Study Guide Materials:  

The Lion’s Den DFW: Film and Entertainment Industry Review Study Guide  This study guide is designed to help you review and understand the key information presented in the provided excerpts from “The Metamorphosis” event, focusing on the film and entertainment industry pitches and discussions.   

 Overview of The Lion’s Den DFW  

1. Mission and Vision: Understand the core purpose of The Lion’s Den DFW, particularly its  
2. “kingdom-minded” approach to business and investment.   
3. “Christian Shark Tank” Model: How does The Lion’s Den DFW operate as a platform for  
4. connecting investors and entrepreneurs?   
5. Events and Collaboration: What are the different types of events they host, and what is their role in fostering connections and support?   
6. Values: Identify the core Judeo-Christian values emphasized by the organization.   
7. “Raising Funding is a Lifestyle“: Explore the meaning and biblical context (Matthew 25) of this phrase as applied to entrepreneurship and stewardship.   
8. Community Aspect: How does The Lion’s Den DFW foster a sense of community among its members?   

 Pitched Companies and Key Takeaways:

 Green Bean Studios (Presented by Anita Frost/Ed Pearce)  

1. Problem Identified: What societal and developmental issues does Green Bean Studios aim to address?   
2. Solution Offered: How does Green Bean Studios propose to solve these problems through its products and mission?   
3. Revenue Stremes: Identify the current and future ways Green Bean Studios generates income.   
4. Market Potential: Understand the “total addressable market” and the comparison to established brands like Peppa Pig.   
5. Sustainability and Values: How does Green Bean Studios integrate circular economy principles and UN sustainable goals?   
6. Investor Feedback:Strengths: What aspects of the pitch were praised (e.g., problem/solution, team, creative/science mix, IP)?   
7. Areas for Improvement: What suggestions were given to strengthen the pitch for “kingdom investors” (e.g., detailed financials, disciple-making strategy, investment overview slide, clarity on divisions)?   

MyStreme (Presented by Dan Cobb & Paul Lauer/Karen Whiting)  

1. Problem Identified: What challenges do consumers face with current video stremeing platforms?   
2. Solution Offered: How does MyStreme address these frustrations through its technology and features?   
3. Key Features: Focus on the AI search, hype lists, content curation/filtering, and patent protection.   
4. Mission: What is MyStreme’s broader mission beyond just streaming?   
5. Team Background: How do the backgrounds of Dan Cobb and Paul Lauer contribute to the company’s credibility?   
6. Investor Feedback:Strengths: What aspects were highly praised (e.g., identifying frustrated market, video solution, team backgrounds, patents, community features)?   
7. Areas for Improvement: What suggestions were given to refine the pitch for investors (e.g., detailed revenue plan/commercial plan, explicit “ministry plan” or disciple-making strategy, strong close with clear ask, competitive analysis, IP issue explanation)?   
8. Seed vs. Series A: Understand the discussion around the funding round classification.   

 Imagination Bay (Presented by Karen Whiting, Knox Marshall, Scott Blanding)  

1. Project Focus: What type of film is “Vicarion,” and what are its key characteristics (genre, themes)?   
2. Marketing Strategy: How does Imagination Bay plan to market “Vicarion” to different audience demographics?   
3. Investment Ask & Terms: What specific funding is sought, and what are the proposed  
4. returns/credits for investors?   
5. Company Mission: Beyond “Vicarion,” what is Imagination Bay’s larger mission as a family entertainment company?   
6. Lion’s Den Impact: How has involvement with The Lion’s Den DFW helped Imagination Bay, even without direct funding? (Focus on relationships, understanding investor expectations, and demonstrating stewardship).   
7. Investor Feedback/Discussion Points: Importance of Relationships: Emphasis on cultivating long-term connections.   
8. Patience in Funding: Recognition that investors may observe progress over time.   
9. Transparency and Candor: Importance of being open about financial management and project appeal.   
10. Audience Engagement: The balance between engaging consumers and providing investor specific information.   

 Scott Camera-Smith’s Presentation on Animation and Storytelling  

1. Evolution of Animation: Trace the history of animation from Saturday morning cartoons to modern Pixar films, highlighting key developments and revenue explosions.   
2. “Iron Triangle“: Understand the concept of time, budget, and scope in filmmaking and how it applies to both traditional and faith-based productions.   
3. Faith-Based Animation Landscape: Discuss the history and challenges of creating high-quality, impactful faith-based animation (e.g., VeggieTales, The Prince of Egypt).   
4. Hurdles in Faith Space: Identify the specific challenges Scott Camera-Smith discusses for faith based filmmakers:   
5. The “Iron Triangle” (Time, Budget, Scope)   
6. Talent acquisition and retention   
7. “Us vs. Them” mentality between faith and Hollywood realms   
8. Bridging the Gap: Scott’s perspective on how Christians should engage with Hollywood talent (discipleship, collaboration, servant leadership).   
9. Impact of Technology: Discuss the role of real-time rendering and AI in animation, along with ethical considerations.   
10. Current Project: “The Book of Jesus” – its vision and the aspiration for epic, high-end storytelling.   

