I am excited to share with you all today... My Exclusive Interview with Writer, Kevin Commins, who has written several Hallmark Movies... including Two – coming up this Christmas Season! Please See all the details in his interview with “It’s a Wonderful Movie” below! Enjoy....
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Interview with Kevin Commins,
Hallmark Channel Movie Writer:
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1: First of all, would you please share with us the titles of all the Hallmark Channel Movies you have written?
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| Christmas Song |
So far, I've written two dramas, Every Second Counts and You Lucky Dog. I've also done four Christmas movies for them: The Santa Suit, Christmas Magic, Christmas Song, and Come Dance with Me aka The Christmas Dance. And I'm hoping there will be many more to come. I've had a very happy and rewarding history with Hallmark. Their audience is very well defined so they know exactly what they want. It's easy to know what will or won't work for them, and write the script accordingly. It's also nice to have a "safe harbor," a place where I can tell my friends that they can can sit down with your kids and watch this movie together because there's nothing in it that they'll be embarrassed about.
2: Which one, of your own movies, would you consider to be your favorite? (If it is possible to choose!)
Arghh, I hate naming favorites. It implies that I don't like the others which isn't the case. I suppose for Christmas movies, I'd say The Santa Suit because it's the most comedic. In it, Kevin Sorbo plays an executive who believes that Christmas is nothing more than a marketing tool so he is cursed by the real Santa Claus so that he looks like Santa to everyone but the audience.
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Kevin Sorbo
The Santa Suit |
Since he now can't get into his office or home, he has to get a job as a department store Santa and, of course, learns the true meaning of Christmas there. It's a high concept comedy which let both me and the cast have a lot of fun with it. Feedback from viewers has been very positive, which is wonderful.
3: Do you ever watch your own movies on the Hallmark Channel?
I do when they air but rarely after that. I watch the various cuts -- rough, director's, producer's, final, etc. -- so that by the time it airs I've already seen it a number of times. But it's fun watching the premiere with friends.
4: Do you, perhaps, have a favorite Hallmark Channel Christmas Movie or Classic Christmas Movie, that you enjoy watching every year?
The two shows I most associate with Christmas are both cartoons: The Grinch who Stole Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Even just hearing a snatch of Vince Guaraldi's jazz score for that show instantly puts me in a Christmas mood.
5: What was Christmas like in the era you grew up?
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Norman Rockwell
Christmas Image |
It was very Norman Rockwell. I grew up in a small town in Vermont during the 60s and 70s, the oldest of eight kids. Preparations began in early December when my mother would start buying presents and hiding them. That was impossible in our house but luckily, we had a neighbor with room to spare so the gifts were usually stashed there. We painted cookies and made gift baskets of them for friends. We always got a big tree and put it in the picture window at the front of the house. Christmas morning, of course, meant running downstairs and swarming around the tree like hungry locusts and opening presents. Being Vermont, we almost always had a white Christmas and so there was sledding on the hill in back of our house which we did while Christmas dinner was cooking. Oh, and Perry Como and Bing Crosby on the stereo singing carols. It was a lot of fun.
6: Where do you find inspiration for your stories/characters?
As a writer, I'm very plot-driven. I first work on the "hook" or the "twist" that will bring a surprise or twist to the third act. Once I get that, I figure out the basic problem that my characters will have to solve and then build the plot around that. Finally I create the characters to fit the plot. I know it sounds mechanical but it's sort of like learning how to ballroom dance: after both partners learn the mechanics of how the dance works, they can forget about it and have fun.
7: Has there ever been an actor or actress, that was cast as one of your characters – that you thought was a perfect fit? (You may choose more than one!)
I've been very happy with the actors that have been in my films but, honestly, I don't picture anybody in particular when I write. I'm horrible at casting; say the word and I forget every actor I've ever seen. Thank God there are professionals who cast for a living.
8: Are you ever on set when your movie comes to life - off the written page?
Yes, I've visited the set on several movies. It's a very strange sensation, sort of like having a dream come true. But by that, I don't mean "oh, it was wonderful, a dream come true..." Instead, it's suddenly seeing and hearing people say things that, until then, I have only heard inside my head. It's a little disconcerting...
9: Have you ever been, or would you ever like to be, an extra in one of your movies, much like Alfred Hitchcock used to be in his films?
It never occurred to me to do that. No, not really. Being an extra -- or a film actor, for that matter -- means a lot of sitting and standing around until it's time for the camera to roll. I'd rather be doing something else.
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| Come Dance with Me |
10: What do you hope that viewers will take away from watching your movies?
I'd like to think they give families a chance to sit down, take a deep breath and forget about everything they HAVE to do to prepare for the holidays, and just be together sharing a happy moment. When I was a kid, Christmas was really about presents and what toys were waiting for me under the tree. Now that I'm an adult (well, sometimes) I don't remember the toys anymore but I do remember the enjoyment of being with my family. There are a lot of distractions in modern life. It seems like everything and everybody is shouting at you, trying to grab your attention, and diverting you from what is real and valuable in life, which really is the people around you. I'd love it if my movies gave audiences a chance to share a few laughs and maybe even a few tears together.
Do you, perhaps, have a web-site, twitter, or facebook account where fans can follow you?
I'm on the
Internet Movie Database, imdb.com, but other than that, no.
Thank You so much, Kevin, for sharing your Movie Experiences with us and taking the time to answer these Questions. Many of us – have already thoroughly enjoyed watching your movies – so we wish to say "Thank You" to You and we look forward to your New ones, too!
Also, I liked your choices for favorite Christmas Specials – the animations of The Grinch who Stole Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas! Both are Terrific Classics! Another answer I enjoyed of yours – was your response to your Childhood Christmas, as you said, “It was very Norman Rockwell”. That is so beautiful. I, too, am blessed to say mine felt much the same.
I sincerely hope you all enjoyed reading Kevin's responses and will also enjoy his new Hallmark Channel Christmas Movies – “Christmas Song” and “Come Dance with Me” - this Christmas and many Christmas Seasons to come! As Kevin wrote above... "I'd like to think they give families a chance to sit down, take a deep breath and forget about everything they HAVE to do to prepare for the holidays, and just be together sharing a happy moment."
I hope you all enjoy sharing “The Moment” of your next Family Movie Night, Net
*See the “
Christmas Song” and “
Come Dance with Me” pages for more Movie Details!
*See the
Christmas TV Schedule to see when these Movies will air on TV!
*Share your thoughts on this Interview by clicking below on Comments or Post a Comment.
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*Pictures via Hallmark Crown Media Family Network.
