Interview With Director Jeff Beesley, “The Christmas Club” & “Holiday Date”

By Ruth on December 14, 2019 in Interview, movie, television

To be quite candid, I have Facebook to thank for my “discovery” of Jeff Beesley and his 2019 record Christmas directorial work. As I was going through my updates a couple of months ago, Facebook suggested Jeff as a friend, and when I researched who he was, I thought, “Okay, he’s a Hallmark person, so we can be friends.” I had no idea that he had four Christmas movies coming out this season! Furthermore, I am glad I had the opportunity to connect with him this year, even before these four movies debuted. Although three of his movies have already premiered, I am honored to be able to share this interview before his fourth one, Holiday Date, premieres tonight!

RH: I am so glad we got connected, Jeff, and thanks for agreeing to do this interview.

JB: Ruth, thank you for reaching out. I’m very happy we got connected as well.

Until I looked you up, I hadn’t realized all the projects you’d been involved with. And this Christmas, you directed four movies?

Yes, that is correct. I directed my first one in late January/early February. That was the Lifetime movie called Radio Christmas, which premiered on November 9th. It stars Keshia Knight Pulliam. Then right on the heels of that, they greenlit another one, No Time Like Christmas with Kyla Pratt which premiered October 27th. Then from there, I guess Hallmark took notice, and I went on to direct The Christmas Club right after that. And right after that, I jumped onto Holiday Date. So it’s been a busy year for sure.

That’s truly amazing. So, going back a bit, Jeff, what’s your story? How did you decide to pursue a career in film and television?

Well, like most successful filmmakers, I started my career out in Saskatchewan, Canada. {laughs}

{laughs} Yes, I know there are a few of you who have started out in that area of Canada.

Yeah, that’s true. So I grew up in the small town of Moose Jaw in the middle of the prairie. There wasn’t a lot to do there other than play hockey and find trouble. So I found a lot of solace from a young age in screening films. We had a VHS machine, and that was right at the height of where video rental was just starting to boom. So I spent a small fortune of my parent’s money on renting anything and everything I could. A lot of my time during my childhood was spent watching movies.

I graduated high school at a fairly early age and found out there was a film program at the University of Regina, and I decided to give it a shot. I seemed to thrive at it, and the student films I made did very well. Especially in my fourth year. So right out of University, I made a documentary called Percy, Me and Bobby Mcgee which was about two intellectually-challenged best friends from Moose Jaw who had a dream to see a space shuttle watch. So we did a little trip with them and made that happen. But it was a very special film because it really shone a light on what people with intellectual disabilities are really like. Their spirit is undeniable.

After that, I borrowed some money from a friend, and I made my first feature film called Sparkle, which we made for forty thousand dollars. I just had a no-quit attitude, and I kept building and building. Then I was offered a real movie with a real budget called Borderline Normal. It just so happened that the producers of Corner Gas saw Borderline Normal. So I was interviewed for that show. The first season, I wasn’t blessed to be one of the directors, and obviously, I was quite heartbroken about that. Especially when Corner Gas went on to be the biggest “hidden” Canadian comedy in history. And after that first season, I thought I was never gonna get on it this show. And lo and behold, I got a call when season two started saying, “We’d like to have you come in and direct a couple of episodes and see what you can do.” So that sparked a long and fruitful career in network television. I spent five more seasons on Corner Gas. Do you know that show?

No, I do not, so I’m glad you brought it up because I didn’t even know what it was. There’s a lot of Canadian TV that makes its way to the U.S., but there’s also a lot that never does.

Corner Gas is to Canadian television what Tragically Hip is to Canadian music. Every Canadian over the age of eighteen knows both of those entities, but very few Americans do. Those are two national treasures of Canada–Corner Gas and Tragically Hip. Corner Gas had something like a hundred and thirty episodes total, and it never dipped below a million viewers ever. And for a country of twenty million people, that’s a pretty good viewership.

Well, now I’ve been informed, so when someone mentions the show, I have more of an idea of what it is.

