Writing Christmas Films & Navigating the Holidays: The ULTIMATE Guide

When writing Christmas films there’s multiple sub-genres and elements to consider to make it the perfect holiday watch. It’s no secret that there are a range of elements to cover when trying to make a classic Christmas film. But where do you start? And how do you make sure you’re following the right beats whilst writing something fresh? We take a look…

What is a Christmas Film?

Christmas films can come via many different genres. But one thing all Christmas films have in common is that the festive time is established straight away. The themes are not subtle. Whether Christmas is in the forefront or the background of the story, the film reminds the audience of the holiday season upfront.

When writing Christmas films it’s helpful to think of two forms of theme – abstract themes and concrete themes.

Abstract themes are, for example, feelings of selflessness and endearment.

• These feelings can change depending on the genre.
• For example, romantic Christmas films evoke feelings of warmth and generosity. Whereas horror Christmas films induce terror and fear.
• But both are considered to be in the Christmas film universe.

In comparison, concrete themes are physical changes.

• These can include a physical transformation and a character arc where the protagonist undergoes a substantial journey.

Christmas films often contain themes of tragedy and profundity too. For example, The Family Stone (2005) is a romantic comedy and Christmas classic. Yet the poignant ending showcases that although the holiday season is a magical time it can still be grounded in reality.

In contrast to this, some Christmas films have such a heavy focus on this magical element that the real world never shines through. Thus, all it’s aiming to do is make the audience break free from reality for a few hours by escaping into a fantasy world.

So you can see that Christmas films are a broad church. They can cover a myriad of different genres, themes and intentions. But they’re unified by Christmas and the holidays as a backdrop. However, Christmas isn’t just a backdrop but a key driver of the story in one way or another.