III. Recurring Themes and Investor Perspectives   

1. Kingdom Investment: What are the specific expectations and priorities of “kingdom investors” (e.g., financial return, disciple-making, ethical alignment)?   
2. Importance of “How“: Investors’ desire to understand the operational plan and execution strategy behind financial projections.   
3. Problem/Solution Focus: The critical role of clearly identifying a problem and presenting a compelling solution.   
4. Team Strength: The value investors place on the experience and capabilities of the leadership team.   
5. Intellectual Property (IP): The significance of patents and copyrights in protecting a business.   
6. Clear “Ask” and Close: The need for pitches to clearly state what funding is sought and why investors should commit.   
7. Audience-Specific Pitching: The distinction between pitching to consumers and pitching to investors.   

Quiz: The Lion’s Den DFW Film & Entertainment Session Instructions:  

Answer each question in 2-3 sentences.   

1. What is the primary mission of The Lion’s Den DFW, and how does it relate to its nickname “Christian Shark Tank”?  

2. According to Grace, what does “raising funding is a lifestyle” mean, and what biblical passage does she connect it to?  

3. What specific societal problem does Green Bean Studios aim to address with its products, and what is one of its future revenue stremes?  

4. Robert Bush, a kingdom investor, highlighted two key things he looks for in pitches beyond just financial numbers for Green Bean Studios. What are they?  

5. What is the core frustration MyStreme aims to solve for video stremeing users, and what two key features address this?  

6. MyStreme discussed having patents. Why are these patents considered particularly exciting and important for their business model?  

7. Knox Marshall of Imagination Bay mentioned that their involvement with The Lion’s Den DFW hadn’t yet resulted in direct funding. What benefits did they gain instead?  

8. Scott Camera-Smith introduced the “Iron Triangle” in filmmaking. What three elements constitute this triangle, and what is the common saying about them?   

9. According to Scott Camera-Smith, what is one major hurdle he observes in the “faith space” of film making, and how does he suggest addressing it?  

10. Beyond financial return, what is a key priority for “kingdom investors” as expressed by Robert Bush when providing feedback to MyStreme?  

Answer Key   

1. The primary mission of The Lion’s Den DFW is to connect “kingdom-minded” investors and entrepreneurs who are growing their businesses for the glory of God. It’s called a “Christian Shark Tank” because companies seeking capital apply to pitch their businesses live to potential investors within a Christian-values framework.  

2. Grace explains that “raising funding is a lifestyle” means continually growing, refining oneself, and producing a fruitful return with the gifts and talents God has given. She connects this concept to the passage of Matthew 25, emphasizing trustworthy stewardship.  

3. Green Bean Studios aims to address children’s emotional and social development alongside ecocrises by designing characters and worlds that support these areas. A future revenue streme for the brand is developing an animation TV series and moving into licensing.  

4. Robert Bush, as a kingdom investor, emphasized the importance of seeing projected financials and, more critically, understanding the “how” behind those numbers through a clear commercial plan. He also stressed the need for a visible “disciple-making strategy” integrated into the business operations.  

5. MyStreme aims to solve the problem of users taking 40 minutes to find something to watch due to overwhelming content and lack of value alignment. They address this through “hype lists” made by trusted friends and mind-blowing AI search that allows for highly specific content curation and filtering.  

6. MyStreme’s patents are exciting because they enable the company to curate and filter content across existing streaming platforms, solving intellectual property issues that have hindered  similar past ventures. This proprietary technology provides a significant competitive advantage and protects their unique filtering capabilities.  

7. Imagination Bay gained enriched relationships and a deeper understanding of investor

expectations through their involvement with The Lion’s Den DFW. They learned the importance of patience, cultivating foundational relationships for long-term sustenance, and demonstrating faithful stewardship of the funds they had already raised.   

8. The “Iron Triangle” in filmmaking consists of Time, Budget, and Scope (or complexity) of a movie. The common saying is that a producer can only have two of these three elements, implying a trade-off between speed, cost, and ambition.  

9. One major hurdle Scott Camera-Smith observes in the faith space is the “us versus them” mentality between the faith realm and Hollywood. He suggests addressing this by reaching out to Hollywood talent, collaborating with them to amplify Christian giftings, and bringing Jesus to them through honesty, integrity, and servant leadership.  

10. For MyStreme, Robert Bush reiterated that as a “kingdom investor,” he strongly desires to understand the “Ministry plan.” He emphasized that the business should intentionally aim to “make disciples” through its operations, rather than simply being a secular business run by Christians.  

Essay Format Questions   

1. Analyze how the concept of “kingdom-minded” business is articulated and exemplified by The  Lion’s Den DFW, and discuss how the pitched companies (Green Bean Studios, MyStreme, Imagination Bay) attempt to align with or are encouraged to strengthen their alignment with this ethos.  

2. Compare and contrast the challenges identified by Green Bean Studios and MyStreme regarding their respective markets. How do their proposed solutions leverage technology or unique business models to address these challenges, and what common themes emerge in the investors’ feedback on their “solutions”?  

