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Despite being born on a Christmas tree farm in Ohio, he wasn’t really a fan of the holiday season.
That line alone could be (and probably is) the beginning of a Hallmark movie, but it’s really the truth for a television writer who, since 2017, has written 20 films for the Hallmark Channel.
The aptly named Zac Hug says his childhood days on the farm, helping string lights on Christmas trees, was idyllic, and as he aged, he became a bit jaded.
Hug enjoys Christmas now, in fact he often speaks in charming Christmas movie clichés as a result of writing so many joyful films.
“People will request these in hospice and there is something wonderful about being able to provide that for people,” he said. “What a gift. I feel deeply lucky to be able to do it, so I’m going to keep doing it.”
Not only does he intend to keep doing it, but now he’s hoping to help others write their own Hallmark movies.
Hug joined the University of British Columbia’s creative writing program in September, teaching television and screenwriting courses. He relocated to Vancouver for the new gig, a city he’s familiar with having done his Master’s degree at UBC and having been on film sets in the region.
“I loved coming here, so here I am. So far it’s been unbelievably great. The dog does not like the weather as much, but I do.”
At UBC he offers two five-week courses in writing rom-coms specifically.
But how did a guy who didn’t really like Christmas get into not only writing, but now teaching and encouraging others to write their own cozy holiday movie?
‘Worst idea’
It all started when he was working on a television show called Shadowhunters, where he met someone whose sister worked for the Hallmark Channel. At a party he told her, “I have the worst idea for a Hallmark movie.”
That idea turned into the script for Road to Christmas, about a TV producer (Jessy Schram) who is forced to co-produce a holiday special with the host’s son (Chad Michael Murray).
Sixteen of the 20 Hallmark movies he’s written have been made into films, the majority of which were shot in the Metro Vancouver area.
Zac Hug is pictured on set during filming of one of his Hallmark movies. (Submitted by Zac Hug)
“People say these are really formulaic and yeah, and also no,” he said, adding that there’s a rhythm to rom-coms.
“At some point you run out of candy cane factories to burn down and you start coming up with new concepts,” he said. “The network has been really great and open to being funnier and telling stories about different kinds of people, and that has been really rewarding to be a part of.”
Hug believes most people have a story in them — but they need help getting it on paper.
Although writing can be a competitive industry, he wants others to write get into writing these films to help them develop the positivity he’s found.
“It’s made me more open to people, it’s made me feel like more people should be doing this,” he said.
“I genuinely enjoy watching other people figure this out because I think it helps people imagine how they fall in love, how other people fall in love and I really do think that is a really positive and smart way of being in the world.”
Hallmark Channel has made more than a dozen of Zac Hug’s scripts into films over the past eight years. (Submitted by Zac Hug)
He said writing a script that gets picked up by Hallmark Channel is “good money” for the work it takes, but in general, he just wants others to write their own Christmas movies to help them learn about love and joy.
“These movies, ultimately, at the end of the day, are about joy. They’re about what is this time of year that makes love seem so present and real and a part of everyday life.”