Who is Olive may you ask?

Well, Olive is an aspiring songwriter, influencer and all around narcissist, who loves a well-lit mirror. Like all of us, Olive wants to find the right man for her to sing to, complain to and really just to speak about herself. Did we mention that she really loves all things Olive? She is looking for the Olive in her dirty martini, so we thought we would help her out.  

We’re really excited to introduce this short comedy in association with Window Zebra Productions. With a female director, writer and female co-creators, this project aims to highlight the comedic side of dating. We all know that everyone has some hilarious dating stories squirrelled away in their mental archive, so we thought why not bring those to light and remind everyone of that awkward dating stage. We hope we can bring some joy and laughter during such a bleak time, and are so thankful for all of your support.

All contributions that go towards our £5,000 goal will be used for the completion, production and distribution of this project.

First of all, we have thrown out all stereotypes of classic rom-com characters. Olive is not a pretty simpering damsel in distress, and the men are not dashing knights, ready to sweep her away to a happy ever after. 

We wanted to portray real-life, flawed people. People that we all rub elbows with and sometimes simply want to throttle. So why not make a comedy out of it and sprinkle it with glitter?

Olive, a self-centred, arrogant ego-maniac suddenly decides that she needs a man to boost her prospects. She, therefore, undergoes a series of three different dates, with a couple of non-starters thrown in between. This is not your typical love story; in fact, love is not the main protagonist. Olive won’t let that happen. 

In a modern world of Tinder and Hinge, we wanted to remind the world of actual human interaction and the comedic elements that arise when you put two people in the same room. How many times have you run home to tell everyone of that one really awkward date that is now forever branded in your brain? Well here is your chance to re-live those moments, except much to your relief, it’s not you on the receiving end!

Why film now in the middle of a pandemic?

You may think that we’re crazy to film during a pandemic, however for us this an opportunity to create jobs and further the continuation of the arts. So many young actors, camera crew, artists, directors ... the list goes on, have been left devastated by COVID-19. We, therefore, wanted to create a safe environment under government guidelines and advice for these talented individuals to come together in order to continue to create and give back to the community. Filmmaking has still been undertaken during the past twelve months, and so has proven that there are safe ways to film during the pandemic without continuing the spread of COVID-19.

In addition, a lot of us have been left in a rather bleak and isolated situation, and so we wanted to put Olive out there to provide some comedic relief and remind everyone of the life that is still waiting for us. One that we will get back to. Laughter is the best remedy.

So please help us to support the arts and put a smile on everyone’s face :)

In order to produce Olive, there will be a cost of £5,000. This will pay for equipment; crew and resources needed to ensure that our production value is the highest quality to be submitted for British and International Film Festivals. Your financial contribution will go towards, production, post production, completion and distribution costs. 

Another key challenge which we will have to face is filming during a pandemic. Your contribution will enable us to make sure that we are able to provide a safe environment for cast and crew, following the government COVID-19 guidelines. Under the guidance of our COVID supervisor we will be following strict industry standard measures in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 on set. Your financial support will enable Coronavirus testing for all of the cast and crew, regular temperature checks, masks and sanitisation of all equipment.

We are also in conversation of turning Olive into a series. Your money, would therefore, aid us in reaching that long-term abition. We have a lot of ideas and content for the continuation of the character and would really love to share it with the rest of the world.

Any contribution, big or small will go a very long way, from the bottom of our hearts we thank you for your support.