Erika Bierman’s portrayal of the militant Santa loyalist Twinkle almost didn’t happen.

“At first I was actually going to have a different part,” she said.

However, a friend working on the film didn’t want to play the part of an elf kidnapped by bad kid Cedric because she didn’t want to be dragged around in a bag. Bierman didn’t want to play “Elf #1,” so with director and producer Ken Feinberg’s approval, they switched parts.

Bierman, 12, who first joined Creative Studios of Atlanta’s Film Academy in 2012 and is now part of the Pro Company after passing through the Senior Film Academy, described Twinkle as militant and prone to standing her ground, but sometimes able to be soft on the inside.

“I believe my character was fit for me,” she said. “Like opposites attract.”

Bierman said she herself isn’t militant and harsh like Twinkle, but she does have her moments. She further described Twinkle as conservative and not fond of unnecessary changes. She is loyal to Santa because she likes having Christmas and seeing kids happy with their families.

However, Twinkle’s militancy is all bark and no bite. When Cedric kidnaps her, she was genuinely frightened and her militancy vanished.

“I was kind of begging him, in a way,” she said.

She said the scene genuinely looked like she was being kidnapped.

One unique aspect of Twinkle was also unplanned. In one scene, Bierman wore a white ascot, but wore a red one in another. Since the shots were already done, the costumer improvised by giving her a new ascot for every take. She also had a different hairstyle each day.

Bierman’s favorite scene in the film is when she confronts Diva Elf, who has led many of the others on strike. She argues with Diva and at one point lashes out at her. The two end up forgiving each other and becoming friends.

“I get to argue with her and then we become best friends forever at the end of the scene,” she said. “That soft side comes in.”

Bierman’s favorite experience on the set of “Santa’s Boot Camp” was handing out with the other actors and sharing their experiences. She described the film’s cast and crew as “an acting family.” She predicted the movie would be the best Christmas film this year, something she attributed to the originality of the elf strike plot.