Harold David Cronk (born October 27, 1973) is an American writer, director and producer best known for his work in
Christian films, and for being a founding partner in
10 West Studios and EMC Productions. Cronk won the Best Director award at the
Beverly Hills International Film Festival in 2006. He is husband to Amy Cronk.
Early life
Born in
Reed City, Michigan
Reed City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,490 at the 2020 census. It is located in southwestern Osceola County and is the county seat.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total a ...
, Cronk went to school in the
Baldwin
Baldwin may refer to:
People
* Baldwin (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname
Places Canada
* Baldwin, York Regional Municipality, Ontario
* Baldwin, Ontario, in Sudbury District
* Baldwin's Mills, ...
School District until about sixth grade. He then attended school in
Scottville, Michigan, where he was active in the Theatre department, and graduated from Mason County Central High School in 1993.
Cronk graduated from
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University (CMU) is a Public university, public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1892 as a private normal school and became a state institution in 1895. CMU is one of the eigh ...
in 1998, with a Bachelor of Science in Art and K-12 Education.
Career
Cronk taught high school Art courses and was voted Teacher of the Year, for two of his four years at
Evart High School.
[ When the Reed City elementary school hired another art teacher in 1998, Cronk made a point of introducing himself to the new-hire, Matthew Tailford. The two teachers found that they had a lot in common, both had participated in college athletics, both had studied sculpture and both had acting experience in school.][
In 2000, Tailford landed a job as the art director on a television pilot, ''Dear Doughboy''. Cronk and Tailford traveled to Los Angeles to work for the show.][ The experience in Los Angeles motivated the pair to try their hand at producing Cronk's screenplays ''South Manitou'' and ''The Agent''. Using their own funds, Cronk and Tailford completed the ''South Manitou'' and ''The Agent'' projects and considered the life-experience as equivalent to ]film school
A film school is an educational institution dedicated to teaching aspects of filmmaking, including such subjects as film production, film theory, digital media production, and screenwriting. Film history courses and hands-on technical training are ...
coursework.[ Upon completion, a film screening was set up by Compass College of Cinematic Arts with producer Ralph Winter in attendance. Winter enjoyed the film(s) and encouraged Cronk and Tailford to continue with film-making, buoyed by the reception of the work, Cronk moved to Los Angeles in the summer of 2004.][ Within months of the relocation to Los Angeles, Cronk and Tailford found themselves on location in Ireland, working on the '' Secret of the Cave'' (2006), starring Kevin Novotny and ]Patrick Bergin
Patrick Connolly Bergin (born 4 February 1951) is an Irish actor and singer. In 1991, he starred opposite Julia Roberts in '' Sleeping with the Enemy'' and played the title character in ''Robin Hood''. His other roles include terrorist Kevin O' ...
, with Cronk as Production Designer
In film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Work ...
and Tailford as Art Director
Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games.
It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...
. Other assignments followed, direction of a Magic Johnson Foundation, Lincoln Navigator
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincoln (n ...
commercial starring Earvin "Magic" Johnson[ and Cronk directed, Eve Ensler's, '']The Vagina Monologues
''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run at the Westside Theatre. The play explores ...
'', Vday West (2006) at the Ivy Substation during this time period.[
Cronk and Tailford also had greater ambitions to develop their own screenplays, Cronk found that he enjoyed directing and Tailford was interested in producing and acting. With some industry experience behind them, they returned to Michigan to create a ten-minute short, ''War Prayer'', based upon Mark Twain's short story, "]The War Prayer
"The War Prayer", a short story or prose poem by Mark Twain, is a scathing indictment of war, and particularly of blind patriotic and religious fervor as motivations for war. The structure of the work is simple: an unnamed country goes to war, an ...
", a controversial war-story that was embargoed by ''Harper's Bazaar
''Harper's Bazaar'' (stylized as ''Harper's BAZAAR'') is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. Bazaar has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled ''Harper's Bazar''."Corporat ...
'', until six years after Twain's death.[ A wind-damaged stand of pine trees near Evart, Michigan served as the set and battlefield props were fashioned from junkyard remnants.][ After receiving several rejection notices from various film festivals, the ''War Prayer'' was accepted by the Beverly Hills International Film Festival, the festival's Best Director Award for 2006, going to Harold Cronk, came as "... a total shock."]
10 West Studios
Cronk is currently the CEO of 10 West Studios. His win for Best Director at the Beverly Hills Film Festival
The Beverly Hills Film Festival (BHFF) is a film festival in the United States founded in 2001 by independent filmmaker Nino Simone. The festival is an international competition dedicated to "showcasing the art and talent of emerging filmmakers ...
resulted in a three-picture deal with Origin Entertainment for the studio.[ Cronk had already spent a year and a half on his screenplay, set in West Michigan, '' Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Conspiracy'', a children's comedy adventure film.][
]
Filmography
Cronk directed ''God's Not Dead God's Not Dead may refer to:
* ''God's Not Dead'' (album), a 2011 album by the Newsboys
** '' Newsboys Live in Concert: God's Not Dead'', a 2012 live album by the Newsboys
* " God's Not Dead (Like a Lion)", a song by the Newsboys
*'' God's Not Dead ...
'', starring Kevin Sorbo
Kevin David Sorbo (born September 24, 1958) is an American actor. He has had starring roles in two television series: as Hercules in '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' (1995–1999) and as Captain Dylan Hunt in '' Andromeda'' (2000–2005). ...
, David A. R. White and Willie Robertson
Willie Jess Robertson (born April 22, 1972) is an American TV personality, businessman, author and news contributor. He is best known for his appearances on the reality TV series ''Duck Dynasty'' on A&E (TV channel), A&E, and is the current CEO ...
. The film was Cronk's first significant box office opening, with a gross of $2.8 million on Friday (March 21, 2014), and $8.5 million for the weekend, in a limited 780 theater release.
, -
, 2006
, ''War Prayer''
, Best Director, Beverly Hills Film Festival
The Beverly Hills Film Festival (BHFF) is a film festival in the United States founded in 2001 by independent filmmaker Nino Simone. The festival is an international competition dedicated to "showcasing the art and talent of emerging filmmakers ...
[
,
]
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cronk, Harold
1973 births
Living people
Film directors from Michigan
Central Michigan University alumni
People from Reed City, Michigan
Film producers from Michigan
Children's and Family Emmy Award winners