Jarrod Prince Welcomes You to His Surreal and Whimsical ‘Olive Place’

It’s heartening to see more independent animation creators rely on independent sources of financing and YouTube to launch their projects. The latest example of one of these projects is Australian artist Jarrod Prince’s Olive Place, a bright and surreal new show that is inspired by such classics Sesame Street, SpongeBob SquarePants and The Mighty Boosh.

“This has been a five-year labor of love,” says the artist. “It might sound corny, but just finishing the project has felt like a big reward. I’d love to create more of it, as long as I can maintain creative control. After working on the project for so long, I’ve come up with a lot of other stories set in the hotel that I’m eager to tell.”

Prince was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about his lively show:

Animation Magazine: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and interest in animation?

Jarrod Prince: Sure! I’m an Australian artist working in mostly commercial animation. I’ve been freelancing for most of the past 15 years, with a few stints in TV production. My work has primarily focused on character design and background art, but over the last five years, I’ve been shifting my focus toward directing. Recently, I moved back to my hometown, Broken Hill, from Melbourne to be with my fiancé and closer to family. Living in the outback has been a nice change of pace, even though I miss my friends and being around other animators.

When did you start thinking about your show?

I started thinking about the show while working on a TV series, where I was asked if I had any ideas to pitch. The initial pitch was quite different from Olive Place, but the basic concept was there. After that job, I was feeling really burnt out and had a lot of pent-up creative energy. I rallied a few animators to start an animation collective where we’d make our own films. Unfortunately, those plans fell through as personal circumstances demanded more of my time and energy.

However, that collective idea became the seed for my own film. Olive Place  started with a simple drawing of one of the main characters, Belle, and everything else seemed to come naturally. While I usually labor over ideas, Olive Place arrived almost fully formed, which was a really nice thing.

What was your inspiration?

Olive Place draws inspiration from a wide range of things that I love like Jim Henson’s shows and movies, The Mighty Boosh, SpongeBob SquarePants and Twin Peaks, to name a few. Around the time I started working on the film, I was also reading a lot of Carl Jung, which had a big influence on some of the ideas in the story. Up until starting Olive Place, I felt like I was still trying to find the confidence to have my own voice. This project became the first time I felt I could actually express things adequately.

How did you fund the project?

During COVID, I received a $2,000 AUD grant from the City of Melbourne, which I used to cover the sound production. Beyond that, Olive Place was entirely independently funded. Anything I couldn’t create myself, I either paid for out of pocket or worked out skill swaps with other artists. I’ve spent a lot of time working for free or at reduced rates to exchange skills for the film. I was incredibly fortunate to have the support of talented and generous friends who helped me finish the film.

Which animation tools did you use, and how long did it take to finish?

All of the 2D animated sequences were done in Animate. Despite its brush limitations, the ability to nest animation within looping symbols is incredibly powerful and helps speed up the process. The entire project took about five years to complete, working on it intermittently while juggling paid projects.

How many people helped you on the show?

Too many to list here, but I’m incredibly thankful for everyone who contributed to Olive Place. A lot of friends generously chipped in to help bring it to life. I handled the lion’s share of the animation and backgrounds, but I was fortunate to lean on some amazing animators, like my friend Andrew Onorato, who created some of my favorite shots in the film. There are also these fun little non sequitur sequences in the middle of the film, which were entirely crafted by artists I really admire. Their work added so much personality to the cartoon.

What were your biggest challenges?

Olive Place has been a crazy odyssey for me. As soon as I started the film, a lot of personal responsibilities and challenges seemed to pop up unexpectedly. That said, I’ve also been equally as fortunate throughout the process, and I’d say the last five years have been the most unpredictable and turbulent period of my life. From a technical standpoint, I had never worked with live action or puppets before, and that proved to be a humbling experience.

What are your hopes for the future of the show?

It might sound corny, but just finishing the project has felt like a big reward. I’d love to create more of it, as long as I can maintain creative control. After working on the project for so long, I’ve come up with a lot of other stories set in the hotel that I’m eager to tell.

Any advice for others who are thinking about creating a show and putting it out there online for everyone to see?

It’s not for everyone, but if you’re feeling restless in film or animation, are passionate about ideas you want to share, and don’t want to get caught in the endless cycle of pitching to funding bodies or stuck in development hell, I honestly think there’s no better way to spend your time. Creating Olive Place has been a wildly strange experience, and I hope it’s brought out qualities in both my work and myself that wouldn’t have emerged if I hadn’t started the project.

The 11-minute pilot for Olive Place launches on February 20. See more of Jarrod Prince’s work at jarrodprince.com.