Hallmarking Together - Two Years Later

It’s been two. years since the filming of Hallmark’s adaptation of Christmas Class Reunion, and we still get questions. Usually the first is, how did you get a movie deal? That’s followed by, “What was it like?” And since we've picked up a lot of new followers since 2022, it seems as good a time as any to circle back.

Ready? Okay, here we go!
 
How did you get a movie deal?
 
It's complicated! Paul wrote the original version of Christmas Class Reunion, and it might be the most unlikely story ever to become a Hallmark movie. You’re familiar with the formula they use. Young happy couples living clean idyllic lives. No drugs. No sex outside of marriage. And there’s always a happy ending. In the writing business, those are called tropes. And if authors go against them, readers get mad. Consider the movie, Pretty Woman. It’s one of Robin’s favorites. How much different would Pretty Woman be if Edward hadn’t returned for Vivian? Without that final scene, it’s not a love story at all. Romance readers expect the same. Couples meet and fall in love. Something drives them apart, yet they persevere. And in the end, they live happily ever after. Sound familiar?
 
But Paul doesn’t read romance novels, except ours. He did go to his fortieth class reunion, though, and while there, he sensed a story needing to be written. He started that very week. The original CCR was released in 2018 to mostly positive reviews, but there were a few unhappy readers. Amazon marketed Christmas Class as a romance. Romance readers expect happy endings, and the end of CCR wasn’t particularly happy. In fact, it was gut-wrenchingly sad. We still laugh at a one-star review a reader left on Amazon: I expected a Christmas romance and what I got was a one-night stand.
 
Fast forward to 2021. We decided to collaborate on some stories that eventually became Robin Paul Romance. Part of the plan was to update CCR, but before we got started, Paul received a Facebook message. A producer with a Los Angeles film company wanted to discuss pitching CCR to Hallmark.
 
Paul thought it was a scam and blew it off. Robin, ever the optimist, dug deeper. It turned out to be legit. The first conversation went well, though there were no promises. Getting any book made into a movie is a long shot. Especially one like Christmas Class. Changes would be needed. Big changes. Remember, Paul never intended it to be a Hallmark romance. Robin wasn’t surprised. She's a huge Hallmark fan. She knows what they like.
 
Months passed with no word. We were well into our update of CCR when we received the call that changed everything. Hallmark wanted to option our story! Scriptwriting commenced in the spring of 2022. Filming was scheduled for September. Robin still remembers when the completed script arrived. She read it and fell in love. While much of the original story was changed in the screenplay, the feel and emotion were maintained. 
 
So, what was it like?
 
A whirlwind! The movie was filmed in Langley, British Columbia. We were invited for the month-long shoot, but chose to stay for a week. We learned how much hard work goes into filmmaking, and how arduous it can be. If you’ve seen the film, you might recall a scene during prom where the high school principal catches two students getting cozy in a dark corner. That forty-five second scene took hours to film. The crew showed up early and worked late into the evening. The director did a masterful job of keeping things moving, even with a gym full of extras from the local high school.
 
Other Questions We Receive . . .
 
Favorite memories of your week on set?
Robin: How kind everyone was. And how we were treated like royalty. There were even chairs with our names on them!
Paul: The behind-the-scenes stuff, and how many people it takes to make a movie. I also liked that there were food trucks with all the free food you could eat.
 
What was Aimee Teegarden like? 
Robin: Wonderful! Very kind and down-to-earth. She hugged me when we met. I love huggers!
 
Will any of your other books be adapted to movies?
Gosh, we hope so! There have been discussions, but you never know what project might stir some interest.
 
Did you get paid?
Are you kidding? We paid them… okay, just kidding! Yes, we got paid.
 
Any desire to be in a movie?
Robin: Yes!
Paul: No, but I think I would like to try writing a screenplay.

Did you attend a big premier party?
Our friends, Chris and Glenda, hosted the best premier party of all time! There was delicious food, two big-screen TVs, and even a red carpet! Some of you might have caught the Facebook Live event Robin did that evening. It was spectacular! That's Chris and Glenda with their rescue greyhound, Linus.
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Fun Facts About Christmas Class Reunion

• Pure Leaf Tea was a sponsor, and their product was prominently displayed during the reunion. Look for it next time you watch.
• 2.62 million viewers tuned in for the December 10 debut, making it the day's most-watched cable show.
• Filming for the prom and reunion scenes took place at Brookswood High School in Langley, BC. The school is used frequently, so staff and students are used to it. Brookswood students were used as extras.
• Co-star Tanner Novlan is famous as the “struggling actor” in Liberty Mutual (Liberty-Bibberty) commercials and as Dr. John Finnegan on the CBS soap The Bold and the Beautiful.
• Executive Producer Karen Glass is, like Paul, a Maryland native. Her brother, Ira Glass, is the host and creator of NPR’s “This American Life,” one of Paul’s favorite radio programs.
• Filming of dance scenes begins with music playing. Once the actors and extras find their rhythm, the music stops so they can speak their lines. They're actually dancing without music. It's put back in during post-production.
• There are strict schedules for how long the crew can work, and when they are given breaks. Ignoring those can result in fines.
• CCR was the last Hallmark movie filmed for 2022 release. It made it from the editing room to the screen with just days to spare.

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