Corner Gas set

If you can find it, you should check it out. It’s a really sweet story about a little town called Dog River in Saskatchewan. There’s eight main characters, and basically, the show is about nothing. It’s about their mundane lives and the fun that they get into, and it’s very, very funny. It’s one of those shows that parents can watch with their kids. It’s not offensive, and everyone got something out of it. It kind of reminds me a lot of being involved with these Christmas movies. It has that same sort of tone, that same culture. What I love about directing Hallmark movies is that in a very crazy world, they’re the least crazy thing on TV. I think people really get a lot of comfort out of them. I think we all need a little more comfort in our lives today.

When I was directing Corner Gas, I was also directing Little Mosque on the Prairie at the same time…those were the two number one shows in Canada at the time. It was very rewarding for me to go places and tell people that I directed those shows and to hear how much those shows meant to them. And I’m finding that same reaction now with the Christmas movies. It’s funny. Even before people had seen these movies–we have one more premiere to go–the people have been so filled with anticipation.

Well, speaking of that upcoming premiere, you directed a movie that I’m so excited to see–Holiday Date. To be honest, the thing I’m most excited with this film is that it is Brittany Bristow’s first lead role, and we Hallmark fans have been pushing for her to be a lead for years. She’s been so incredible with the fans, and when it was announced that she finally got a lead role, we were so excited because it showed that Hallmark was listening to us, not to mention that she totally deserved it!

That’s great. I think the folks at Hallmark thought I would be a good choice to direct Holiday Date. It’s a very funny film, and I am very proud of it. Although it is very much a Hallmark film, I think it’s going to be one that fans are going to get a lot of laughs out of it. Earned laughs, I would say. Just because of the premise of the show.

She takes the guy home. He’s an actor, and they’re just trying to get through the holidays, and they face her parents. So inherently, right away, that causes a lot of conflict, which we know is the root of comedy. I saw Brittany in a couple of shows where Brittany was three or four on the call sheet, and she really caught my eye. She was very funny and really likable. But she knew this was her opportunity, and she certainly made the most of it. We spent a lot of time in pre-production together talking about what it means to be the lead as opposed to being the friend of the lead. We spent a lot of time doing hair and make-up tests to make sure that the look was right for the character. I remember the first read-through we had in my suite–Matt {Cohen}, her, and Edward Ruttle–and she had every page of the script color-coded with notes in the margin. I mean, the preparation she put into this was astounding. So I think when people see the movie, they’re going to see the awakening of a new Hallmark star. She’s absolutely wonderful in the film.

What you have told me does not surprise me. This is the girl who last Christmas was filming in Europe while her movie was premiering here. She got up in the middle of the night and was live-tweeting with the fans! I honestly couldn’t believe it, but she was determined not to miss it. I knew it was only a matter of time before they cast her in a lead role. But it’s really nice to hear about her preparation and how you both worked together in the preparation for this film.

I’ll tell you a quick, funny story. She was getting to set really quickly in the morning. Sometimes with these movies, because the look is so important, we’re often waiting on the leads to get that look. And that’s fine because we obviously want them to look the right way. But Brittany was getting there ridiculously fast and looking glamorous and beautiful. I finally said to her, “How are you getting out of the chair so fast?” And she said, “Well, I know exactly how I want my hair to look, so I’ve been doing it on my own before I come. ” {laughs} That’s the level of commitment she was bringing to it. She was getting up that extra hour in order to get out of the makeup chair and give the other people a chance to look amazing. I’m absolutely blessed to have worked with her. If it ever happens again, it won’t be too soon.

Now, your connection with Hallmark started as a producer, is that right?

Yeah, that’s kind of how it all started. I was primarily producing for a little while, and obviously Winnipeg/Manitoba is the hotbed for movies to come now because of the amazing tax credit. I ended up working with a producer named Howard Braunstein on my first Hallmark, A Dream Of Christmas. I really had a nice experience on that movie. By being the Manitoba producer on that movie, it certainly gave me a free education as to how the process worked. I was in a pretty good position where I could just sit back and watch the production go and understand the look, the coverage, the tone, and how the whole animal moved.

