Posts Tagged NFBC
Beyond Blessed
Tonight was the screening at Niagara Frontier Bible Church (my old home church, the one I grew up in). I had a headache all day and wasn’t really looking forward to later if the headache continued. It drifted in and out, but stuck with me all day. I think today is the day this week finally caught up with me and hit me hard. Every morning I’ve gotten just under the amount of sleep I needed so I’ve gotten progressively worse every day that continues. Tonight will be the night to sleep until I feel like getting out of bed, because my body doesn’t need it anywhere near as much as my mind does. After dinner I quickly got dressed and headed to the church early to make sure things were setup right and pray with some folks. Rob, Kevin, my mom, Shawn and a few others were there. We prayed for the night and weeped quite a bit. Rob was giving the Gospel after the film and we prayed over him as well, that he would speak the words the Lord would have for him.
After we were done praying the hallway was already full of some people waiting to get in. I paced around a lot, not sure how to feel. I wasn’t really nervous I just wanted to get it started. The only thing I was nervous about was going up before the film and publicly thanking certain people for working on the film. Before you knew it, the place was pretty full, maybe 200-250 there or so. That’s a lot for our little church! Kevin got up there and welcomed everyone, and then I went up and thanked everyone for coming and pointed out Rob, Shawn, and a few others. I felt terrible though because I was forgetting people and slowly got around to thanking them, but then at the end I forgot Kevin. If you’re reading this Kevin sorry!! My head was going crazy and I had my unsaved family up front staring right at me the whole time, I was freaking out a little. I had a lot of other things I had planned to say but just wimped out and started the film, LOL.
I’m surprised I sat through the whole thing. I had expected myself to get up and leave a time or two during a lot of the parts in the film I can’t stand, but I stuck around. I can’t believe how well the film played there. I had yet to see it with an audience before, and it was a home run I think. Like three minutes into the film I heard the sniffles starting all around the room. Grown men were crying, even the guy friends of mine who’re my age. It seemed like everyone was crying at some point during the film. When funny scenes came along the laughs were very loud, much better than I expected. As I watched the film I studied every single frame wincing at every mistake, every line I wasn’t happy with, every shot that was poorly filmed or blown out. Some of the color-correction could’ve been done better, and some of the sound-mix I found some things I didn’t catch, and some music things I wish I knew about. There was a ton going through my mind. I hadn’t seen my film in a month and a half, so it was interesting getting a pretty fresh viewing of it. I’m shocked that it even works, I really am. That film is a miracle for more reasons than one. I really think that calling this film my “Flywheel” wouldn’t be an understatement at all. So much that shouldn’t work…works. The budget definitely shows it’s ugly head at times, but even regarding that the film looks more expensive than it is so I praise God for that. Overall I was absolutely thrilled with how the film was being received, and when the credits began to roll I felt like my heart was going to explode because I was waiting for the moment when people would start clapping. When they started, they didn’t stop for quite a while, lol. It was awesome!
Afterwards there were a ton of handshakes and hugs, everyone seemed very pleased and blown away by the film. I’m so incredibly thankful for all that everyone did to help bring the film together, it was a team effort. The fact that the film played that well there makes the results I read about the Costa Mesa screening even easier to believe. That’s an encouraging thought. The more positive reviews and comments come in, the less worried I am about the film being enjoyed. I think I would be comfortable showing the film to almost anyone now, and not worry too much about their response.
Some people went forward after Rob spoke, although I didn’t get to confirm if there were any souls saved that night, just a few folks that I knew of that had some junk to work through. Either way I found out that my grandparents were moved and cried which threw me for a loop. To hear that was very surprising and I’m thrilled to see what kind of doors this could open to witness to them.
Tonight was a great time of closure for this project, especially concerning my church family and those involved. Since I’ve moved on from NFBC and God is moving me to new things and has moved me to a new home church, it was a great way to end out my history with NFBC and begin anew. God is good, and he showed up in a big way tonight. He gets the Glory! Thank you Jesus.
Am I Ready?
