ACCESS EMMY-NOMINATED, HALLMARK TALENT & TOP TV CREATORS TO SHOOT A CLASSIC HOLIDAY SCENE
Just in time for the holiday season, Vancouver Film School presents a 3-day In-Production Bootcamp event for writers, actors, and directors to experience the industry production pipeline of a Christmas Hallmark movie.
RON OLIVER: Emmy-Nominated Director, Writer, Producer
Ron Oliver has created award-winning feature films and television for studios such as Warner Brothers, Fox, Universal, and Walt Disney Animation Studios. His Hallmark Hall of Fame Christmas movies are among the highest rated in the network's history, routinely landing on Variety's "Top 25" list, and his work on the feature Falling for Christmas helped make it the #1 movie around the world for Netflix. As Writer/Director on Nickelodeon’s iconic Are You Afraid of the Dark, he has been recognized for creating one of the "Top Ten Most Frightening TV Shows". He’s been nominated twice for the prestigious Director's Guild of America Award and is also a published author of award-winning short fiction.
ZAC HUG: Screenwriter, Playwright
Zac is an experienced TV writer and creative writing teacher. His credits include Drop Dead Diva, Shadowhunters, and numerous Hallmark films, including Road to Christmas, Matching Hearts, and Ghosts of Christmas Always. He’s produced plays for the New York Fringe Festival and teaches television writing at UCLA, DePaul, and UBC.
MICHELLE HARRISON: Actor, Executive Producer
Since attending Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York City, Michelle has appeared in over 100 movies and television shows, sharing the screen with talented A-list actors. Her recent projects include 9 seasons as Nora Allen on CW’s The Flash and the indie project Re:Uniting, for which she won a Leo Award for Best Actress. Michelle can currently be seen on stage as Doris in Miracle on 34th Street at The Arts Club this holiday season.
How It Works
Hallmark movies have fast become a holiday staple and a quintessential Christmas tradition, with approximately 40 new Hallmark holiday movies produced each season that attract 70+ million viewers during the Christmas season, alone. Vancouver is the primary shooting location for countless Hallmark classics (around 60 each year!), including Time to for Her to Come Home for Christmas, To All a Good Night, and Christmas on Cherry Lane, making VFS’s campus the perfect setting for this industry production experience.
Writer Zachary Hug, Actor Michelle Harrison, and an industry director will join us in studio for a once-in-a-lifetime production bootcamp, where you’ll be involved in the writing, acting, or assistant directing of a short scene. PLUS, Ron Oliver kicks off the event with an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on breaking into Vancouver’s entertainment industry and how he’s built his own successful career in film, television, and as an author.
Register for either the AMA only OR the full package including both the AMA and the Bootcamp.
VFS AMA (Ask Me Anything) EVENT:
ATTEND A TALK WITH WRITER/DIRECTOR RON OLIVER
Friday, November 29 | 6 – 8 p.m. PST | VFS Film Campus, 151 West Cordova Street
$20 (*Standalone cost for AMA only)
IN-PRODUCTION BOOTCAMP:
ACTING, WRITING, & DIRECTING WORKSHOPS
Saturday, November 30 | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. PST | VFS Film Campus, 151 West Cordova Street
PRODUCTION DAY - SHORT SCENE IS FILMED
Sunday, December 1 | 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. PST | VFS Film Campus, 151 West Cordova Street
$150 (*includes both AMA Event and Bootcamp)
*The In-Production Bootcamp registration is under the AMA Event Only registration below. Please scroll down to select.
AMA Event: Breaking into Vancouver’s Entertainment Industry (and Staying There!)
VFS is thrilled to be hosting Ron Oliver as the next guest in our AMA event series. Following in the footsteps of industry greats like Matthew Lillard, Kevin Smith, and recent guest Emmy-winning Director Michael Spiller, Ron takes the stage, alongside VFS’s Head of Acting/Co-Head of Film Production Omari Newton, to discuss how Hallmark’s trademark movies have become a dominant force, how these productions have created numerous jobs in Vancouver, and advice on how to build a long, successful career in Vancouver’s film and TV industry. As always, the audience will have a chance to ask questions.
In-Production Bootcamp
- Take part in a 2-hr ‘Writing Holiday Movies’ workshop with veteran Hallmark Writer Zac Hug for insight into how to write heartfelt, funny, and dynamic scenes & characters.
- Write your version of the final page of the scene.
- The top 6 scripts will be chosen, followed by table reads; a group vote will determine which script is shot.
- Take part in a 2-hr ‘Auditioning for Holiday Movies’ workshop with Head of Department Omari Newton for insight into the look, tone, & acting technique required to book roles.
- Audition for your chance to play the supporting role in the scene.
- All other actors get to be extras on shooting day.
- Take part in a 1-hr ‘Directing for Holiday Movies’ workshop with an industry director for insight into how to light, block, & direct actors.
- Craft and deliver a 20-second pitch for your chance to shadow the guest director during shooting day.
About Vancouver Film School
Located in one of the world’s largest creative hubs, Vancouver Film School (VFS) is Canada’s premier post-secondary entertainment arts institution, offering an immersive curriculum in Film, Animation, Game, and Creative Design. VFS’s production-based education is taught by industry professionals and delivered in accelerated time frames; students graduate in 1 year as in-demand creative professionals with powerful portfolios that will serve as their industry calling card.
In 2023, alumni were credited on 8 of the top 10 domestic grossing films, 7 of the 10 best-selling games, and 8 of the 10 most streamed shows, in a global entertainment industry valued at over US$2.3 trillion. VFS is recognized as a Leading Film School in North America (Variety), the #1 Game Design School in Canada (Princeton Review Journal) and the #1 Global Animation School (Animation Career Review), amongst other accolades.