At the end of it, I said to myself, “What do you really want to do with your life?” I know it wasn’t producing. My love and passion is to direct. So I basically made a pact with myself that I wasn’t going to produce any more movies–I had done a few by this point. I got on the phone with my agent and started hounding Hallmark and producers of both Hallmark and Lifetime. I flew down and met with the Hallmark people and interviewed with them all, and I just waited for an opportunity. I felt kind of like the backup quarterback waiting to get a shot. And lo and behold, my old friend Howard called me just as I was about to throw in the towel because it was not looking promising. He said, “I think I might have something for you.” And that happened to be Radio Christmas. And as we mentioned at the beginning, that was the first of four.

I certainly enjoyed what I have seen of yours so far. No Time Like Christmas was the first one I saw of yours. Now, I love Hallmark movies. As I often tell people, I feel like almost all the time, Hallmark movies are the best. With Lifetime, it can be hit and miss. But I felt that both No Time Like Christmas and Radio Christmas were almost at the level of Hallmark. In fact, No Time Like Christmas was better than I expected. I thought it was pretty fantastic. The quality and the acting were both pretty strong.

Thank you. I’m very proud of that film. We were able to shoot in the amazing Pantages Theatre, one of the original Vaudeville theaters in North America. And that theater almost became a character in the movie. It was a very special film. Kyle Pratt is a wonderful human being. And Edward Ruttle and Jim O’Heir were amazing.

No Time Like Christmas

A couple of things I’m really proud of with that movie. Sophia Bachart, who played his daughter, that was her first time on set. She had never acted before. So she was a real discovery, and I think she’s really great in the film. I am hoping that sometime in the future, she will be a lead for one of those networks. Then Rachel McLaren is the other one, and she played Kyla’s sister, Bronwyn. Again, she had never been on a film set or acted either. So we found two real diamonds in the rough on that movie, and I think they both performed very well, and now they’re both continuing to work, which is great.

That’s exciting! I love it when those kinds of things happen, and I’m really passionate about young people in the industry. I regularly interview young people who are doing film and TV, and I love hearing there are even more wonderful ones that are coming up. And with those two, I may have noticed it was their first thing, but they seemed to fit in with the movie very well.

Oh, they did. And one of the things that is really important to me is the culture of the set. We’re making these movies that are safe places where people feel safe and people treat people right. I really feel that the culture I try to create on my film sets exemplifies that. We try to have a good time too. We really create a family atmosphere around that. So the actors and the crew feel safe and we’re all in it together. I think at the end of the day that when these people are a part of the film, they really do feel like they are part of something special.

I read an article where the author of The Christmas Club, Barbara Hinske, was interviewed recently. She spent a whole week with us when we were filming. She sat behind the monitor. She said to me, “When does all the yelling and screaming start?” {laughs} I said, “It’s not going to start. That’s never gonna happen. That’s not how we make movies. We want to be the same behind the camera as we are in front of the camera.” She sent me a beautiful note afterwards saying how we made her dreams come true with The Christmas Club. That warms my heart to hear that it meant that much to her.

I love the fact that I consistently hear from Hallmark that behind-the-scenes, people have positive experiences. While it might be a fun movie and all that, they tell me how they were treated well. Whether it’s their first or their tenth Hallmark, it’s a positive experience, and they want to come back and do more. I know that on many of these, the same crew comes back, and I think that speaks highly of Hallmark.

True. A lot of them have choices They could do big Hollywood blockbusters that come to town and work sixteen/seventeen-hour days and make a lot more money, but I think they really enjoy the schedule that we keep on these movies most of the time and also that we’re very family-oriented. We don’t shoot eighteen-hour days; we shoot eleven-hour days, and people get home to their families at night. That’s important because in this industry, that’s not often the case. It’s very hard on families. I very much try to make sure that it’s a win-win situation. for everyone involved.

