How to Write the Perfect Holiday Movie
Think winter movies could use a little more wonderland? Write your own perfect film for the holiday season.
Up next in How to Have a Merry Christmas (18 videos)
Tis the season to be jolly -- and you'll have a very merry Christmas if you check out this holiday video series from Howcast.
You Will Need
- Hero
- Supporting cast
- Problem
- Seasonal and cultural references
- Faith-testing crisis
- Holiday miracle
- Character under 12 (optional)
Steps
-
Step 1
Flaw the hero
Create a hero who's too greedy or too jaded to appreciate the holiday season. Surround them with a supporting cast who embrace the peace and joy that comes with family gatherings and gift exchanges to further highlight your hero's flaws.
-
Include a character under 12 years old -- no one understands the holiday spirit like children.
-
Step 2
Make it seasonal
Sprinkle in seasonal and cultural references related to the holidays and a few lines that exemplify the holiday spirit to melt even the coldest viewer's heart.
-
Step 3
Set up the problem
Create a seemingly insurmountable problem that threatens to make your hero's holiday a living hell, particularly since they don't know the true meaning of the season.
-
Step 4
Change it up
Take your hero through a series of events that helps them see the error of their ways. Then, just as your hero is enjoying a spiritual awakening, introduce an incident that compounds the original problem and threatens your hero's newfound faith.
-
Use a journey through time or an alternate universe to give characters perspective on their behavior.
-
Step 5
Feel the love
Write a climax where the hero uses their new understanding to handle the crisis and make the holidays better for others -- it's a miracle! Then, film the movie, and wait for it to join the Yule log in a syndicated-television marathon.
-
In 2009, a man bid $4,200 to spend 2 nights sleeping in the house used to film A Christmas Story.
