Summary
Learn from an executive and producer with over 25 years of experience behind holiday and rom-com films such as A LOUD HOUSE CHRISTMAS, LOVE AT FIRST BARK, LOVE UNDER THE STARS, and more.
Holiday-themed romantic comedies have become a year-round staple for television viewers. It goes beyond Christmas. There’s a holiday event every month and a “rom-com” on countless networks and platforms to celebrate it.
So are you ready to write or produce your feel-good holiday-themed rom-com for audiences worldwide?
In this exclusive Stage 32 on-demand webinar, you’ll learn how to write, develop, and produce a holiday rom-com. These films aren’t the same as straight Christmas movies or other romantic comedies. The holiday rom-com is its own genre, and you’ll find out the rules and norms that audiences require and how to break those rules effectively.
You won’t just learn how to write these stories but also who the buyers are how and how to produce them. You will cover the budget ranges, how to generate the budget, how to monetize your film, and what you need to sell your film.
It’s no longer just Hallmark telling these audience-favorite stories. Now, they’re being shown on networks and streaming platforms across the spectrum, giving you more opportunities than ever to get your project made.
Your teacher is Matt Bierman, a studio executive and producer with over 25 years of experience. Matt has previously worked as an executive at Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount, Warner Bros., Village Roadshow, and more. He has also developed and produced movies for Hallmark and Nickelodeon.
Matt has vast experience making low-budget holiday films and romantic comedies, including A LOUD HOUSE CHRISTMAS, CHRISTMAS WITH THE DARLINGS, LOVE AT FIRST BARK, LOVE UNDER THE STARS, and more.
You’ll learn all about this hugely popular genre as Matt shares his vast knowledge and experience with you so you can discover how to jump into this in-demand genre by writing and producing your own movie today.
Praise for Matt's Talent & Knowledge:
“Matt Bierman is one of the best movie execs and producers that I have worked with” – Brian Levant, director of Jingle All The Way, A Christmas Story 2
"This lab was one of the best educational experiences I have ever experienced. I feel so confident in my work after getting guidance from Matt. Thank you, Stage 32!" -- Rebecca M.
"Matt Bierman knows his stuff! I highly recommend taking any course he is teaching." -- Marcus E.
What You'll Learn
KEY ELEMENTS OF A HOLIDAY ROM-COM
- What is a holiday rom-com
- The Audience
- What is the audience looking for from these movies? the key takeaway
- The key elements of this genre
- The basic structure of all holiday rom-coms
- Rules to follow for a successful holiday rom-com
- Christmas themes dominate. Why?
- The ingredients for success
WHO ARE THE BUYERS OF THESE MOVIES?
- Who is looking for holiday rom-coms
- What are they looking for
- Are they buying scripts or from pitches?
- How important is the package or IP?
- Are there international audiences and buyers for these movies?
THE ECONOMICS OF THE HOLIDAY ROM-COM
- The typical budget range
- Tips on writing to this budget
- Understanding both expensive and affordable script elements
- The timing of shooting your movie
- Oh, Canada! Why are so many of these movies shot in Canada?
- The advantages and disadvantages of shooting in Canada
CHRISTMAS IS THE BIG DOG BUT….
- The ‘Other Holidays’ and their need for rom-coms
- Understanding the romcom seasons
- The economic advantages to other holidays
CAN I MAKE A LIVING SPECIALIZING IN THESE MOVIES
- Success stories
- Specializing in a specific genre
Q&A with Matt
*While you will not be able to ask Matt a question in this previously recorded on-demand webinar, we highly encourage you to watch the Q&A session to learn more from Matt as he answers questions from other students.
Who Should Attend
All levels of directors (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn how to write, develop, and produce a holiday rom-com.
All levels of writers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn how to write, develop, and produce a holiday rom-com.
Producers looking to learn how to write, develop, and produce a holiday rom-com.
Actors looking to learn how to write, develop, and produce a holiday rom-com.
Executive
Matt Bierman has been a studio executive and producer for over 25 years. He started in the feature film business working as an executive for Jon Peters. He has worked directly as an executive at Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount, Warner Brothers, and DC Comics. Additionally, he has been an executive at Village Roadshow Pictures and Mike Medavoy’s Phoenix Pictures (SONY). He has also developed and produced movies for Hallmark and Nickelodeon.
He produced the holiday films A LOUD HOUSE CHRISTMAS, CHRISTMAS WITH THE DARLINGS, and MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS, and the romcom LOVE AT FIRST BARK and LOVE UNDER THE STARS, among others.
He has expertise in low-budget mainstream films as he ran the creative at Paramount DVD Premiere and Warner Premiere, those two respective studios' lower-budget made-for-DVD divisions. He has overseen and supervised several dozen movies in the $3-8 million range including BROKEN BRIDGES, SAVE THE LAST DANCE 2, ANOTHER CINDERELLA STORY, SCOOBY DOO! THE MYSTERY BEGINS, LOST BOYS: THE TRIBE, FREE WILLY PIRATES COVE ADVENTURE, SOPHIA GRACE AND ROSIE’S ROYAL ADVENTURE, CINDERELLA STORY IF THE SHOE FITS, MAX 2 and over two dozen others. In addition, he was involved in the creation of the DC UNIVERSE series of animated films and helped put together a WB Anime business for the Japanese market.
In his capacity as an executive, he developed and oversaw such theatrical movies as: ROSEWOOD, MYSTERY ALASKA, MY FAVORITE MARTIAN, TAKING LIVES, SAVING SILVERMAN, and HOLES to name a few.
He also co-wrote and produced a comedy about poker called THE GRAND, directed by Zak Penn.
Most recently, he ran the tv department at DC Comics, overseeing the pilots for SANDMAN and DMZ among others.
Credits
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