I know you mentioned The Christmas Club. That was another one that was highly-anticipated on my end. And it did not disappoint. It has been a favorite. I was mainly looking forward to it because of Cameron Mathison. I was so glad he was able to come back and do another Christmas movie.

What I can say about Cameron is that what you see on screen and what you see behind-the-scenes are very similar. He’s a great human being. You won’t find a more generous, kind, caring, funny, accessible person on the planet. I learned a lot from him. I learned a lot about professionalism and being extremely grateful about the opportunities presented to you. He’s a very grateful person. Every day he came to set with a smile on his face, very prepared, and he just enjoyed the work.

Elizabeth {Mitchell} was the same way. When I would give her direction–I would ask her to do something–she would always reply the same way: “My pleasure.” I can assure you that is not always the case as a director. When you’re giving someone a note about something they may or may not agree with, you don’t always get that kind of response. So working with those two was a real joy. I think that’s where my absolute passion began with these movies. I’m really inspired by the fact that everyone was so enthusiastic and grateful for the work. We had a really wonderful time shooting The Christmas Club.

Holiday Date Cast & Crew

I got to work with an amazing producer named Jonathan Eskenas, who has produced a lot of movies. He was such a wonderful, creative collaborator on this project. The script went through a lot of revision changes. And we joked that I don’t think there was one time we didn’t see eye-to-eye on the right creative direction of this project to go. He’s someone that I would love to cross paths with again. He’s fantastic. As was Joey Plager who I worked with on Holiday Date. It was the same sort of thing. We just connected creatively and the project just got elevated because of our creative connection. So right now I’m batting a thousand on working with amazing Hallmark producers.

That’s just so exciting to hear. And all these things you’re saying just reinforces what I believe about Hallmark and the people working for Hallmark. For the most part, what I hear across the board almost without exception is that everybody is giving me essentially the same kind of report you have. Nothing against the actors, but I always enjoy hearing what really goes on behind-the-scenes from the crew and those behind the camera. Sometimes the actors don’t really know what’s going on behind-the-scenes.

You know, it’s about folks putting together the right kind of team. We take a lot of time in curating the people that we put on a Hallmark movie. As far as the crew goes, I’m very picky about who I choose in the key positions because we want to maintain the right culture. You don’t need people who are “me first” or who are in it for other reasons than to make an amazing product and have a good time doing it. So we are very selective. I’m very selective who I choose and with good reason.

We haven’t talked much about Radio Christmas, and I got to see that one as well. I know it’s Lifetime. And I know this was the first one you directed this year. Is there anything you’d like to share about this movie?

What was interesting about that film more than anything is that we actually shot it in the winter, which with Christmas movies, is a rarity. I remember I talked to Keshia on the phone. She called me from Atlanta, and she was excited about the script. We got to know each other on the phone. She asked, “How cold is it up there?” And I was, of course, like, “Oh, it’s not too bad.” She asked, “Is it way colder than Atlanta?” I was like, “It’s a little bit colder.”

Radio Christmas

So when she got up there, I think she was pretty surprised to see the snow and that it was minus twenty degrees Celsius. But she was an absolute trooper because you can imagine how someone who’s not used to that climate fared. There was a lot of exterior shooting in that movie. There’s a big hockey match where I think it was twenty below out or something like that. It was tough shooting to say the least.

Radio Christmas

But at the end of it, I think they all recognized that the movie has such an authentic feel because of the real snow and the fact that we could shoot 360. It has a look that is extremely authentic and very much feels like a winter wonderland. So hopefully when she had the chance to see the movie, she agreed it was worth the trouble. Yes, she was cold, but I hope she sees it was totally worth it in the end. And she will and she has, I’m sure.

So you’ve got four Christmas movies, three which have already premiered. One which will premiere tonight.

It’s really exciting. It’s really been something to wait for everyone to enjoy the eight months of work I put into these projects. I’ve lived and breathed them this last year. Whenever one of my movies airs, it’s like you’re sending your kids off to kindergarten. It’s time for them to go. I have done all I can do, and now it’s up to the public to enjoy them.

