Crew Bios
Kyle ProhaskaCo-Writer / Director / Producer / Director of Photography
Standing Firm is the first feature film Written, Directed, and Produced by Kyle Prohaska.
Kyle joined the staff of Niagara Frontier Bible Church in 2006 as Director of Media Production, managing the church's media ministry including their weekly TV Broadcast, Sermon DVD's, and the website for the church.
Always wanting to make movies as a kid, Kyle attempted to make that idea a reality but a lack of interest by his friends and a lack of resources led him to postpone his movie making ventures. But that never stopped him from learning the technical things he could on the computer. Starting at the age of twelve up until present, Kyle now has almost a decade of experience in almost every well known piece of video/image related software and web creation techniques. Little did he know that God had something big he was going to use that experience for in the future. Going to college for engineering, the first semester was tough, and it wasn't long before he realized that engineering wasn't what God was calling him to do. Kyle wanted to pursue something in film. All well known film schools are financially a burden often costing $100,000 or more for a 4 year degree. But knowing God would provide, Kyle left college to make his dream a reality.
Niagara Frontier Bible Church, had been without a pastor for well over a year, but one man was on the way that was going to flip the church upside-down and for the better. Pastor Billy Crone, a California native was up to the plate to visit the church in hopes of being selected. Kyle's mother Debra invited the Pastor and his family to stay at their home while they visited. When they arrived, Kyle didn't think much of it. The family arrived at their house and began chatting downstairs. After a little bit Debra got onto a topic about her son and how he is into software and video related arts. Something that was unknown to everyone at NFBC is the church that Pastor Billy had just come from had a media ministry that he helped create and that if voted in as Pastor at NFBC, he would want to start another because of its tremendous ability to impact others for Christ. Asking where Kyle was, he found out he was upstairs and walked into Kyle's room. Immediately a connection between them was made and from that point on they knew that it was meant to be. God brought all the puzzle pieces together just perfectly.
Pastor Billy was eventually voted in at NFBC and since his first sermon on April 30th, 2006...not only has NFBC's website been viewed by people in almost every country on the planet, and thousands of sermon DVD's and series been distributed across the globe, but hundreds of testimonies and praises have arrived by email from people all over the world.
Almost a year into the ministry, the drive to create a film built and it was time to try on top of the media work. But how can you make a film when your in full-time ministry? One day in April 2007, Kevin Michael (an elder of the church) walked into Kyle's office with two movies, Facing the Giants and Flywheel. With Kevin's advice Kyle went home and watched both. What a blessing it was! Knowing these kinds of films were possible on a limited scale and with the help of a church family. Not only that, but the Director and Co-Writer Alex Kendrick and his brother Co-Writer Stephen Kendrick, who created both of those films, not only work fulltime at Sherwood Baptist Church (the church that created the films) on staff, but have families to boot. It showed Kyle that is could be done! With God nothing is impossible! So in May 2006 off they both started Praise Pictures Inc. a company dedicated to winning the lost for Christ through film. Also in May, Kevin and Kyle began creating the script and planning out what would eventually become their first film, STANDING FIRM. Since the age he was 12, God has deliberately brought all these pieces together for this one film.
This film is something birthed of God, and its creation and completion will be created with the utmost integrity and dedication. Through the pitfalls and the struggles, we will be victorious.
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." - (1 John 5:14-15)
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - (Philippians 4:6-7)
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Kevin Michael
Co-Writer / Producer
Standing Firm is the first feature film Produced by Kevin Michael.
Kevin serves as chairman of the elders at Niagara Frontier Bible Church. He has attended NFBC for 15 years. He oversees the Children’s Church and Men’s Ministry at NFBC.
Kevin currently resides in Lewiston, New York with his wife Kelly and three beautiful girls that God has blessed him with. He is a Special Education teacher for the Niagara Falls School District. His current assignment is working with kids who enter Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center for Psychiatric treatment. He provides the State mandated hours of education. He services children from 4 years of age to 18.
Kevin has always from a child attended church. But it was the death of his father when he was 12 that he came to a fork in the road. He could curse God for taking his father or seek the answers to his questions as to where did his father go. His best friend invited him to a bible believing church. It was here that he heard the Gospel for the first time and presented to him on his level. He came to a place in his life that he repented and accepted Christ as his Savior. His questions were answered from the Bible.
Kevin got involved in his church and eventually went to Bible College to earn Bachelors in Biblical Literature. Kevin is ever thankful for God’s love and forgiveness of sin.
Kevin saw the movies Flywheel and Facing the Giants and thought “hey, we can do this!”. He saw Kyle Prohaska’s work he did with the youth at NFBC. He also saw the website and introduction of the Sermons series Kyle has produced. He approached him in April of 2006. That was how Praise Pictures Inc. was started.
Kevin’s favorite verses are James 5:16b-18 - "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops."
No matter what God decides to do with this movie, its His movie and He will do with it whatever He deems best.
Shaun Smith
Gaffer / Still Photographer / Sound
Shaun Smith is a local photographer from Buffalo, NY. He has been doing Still Photography for 30 years and was the perfect addition to the team.
From Day 1, Kyle and Shaun worked together to create the images the film would possess factoring in all things to create the greatest cinematic experience possible with the equipment available. Shaun also served as boom operator on the majority of the film and filled in other positions where needed. Overall the film was done on what everyone fondly called the "2-Man Crew," where almost all shooting days featured Shaun and Kyle on crew, and actors there to help with whatever they could when not on camera. It was a team effort and the results prove it.
Shaun also being a photographer became invaluable when it came to capturing stills that would be used for promotion and marketing material, quite of few of them being used for this website.
