Learn from Steven Woolworth, accomplished producer and development executive behind hit holiday films streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and Great American Family!

Plus, get a Downloadable Holiday Formula Cheat Sheet—your step-by-step guide to crafting the perfect festive story, from concept to production and beyond!

PLEASE NOTE: This exclusive Stage 32 webinar is now available to watch on-demand and no longer live.

If you’ve ever dreamed of creating a film that captures the joy, heart, and magic of the holidays — while also becoming a seasonal favorite that audiences return to year after year — this webinar is for you. Holiday movies are more than just festive stories; they are one of the most reliable and beloved genres in entertainment. Networks and streaming platforms consistently seek new Christmas and holiday titles to meet the ongoing demand for cozy, feel-good content. By understanding what makes these films work creatively — and how to shape a compelling, market-ready concept — you can position yourself to craft stories that warm hearts and stand out in a crowded landscape.

Yet, producing a holiday movie isn’t as simple as adding a Christmas tree and snow. Many creatives underestimate how crucial strong concept development and tight storytelling are to the genre. Others get caught off guard by production realities like shooting “winter” scenes in the middle of summer, managing weather limitations, or maintaining morale on fast-paced sets. In this webinar, you’ll learn the creative and production fundamentals that make holiday films click — from understanding audience expectations for comfort and familiarity, to balancing romance, humor, and heartfelt moments that define the genre.

Your instructor, Steven Woolworth, brings deep experience from both the studio and production sides of the business. He began his career in film production in New York before moving into television development at Sony Pictures Television. Steven then spent years at HBO Films, contributing to acclaimed and award-winning projects such as Bad Education, The Normal Heart, Game Change, and Temple Grandin. As part of the HBO Access Writers and Directors Program, he also mentored emerging voices through the process of developing and producing original pilot presentations. After HBO, Steven joined Reel One Entertainment (later TF1 America) as an International Scripted Development Executive and Executive Producer, where he developed and produced holiday films and other TV movies from concept through production. His films have gone on to stream on major platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, The Roku Channel, and more.

In this webinar, Steven will share behind-the-scenes lessons from the holiday films he has developed and produced, highlight what truly makes a holiday movie resonate with viewers, and help you navigate common creative and production pitfalls. By the end, you’ll walk away with a practical roadmap for developing and producing a holiday movie that delivers emotional warmth, charm, and lasting audience appeal.

PLUS! You will receive:

• Downloadable Holiday Formula Cheat Sheet

Testimonials from attendees:

The Evergreen Appeal of Holiday Films

• Why holiday movies continue to perform 

• Understanding the “comfort-familiarity” factor and audience expectation

• Business fundamentals: budgets and the factory like machinery behind the movies

Story & Concept Development

• Selecting the right holiday concept

• Making Christmas more than a backdrop

• Structuring for the holiday rhythm

Packaging Your Project

• Casting: Why familiar faces often help in the genre

• How the production company model works

• Why these movies are all about the script and the "rules"

Pre-Production & Planning

• Location scouting: finding the “small town Christmas” anywhere

• Scheduling challenges: tight shoots, weather (or “fake winter”), decoration logistics

• Cost-control strategies: reuse assets, efficient shoot days, maximize value

Production Execution

• On-set realities: how to shoot “winter” in summer, morale on fast-paced sets

• Capturing the holiday aesthetic: lighting, color, set dressing, music/sound design

• Balancing romance, comedy, heartfelt moments

Current Homes & Buyers for Holiday Films

• Discussion on networks, streamers and production companies

• What buyers are looking for

• How to position your film strategically  

Marketing, Distribution & Long-Term Value

• How your film will be branded by whoever is marketing and broadcasting the movie

• Distribution paths: network/streamer premieres, ad-supported channels, international sales

• Longevity: how to build a film that comes back annually, becomes a library asset

Case Studies & Lessons Learned

• Real world stories: what worked, what didn’t, what surprised me as a producer

• Secret ingredients of the most re-watchable holiday films

• Pitfalls specific to the genre and how to avoid them

Q&A with Steven

• Writers looking to develop marketable, feel-good holiday screenplays that resonate with audiences and buyers.
• Producers and directors seeking to understand the full lifecycle of a holiday film—from concept through production and delivery.
• Independent filmmakers eager to learn how to manage tight budgets, schedules, and “winter-in-summer” production challenges.
• Development executives and creatives who want to identify and package projects that align with what networks and streamers are buying.
• Anyone passionate about creating heartfelt, re-watchable films that become part of audiences’ annual holiday traditions.