Christians in Cinema

The Azusa Street Project – Producer/Director/Writer/Teacher

Producer, writer, director, and teacher Clay banks lives in Southern California where he has built a Spirit-led film acting studio in Hollywood. He describes himself as “unorthodox, but a good boy” (actually, that’s how his mom describes him.) His passion about his work immediately comes through in a conversation with him, and it was a privilege to spend some time talking with him recently.

Angela: A Spirit-led film acting studio in Hollywood? Some people would consider that an oxymoron or an impossibility.

The truth is that the Bible contains wisdom and teachings that apply to every aspect of life, so why not apply it to acting?

Clay: I think a lot of people who have come in the doors might have thought that initially, but I’ve had people get saved as a result of being exposed to the Gospel here. You know, there is an army of Christians in Hollywood – not a huge one, but a distinct one. And we’re working together to make a difference here. Non-believers know about the existence of GodWorks (the studio), and have heard that good things are being produced here. So they come in a little defensive, but many have gotten saved. Hitler was famous for saying “give me Hollywood, and I’ll give you the world.” Well, I want God to have Hollywood, not Hitler! The truth is that the Bible contains wisdom and teachings that apply to every aspect of life, so why not apply it to acting? The difference between acting and many other professions is that as actors, our product is ourselves, so sometimes it feels like your very soul is on the line when you go to audition for a role. So, at GodWorks, we’re doing more than just teaching, we’re also encouraging and edifying actors. Hopefully, we are helping them to be bright lights on a dark set.

Angela: Tell us a little about the journey you’ve taken to get where you are today.

Clay: My dad was a professional photographer, so I grew up around cameras (in New York). He gave me an 8 mm camera and flatbed editor, and I began making little animated short movies with stopped motion – it was almost magical to me. Then, at age 16, I had the option of going to high school or a vo-tech school, and I chose the vo-tech to study photography. When I went to college, I took filmmaking courses, and I was hooked. From that point on, I wanted to act and make films. During college, I did a one-man show with lots of characters that I would go in and out of, and one time a preacher showed up! He just started preaching the Gospel, and it had a profound impact on me. I discovered a very real and personal relationship with Jesus, and my life has never been the same. Since then, I have been discovering the things that God built me uniquely for. I discovered that He gifted me as a teacher, so while I was an up and coming actor, I was also teaching improvisation.

Angela: Did you experience immediate success as an actor?

Clay: Well, I took a pretty roundabout way to get here. After college, I came out to California to pursue an acting career. I had some financial troubles and experienced a couple of earthquakes, which convinced me that it was crazy to be out here. So, I headed back to New York, but only had enough money to make it to Colorado. I got a sales job and worked my way up into management. God used that job to show me that I had gifts as a teacher; I became a sales trainer and corporate motivator. This helped me get back into acting, and along the way I learned about producing and directing.

Angela: Were there any unusual turns along the way?

Clay: One interesting turn was becoming the improv director for The Comedy Store. It was a great place to work! I was there for two years, and trained, produced and directed the shows. It was a great run, and people knew us as a source for excellent clean comedy. I had a great time there. Then I landed a job on the TV series “L.A. Heat”, as a police lieutenant. As opposite as those things may seem, they really helped contribute to the person I am today.

Angela: It’s a little surprising that your path would lead to being the director and producer of The Azusa Street Project.

Clay: That was God. I’m a pretty driven person, and when I get involved in a project, I’m passionate about it. If you can’t be passionate about your work, why are you doing it? I helped put together a promotional video for youth about the 100th anniversary of the Azusa Street revival. In the process, the makers decided we should do a documentary about the revival, and asked me to direct it. A team was pulled together to produce the documentary, and well into the project, the company that asked us to make the video went out of business. By this time, my partner and I had become very passionate about it, so we agreed to go up to a prayer mountain for several days. By the time we came back down, we knew we had to do this. We self-financed the rest of the production and built a production company while we were making the movie on hard deadlines. It was really a labor of love. I once asked Rick Warren why he thought “Purpose-Driven Life” was number one out of a lot of books. He replied that God wanted the book written, and he was just the one that God put in the way to do it. I feel like that about this project; God brought it to us, we didn’t seek it out.

Angela: When you’re working on a project like this, or running a studio like yours, where you’re trying to be a godly man in the midst of a pretty notorious industry, you must get hit on all sides by temptations to make choices other than ones that glorify God. How do you withstand that?

Clay: Through a lot of prayer. I’ve been through lots of years in this business without any strong male counsel, and it was tough. It’s just been within the past year that some men have come alongside me who are helping me be accountable and to stay in check. There is a Hollywood prayer network that connects intercessors outside of Hollywood to filmmakers who want that kind of support. So there are people in other parts of the country who are praying for me. I also go to a deacon in my church and a Bible teacher for counsel.

Angela: Is there any advice you would give to others who might want to get involved in acting and/or filmmaking?

Clay: Be patient and take your time to find what God has for you. You should be prepared to do the work of the Lord with nothing in return. If you do it expecting something, then don’t do it. And be sure to stay in check, and stay accountable to someone – that will help you. It will help you stay real and authentic. That’s something that can never be duplicated, and it’s pretty rare in this industry. I would also say don’t judge people on their Christianity. Instead, look at their character, because it’s our character that really reflects who Christ is in us. Seek the Holy Spirit and the discernment that comes with knowing Him; study Scripture, and be sensitive to the Spirit.