43

You've been there before.

Geoff: 00:15:44

Yeah.

Geoff: 00:15:44

Yeah.

Geoff: 00:15:45

you couldn't drive into the, into the town, into the city and eat for less and you wouldn't, you know, for that price, for nicely catered meals, it's definitely worth buying that package.

Tim: 00:15:55

And one thing though also, Geoff I wanna mention, is we do have day passes and day packages for meals.

Tim: 00:16:01

So you don't have to do all five days.

Tim: 00:16:02

You can do individual days also.

Geoff: 00:16:04

Cool.

Geoff: 00:16:05

So, uh, send them to your website.

Tim: 00:16:07

Yes, please go to christian media conference.com.

Tim: 00:16:10

That's christian media conference.com.

Tim: 00:16:14

Go there if you have any questions at all.

Tim: 00:16:16

Just click on the contact us button and we'll get back to you.

Tim: 00:16:20

They went in 24 hours.

Tim: 00:16:21

You all are amazing.

Tim: 00:16:23

We love you very much.

Tim: 00:16:24

I hope you're praying for content.

Tim: 00:16:26

Hope to see a content.

Tim: 00:16:27

Remember build on prayer and the word of God.

Tim: 00:16:29

Will you speak that over us and all the attendees I sure would appreciate.

Geoff: 00:16:33

And I'll just mention to our listeners that Jaclyn and I will be there.

Geoff: 00:16:37

we will have a display and, uh, we, we really enjoy content.

Geoff: 00:16:41

We're really looking forward to it, and we hope to see you there as well.

Geoff: 00:16:45

Thank you so much, Tim, for sharing today.

Geoff: 00:16:47

I hope our listeners take advantage of that discount code and, uh, we look forward to seeing you ourselves, in September.

Tim: 00:16:54

I look forward to seeing you and all the follow up.

Tim: 00:16:56

God bless you, Geoff