I’m not sure if I’m ready for this. I went on a men’s retreat for my new home church The Chapel this past weekend. It was a great time! Played some sports, heard some speakers, and soaked in the beautiful scenery out in the woods of NYS. All of it was going great, except I couldn’t help but check my phone a lot. Friday night there was a screening of Standing Firm at the Calvary Church of Costa Mesa in California. I had a friend go and report to me how it went, what the response was, etc. I’ve never personally seen my own film with a large group of people, so naturally I was nervous even though the screening was 3hrs behind me and 3000 miles away. I didn’t hear anything the whole night until I went to bed. My phone vibrated and I checked the text. There wasn’t much in it since texting is hard sending large amounts of information. But what it did say is that “three people came to Christ.” At that moment my head hit the pillow. That one text made the last three and a half years worth it. Every hour spent up late had been worth it. Every single difficulty and tear shed in creating the film had now been shed with purpose. I don’t mean to say that creating the film because God told me to wasn’t enough, but to see an eternal result and know that it had impacted someone FOREVER was a sobering and humbling thought. I was very quiet Saturday, because I just needed to soak in it for a while and praise the Lord in my head/heart.
Here’s what another had to say who was at the screening:
“It was a great film! Great story, acting, direction, editing, etc. and my church absolutely LOVED it! Best of all, I could hear people afterwards praying along with our pastor to receive Christ. A couple a few feet away turned to me and said, “We need more movies like that!” Teens actuallly started CHEERING excitedly at the end of the film last nite b/c of the power of its message! That’s rare in So California. Keep up the great work, Kyle!”
I can’t really articulate what this week has been like for me. The film has been selling very well from what I can tell, with every online retailer undershooting how much of STANDING FIRM to have on stock. Everyone sold out, it was insane. The film continues to stay at #1 on ChristianCinema.com. There are few films I’ve seen do that for that long, and they were big movies. Since the stock was out everywhere else I sent everyone to ChristianMovies.com since they are the only ones who had it, and it shot to #1 there in just 24 hours. All my Twitter accounts have exploded in the last week as well. The movies Twitter has grown past 12,000 Followers, and my personal nearing 8000. The other accounts I have for other things have gone up an insane amount as well, in the hundreds and hundreds a day across the board. I’m so incredibly Blessed right now, there isn’t really any other way to put it. God is pouring out something special here, and I’m so undeserving of it. I’m so unholy, and so wicked. Why me Lord? Why do I get to enjoy this? Even if I was faithful with everything 100% of the time in creating the film (which I wasn’t), I STILL don’t deserve what I’ve been given or might be given in the future. This whole “deserve” and “self-respect” business is over with for me. Apart from Christ I can do NOTHING. I have nowhere to point but above for the results taking place right now, it’s all Him…it always was.
Tomorrow the film is being screened at my old home church of Niagara Frontier Bible Church where I grew up my entire life. That’s the church that provided almost every actor and crew member we had, and they’ve waited patiently to see the film. The buzz is very high and everyone is excited. I’ll have unsaved family there, and others are likely to have the same. I hope I don’t vomit beforehand, because I might want to. You can bet on me being in the back biting my nails the entire time, because I’m going to be a basket case the entire time. I have a confidence folks will enjoy it, I’m just not sure I’m emotionally prepared for it all. I hope someone gets saved tomorrow, I would melt. On a worldly note…as an artist I always wanted to hear if only once in my life the claps of a crowd for something I slaved over. It’s something I’ve dreamed about as a kid, and while I didn’t make this film for that reason, I have a feeling everyone will go bonkers after the credits roll tomorrow. I’m not sure I’m ready for that. Three and a half years wasn’t enough. There’s a big question mark in my life right now because I’ve basically completed my life’s dream except for getting married and having children. Where do I go now? I know I need to go forward, but it’s still an incredible thought to know that at 22 this is happening. Again, why me? God doesn’t have to Bless, but HE DOES. What a God we serve!