Well, I have enjoyed the three I’ve already seen. I am sure the audience has enjoyed them as well. Hopefully, they will enjoy Holiday Date at least as much even if not more so than the other three.

Thank you for that. I am proud of all four movies. They are like my children. They are all different and similar in many ways. I hope that as people watch these movies that people will see that I have somewhat of a thumbprint as far as my style of directing goes and the looks that I have created in my films. But other than that, they’re part of a big, wonderful family that I’m really blessed to be a part of.

Is there anything else coming up that you can mention in addition to these films?

There’s a lot of hovering for quarter one of 2020. There’s nothing that I am shooting before the holidays. I have been really busy on post-production with these holiday movies. A lot of my energy went towards these movies. But a lot of my energy has also gone to my own family now because they’ve been so incredibly patient with me working so much that it’s actually nice to be on this side of the camera for a change and just be dad for a while.

Well, you’ve earned it, Jeff. You’ve worked hard this year. Maybe you’ll have a bit of time off before you jump in again and shoot more of these movies.

That being said, I have an expiry date when it comes to time off. My creative juices get flowing and I know when I’m ready to get back on the floor. So hopefully the time off won’t be too long. I’m really excited about what the next round of projects will be and what they’re gonna look like.

I’m so glad we connected, Jeff! I love getting to highlight people like you who are behind-the-scenes.

Thank you for reaching out. And by the way, I want to be sure to recognize the creative exec I worked with on the Hallmark movies. Elizabeth Yost…I’m her number one fan. She is so amazing to work with at Hallmark. Everything she does, she makes better. It has been a real blessing to be able to work with her on both of those movies.

I have heard nothing but amazing things about Elizabeth Yost. I do not know her, but everyone praises her highly, so I’m happy you mentioned her. And I’m excited about Holiday Date tonight. I know it’s going to be amazing. Thank you for your hard work, Jeff, and thanks for speaking with me today.

The pleasure is all mine, Ruth. Thank you for reaching out. I hope everyone loves the movie tonight!

Photo by Allan Feildel

I am literally astounded at the way in which everything has happened for Jeff this year. He is a living example of that principle that you should never give up “five minutes before your miracle.” Had he thrown in the towel when he first considered it, I know that he would not have been able to direct any of these movies, let alone four. There’s something to be said for persistence and patience, and his story and success are a definite inspiration to me (and no doubt, countless others!). His overwhelming support and continued communication with me has been nothing but stellar even since our interview, and I have no doubt that the new year is going to bring even more marvelous projects his way.

I invite everyone to tune in tonight (December 14th) to the Hallmark Channel or the W Network for the final 2019 Christmas movie premiere directed by the uber-talented, incredibly kind, undeniably collaborative Jeff Beesley: Holiday Date. In addition to this, I invite you to consider visiting his links below and following him on social media. I am so glad that Facebook decided he and I should be friends, and I can hardly wait to see what’s on the horizon for Jeff in 2020 and beyond. If his future projects are anything like the ones that have been released this holiday season, all I can say is that the Hallmark fans are about to hail a new favorite Hallmark director’s emergence, and nothing thrills me more than seeing that happen for such an extraordinary industry professional like Jeff!

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RuthView all posts by Ruth

“Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.” — Franz Kafka Ruth is an inspirational entertainment journalist who instinctively sees the best in all and seeks to share universal beauty, love and positivity. She is an artist who leads with her heart and gives readers a glimpse of the best of this world through the masterful use of the written word. Ruth was born in Tacoma, Washington but now calls Yelm, Washington her home. She lives on five acres with her parents, a dog, two miniature goats, cats and a teenage daughter who is a dynamic visual artist herself. Ruth interviews fellow artists both inside and outside of the film/television industry. At the core of all she does is the strength of her faith.

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Interview With Director Jeff Beesley, “The Christmas Club” & “Holiday Date”

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