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Hallmark Channel Christmas movies are some of the coziest things on TV. They're on constantly, they're predictable and easy to watch, and they're a charming way to spend time with family around the holidays. But it turns out they're also a big business, leading the network to big success in an era where everything's streamed on Netflix.
The Wall Street Journal talked to executives at Hallmark to figure out what goes into making the seemingly endless list of movies that air every holiday season. Here are six facts you might not have known about the heartwarming holiday movies.
They're running out of picturesque villages for movie shoots.
Hallmark movies often film in and around Vancouver, Canada, because of tax incentives. But it turns out there's a limit to how many adorable holiday villages exist in the area for film shoots. "Every movie wants that small, cute town and there's only so many small, cute towns within driving distance of the film zone," Jamie Lake, production manager for Front Street Pictures, told the newspaper.
They're usually filmed in the summer.
Those actors you see bundled up in puffy jackets and cute scarves? They're probably sweating like crazy. That's because they usually film Hallmark Christmas movies in the summer, and production crews use trucks full of ice and white drapes to make the sets look wintery.
They're made on the cheap.
Business Insider, which also dove into the world of Hallmark movies, reports that each movie costs about $2 million to make, which is the cost of one episode of some television shows. And movie shoots are fast, with some filming just a month before they hit television screens. Lacey Chabert, a frequent Hallmark star, compared the process to "boot camp." "It's intense — it's hard to make a movie in 15 days," she told the website. "They know what they are doing,"
Every movie has a Christmas "checklist."
Sure, the movies often have similar plots involving people who find love while, say, trying to save their family business in time for Christmas. But they also have to complete a holiday checklist, with scenes involving classic Christmas elements like wrapping presents, getting a Christmas tree, or baking cookies. That's why they often have that warm-and-fuzzy holiday feeling.
But no Hallmark movie can ever be about snow.
Despite snow being a key part of Christmas season in much of the country, snow is a no-no when it comes to being a central plot point. "Every year we get scripts with something like, 'It's the first year in the country's snowiest city that they had no snow,'" Michelle Vicary, an executive at Crown Media Family networks, told the Journal. "Nope. Not on Hallmark it's not." That might be because a snow budget for a Christmas movie could run about $50,000, according to Business Insider. Snow usually has to show up in the movie, but making it a central point might be too pricey.
They're already working on next year's Christmas movies.
The Hallmark team is figuring out which movies to make for next Christmas—and of course, that's not the only holiday for their channel. They're also working on Valentine's Day, summer, and fall movies.