Don’t you dare ever think that because you’re young that you can’t make a difference for the Kingdom. Don’t think because you’re older that you can’t make a difference in the name of Christ. Don’t listen to it, it’s all rubbish! Today is the day to begin a good work in His name! Are you going to wait until you’re out of high school before you make a difference for Christ? College? When your kids are out of College and out of the house? Today I’m 22, tomorrow I will be 44, the next day I’m 90. Life is fleeting! Blink and it’s gone! I don’t mean you gotta go out and make a film to impact folks either. Impact them with YOU. Don’t be the “tomorrow” guy. What assurance do you have that tomorrow will ever arrive or you with it?
Please pray for tomorrow. I have unsaved family coming, and I’m terribly nervous, excited, scared, queazy, and everything in-between.
Christ is King, it’s his film, and it’s for His Glory. May He make much of it tomorrow, and the next day and the next day. I look forward to the future, without a clue what I’m doing or where I’m going, but I suppose that’s why it’s called faith?
Blessings – Kyle Prohaska
2 Days To Go
Only two days before my first feature hits shelves, wow. This upcoming week is going to be pretty busy, not even with a ton of events, just mentally busy. I have 4 radio interviews to do, packages to ship out, some online interviews to approve, and I’m ending out the week on Friday/Saturday at a men’s retreat for men at my church where I’ll not only get to bond with a bunch of folks I don’t know (not my strong point), but also plug the film there for those attending (reason for that coming after a while). So yea it’s going to be pretty interesting to see how I handle the week. Also not today but next sunday we’ll be showing the film at my old home church. Lots of folks there are waiting to see it, and it’s going to be a pretty difficult night for me. I’ve been stewing over what I should say while I’m there. I know what I should say really, but it’s how to say it and being able to keep my composure. It’s a bigger night for me than it is for some others. I can’t wait to thank everyone publicly for their help, prayers, etc. Also I’ll be biting my nails as that screening will be more personal and critical than the others since people who are there were in it. My unsaved family will be there as well (the local ones) which makes me doubly nervous to show the film let alone get up there and say something about it before and possibly after showing it. Rob (lead role of Dave Corwin) will be sharing the Gospel as well after the film. Please, PLEASE be in prayer about the impact this film could have and that God would move mightily in Rob that night.
Also pray for just the ability to get through this week with my mind intact. There is much to keep going at one time, and sometimes I get behind. I’m looking forward to my online interview at ChristianCinema.com being released soon, that’s been a long time coming. Also the film hit #2 at the site today, right behind Letters To God. I find that to be pretty incredible! God is good. There is this other interview for a small blog I did just a day ago. It was only 5 questions, but I absolutely poured my heart and soul into this thing. I’m looking forward to sharing that. While it’s bound to shock a few, I think it’s a good outlet for me to express what I really think of this Christian filmmaking industry, where I see it going, and what I think about that. I think it could be one of the best “articles” I guess you could say that I’ve ever written, and it’s a compilation of what I think about what I’ve seen these past few years having gotten involved with this industry, met many in it, read what they have to say and spoken to some on the phone, read forum posts by those who are either in this industry or plan to enter it, and much more. There is much to say and I didn’t really spare anything. It might shock a few, and possibly even cause some division for those who support me. Do I have your attention now lol? We’ll see what happens.
As this month comes to a close I’m also only weeks away from moving into a new place. You know what’s funny? The thing that’ll probably be the most difficult in this process is changing ALL my address stuff to my new address. I have the PoBox for Praise Pictures everywhere, and I’m likely going to feel the repercussions of that for a long time. When I move I’ll need to go setup a PoBox for me personally, and for the business and keep them separate. Luckily the Post Office is around the corner from where I’ll be living, so that’s good! Lots of change coming as you can see, and I look forward to it.
Some have already begun reviewing the film on various websites because sites have started shipping the film already. If you’ve seen the film, I would appreciate you reviewing it. ChristianCinema.com requires you have an account to review it, but ChristianBook.com, and Parable.com don’t. I’ve gotten the film onto Amazon.com finally, and no reviews are present yet. No Spoilers please! 
I hope you’ll take a few moments out of your day to submit your reviews to those locations.
Counting down the hours…g’night!
