A while back, VFS hosted a quick and simple bootcamp showing how to get into making Hallmark movies. They’re notorious for courses that are quick, as I’ve stated before, and this one is an interesting new one, especially seeing as there are more than 60 Hallmark movies shot in Canada per year. I figured since the Christmas season is still lingering around, maybe I and Omari can talk about what goes on at this bootcamp?
From November 29 to December 1st, participants learned how Hallmark movies were produced through the 5 stages of production. There were workshops for writers, actors, and directors and everyone got together to shoot a short scene at the end of it all. With all that happened, it sounded like a lot of fun. I talked to Omari before it all went on, and learned a lot about the course. Maybe I’ll attend next year. Maybe you’d be interested in checking it out too.
HNMAG: The three-day bootcamp sounds intensive. How did the idea come about?
Omari Newton: The idea came about, we did a comedy 3-day workshop with Emmy Award winning director Michael Spiller and it went really really well where we involved writers, actors, and directors who wanted to be trained and mentored in a project. That was the first of a series, we plan to do one on horror later on, maybe action, and this one is a Christmas focused one. Because there’s so many Christmas films that film in Vancouver.
HNMAG: And how did everyone part of this course get involved?
Omari Newton: We’re very fortunate that in Vancouver Film School the majority of our instructors are also working professionals. We have contracts in the industry, so for example, on Friday nights: Ron Oliver who’s known as the King of Christmas because of a number of Hallmark films he’s written and directed, he’ll be coming for a Q&A that I’ll be hosting. He cast me in a Christmas movie 3 years ago, and we went on to do another project together. I have that connection of course, and Ron is going to talk about Christmas movies, Michelle Harrison who is going to be on our panel talking about ACTING in Christmas projects. Wonderful actress, who’s also btw, the lead in a play I’m directing right now at the Arts Club Theatre, which is Miracle on 34th St. That was another personal connection I had, director Michael Nankin is very established, he has done lots of projects, part of Vancouver’s film community, and he is a friend of Michelle’s. Zak Hug is the Hallmark writer, he’s a graduate of our program and Kat Montague was one of his instructors. So sort of a family affair and industry connections.
HNMAG: There are industry talks, production discussion, and a workshop for actors. Do students get to choose what to do in the course and what is the process for applying?
Omari Newton: People can submit, they go to vfs.edu and sign, there’s a small fee. You can either take part as a participant, or can be an observer. Basically depending on what your interest is, you sign up for one of the different streams and you can either take part in the audition bootcamp which I’ll be hosting or learn how to act in these Christmas films, the style of performance required. There’s a writer’s workshop that Kat Montague and Zak Hug will be supervising. The wonderful director Michael Nankin will be there to guide and mentor directors for their final projects that we’re shooting on Sunday.
HNMAG: And do the students have to be a certain level or semester to take the course?
Omari Newton: No, this project although we might have students who might be interested, this is part of our goal of bringing industry into the school. We’ll be inviting the public in so people can submit at vfs.edu and people from the public can experience some on set work and be part of the workshop.
HNMAG: You said VFS host other bootcamps similar to this, will there be some other kinds you’d like to see coming up soon?
Omari Newton: Yeah, we’ve been in talks about doing a horror-related around the Halloween season next year. Nothing confirmed yet but that’s definitely something of interest. There’s a lot of genre films that film here, like sci-fi projects, down the road that one might be interesting as well.
HNMAG: There’s also a very minor AMA event. It’s short and simple. But does it cover a fair amount of info?
Omari Newton: Yeah, so the AMA will be with Michael Nankin, Michelle Harrison, and Zak Hug. I’ll be hosting it, and it’ll be really informative hearing from all sides of the industry different artists perspective from working on these films.
HNMAG: Workshops are for acting directing, and writing. What about crew work? Is there anything you offer for that?
Omari Newton: Because when you’re directing, you work with a film crew, we will have a crew that’s a mix of VFS staff and students who are serving as a crew for the director who comes in. The public will get an opportunity to see the different roles on set and how it works. Tess Small who’s a very busy assistant director, is also an instructor at our school, and runs a really tight set and also is going to show observers what it’s like to be on a professional film set. So they’ll get a sense of what it’s like to crew on a professional film set as well.
HNMAG: Will VFS look into having crew bootcamps in the future?
Omari Newton: That’s a really good idea, I kind of feel like a directing workshop is sort of by extension a crew related one because film is so collaborative but bootcamps for different crews is actually a good idea.
HNMAG: There are about 60 Hallmarks per year, but do you feel that more students are prepared, there could be lots more?
Omari Newton: The demand for Christmas related content seems to be quite strong, I know that other streamers like Netflix and Amazon are keen on the game as well and making their own but Hallmark still remains king. They’re incredibly profitable in these films, so I definitely see the demand for more growing, and the more prepared you are, the more opportunity you’ll have to work on it.
HNMAG: What are you most looking forward to in this workshop?
Omari Newton: Yeah, I love collaborating with other creatives, I also find one of the best ways of learning things is experiential so it’s always great if I’m coaching and acting on set, or if I’m writing or directing a project. It’s always great to hear from other creatives and see what their process is. Collaborate with them to get different ideas to get different approaches with work, and so what I look forward to is working with some wonderful artists with respect.
HNMAG: Do you have a favourite Hallmark movie shot here?
Omari Newton: Interesting, I guess I’d be biased but I was in Every Christmas Has a Story, directed by Ron Oliver and that’s when we became friends. It was a wonderful experience, so my favourite one is one I had the opportunity to be in.
HNMAG: And what kind of Christmas movie would you like to see made here that hasn’t been done yet?
Omari Newton: Well, it’s interesting now that I’m directing Miracle on 34th St, that’s one of my favourite Christmas movies, it’s really beautiful. It’s A Wonderful Life is so incredible, so is Home Alone. It would be really cool to see a classic iconic Christmas story being shot in Vancouver. I do love the Christmas holidays, it would be great to see something classic added to the Christmas canon that was shot in Vancouver.
I can’t wait to see what other kind of bootcamps they come up with, or for the next one of these to happen. Of course it’s almost a year since the next one, but during that wait, I’ll bet VFS comes up with all kinds of bootcamps to check out and attend. Maybe I’ll get an interview op for one of those, or maybe I’ll even attend one.