'Olive Place' At One: What's Next For The Indie Pilot?

Interviews Series Shorts By Jamie Lang | 05/01/2026 7:33 am: When Jarrod Prince uploaded the trailer for Olive Place to YouTube, he had almost no followers. A year after the pilot went live in February 2025, the channel had grown to around 9,000 subscribers, with audience growth of approximately 400 percent. Prince now faces the challenge of expanding his content while maintaining his creative vision. Five years, Two Grand, One (Extra-Dimensional) Hotel Olive Place: Luxury Inn is an 11-minute pilot about two porters, Belle and Burt, working in a hotel where reality bends and rules are fluid. Prince animated it in Adobe Animate, mostly solo, over about half a decade, with a budget of around $20,000 Australian, mostly from his own pocket. A small grant from Melbourne covered sound mixing. Out of 150 shots, Prince animated all but seven himself. Collaborators included a friend for puppets, Australian comedian Scott Edgar for the theme song "Belly of the Beast," and a buddy for 3D puppet concept art. Prince emphasizes trading skills and maintaining a strong network of friends and colleagues. The pilot began as a burnout escape after years of freelancing in commercial animation, eventually moving into art direction and design lead roles on international co-produced shows. One job pushed him over the edge, leading him to adopt a deliberately unruly, punk-rock approach. Prince mixed 2D animation with puppetry, stop motion, and pixel art to break free from perfectionism and create a distinct artistic voice. The hotel’s surreal setting allows for eclectic character styles, drawing influences from Sesame Street, SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Mighty Boosh. His wife suggested returning to 2D animation, but Prince insists any future episodes will remain multi-dimensional. A notable moment occurred at a festival in Broken Hill, where his stepson, who knew every line, recited them aloud during the screening, showing the pilot’s emotional impact. Prince’s personal life has also shaped his work: he moved from Melbourne to Broken Hill with his family, and the pilot became a favorite of his stepson. Prince is now part-time on a contract doing concept art for a video game, planning to test a Patreon with a smaller sci-fi idea to gauge audience interest in developing original work beyond Olive Place.