3. Discuss the significance of “storytelling” as a central theme across all three pitched companies and Scott Camera-Smith’s presentation. How do different speakers emphasize the power, evolution, and potential of storytelling (both secular and faith-based) in their respective contexts?  

4. Evaluate the feedback provided by the “kingdom investors” (Ed Pearce, Robert Bush, Marc Conrady, Craig Fryar, Karen Whiting) to the pitched companies. Identify common suggestions for improvement across multiple pitches, particularly concerning financial clarity, operational plans, and the integration of a “ministry plan.”  

5. Scott Camera-Smith discusses several “hurdles” in faith-based filmmaking, including the “Iron Triangle,” talent, and the “us versus them” mentality. Elaborate on each of these hurdles and explain his proposed strategies for overcoming them, particularly his approach to engaging with Hollywood talent.

 Glossary of Key Terms   

1. The Lion’s Den DFW: An events and networking organization that connects “kingdom-minded” investors and entrepreneurs, often described as a “Christian version of Shark Tank.”   
2. Kingdom-minded Investors/Entrepreneurs: Individuals who seek to grow businesses not only for financial profit but also for the glory of God and to create lasting kingdom impact, often incorporating Judeo-Christian values.   
3. Pitch: A concise presentation by an entrepreneur to potential investors, outlining their business idea, market opportunity, team, and financial projections, usually with an “ask” for investment.   
4. Annual Event: The main yearly gathering of The Lion’s Den DFW where 10 finalist companies pitch live to raise investment.   
5. Matthew 25: A biblical passage (specifically the Parable of the Talents) referenced by Grace to emphasize the concept of “raising funding as a lifestyle” and being trustworthy stewards of one’s gifts and resources.   
6. Green Bean Studios: A pitched company focused on creating children’s products and an animation TV series, emphasizing emotional/social development and sustainability.   
7. Circular Economy Brand: A business model that aims to reduce waste and maximize resource efficiency by keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible.   
8. Intellectual Property (IP): Creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names, and images used in commerce, which can be legally protected (e.g., patents, copyrights, trademarks).   
9. Innovate UK: A UK government agency that provides funding and support for business innovation, sometimes offering “match funds” for investment rounds.   
10. SEIS/EIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme / Enterprise Investment Scheme): UK government tax relief schemes designed to encourage investment in small, early-stage companies.   
11. MyStreme: A pitched company offering a solution to video stremeing dilemmas through AI powered content curation, filtering, and social “hype lists.”   
12. AI Search: Artificial Intelligence-driven search capabilities that allow for highly specific and nuanced content discovery, such as searching by movie lines rather than just titles.   
13. Hype Lists: Curated lists of movies and TV shows created and shared by friends or trusted sources, designed to solve the problem of finding relevant content.   
14. Patents: A form of intellectual property that grants an inventor exclusive rights to an invention for a set period, preventing others from making, using, or selling it without permission.   
15. Seed Round: The earliest stage of formal fundraising for a startup, typically used to develop the product, conduct market research, and build the initial team.   
16. Safe Note (Simple Agreement for Future Equity): A flexible investment vehicle used by startups to raise capital early on, which converts into equity at a later funding round.   
17. Series A (and B/C, etc.): Subsequent rounds of venture capital funding after the seed round, typically larger and with more established company valuations.   
18. Imagination Bay: A family entertainment company pitching its first motion picture, “Vicarion,” with a mission to produce faith-based and values-driven content.   
19. “Vicarion”: A specific film project by Imagination Bay, described as charming, romantic, and scary, with themes of faith.   
20. SDG Releasing: A hypothetical or actual distribution company mentioned in the context of securing theatrical release for “Vicarion.”   
21. First Money Back: An investment term where investors receive their initial capital back before any further profit distribution.   
22. Recoupment: The process by which investors recover their initial investment from a project’s revenues.   
23. Producer Credit: A recognition given to individuals or entities who have contributed significantly to the production of a film, often including investors.   
24. Underserved Market: A segment of consumers whose needs or preferences are not being adequately met by existing products or services.   
25. Scott Camera-Smith: A veteran of Hollywood production, animation, and visual effects, who presented on the history and challenges of animation, particularly in the faith space.   
26. “Iron Triangle” (Filmmaking): A concept referring to the interdependent constraints of Time (schedule), Budget (cost), and Scope (complexity) in film production, where one can typically only optimize for two.   
27. Real-Time Rendering: A technology in animation that allows for immediate visualization of changes as they are made, significantly speeding up the production process.   
28. AI (Artificial Intelligence) in Film: The use of AI tools in various aspects of filmmaking, from content creation to production, with discussions around its ethical implications.   
29. “Us vs. Them” Mentality: A perceived division or adversarial relationship, particularly between the faith-based film community and mainstream Hollywood.   
30. Discipleship: The process of guiding and mentoring individuals in their spiritual growth, often applied in this context to bringing Christian values and faith to secular workplaces.   
31. The Prince of Egypt: A critically acclaimed animated film often cited as an example of high-quality, faith-based animation with broad appeal.   
32. The Book of Jesus: Scott Camera-Smith’s current animated film project, aiming to be a high-end retelling of the story of Jesus.