💫 SPOTLIGHT / INTERVIEW 💫
An Exclusive Interview with Jonathan Nolan
A FANTASTIC WRITER, ARTIST, POET, PUBLISHED AUTHOR AND GAME DESIGNER FROM AUSTRALIA.
About Jonathan Nolan:
Jonathan Nolan is a writer, artist, poet, published author and game designer. He is the originator of the FASERIPopedia retroclone OSR superhero game and its licensed spinoff “FASERIP Tidal Wave Comics sourcebook” range created in cooperation with Tidal Wave Comics. Most recently, he has written and published EPIC FANTASY, an OGL-D&D game combining the entire OGC SRD from the world’s most popular fantasy role-playing game with FASERIPopedia’s wildly successful rules. He now self funds his own TV show and feature film animated productions, using the best comicbook artists in the industry.
Welcome Jonathan, we watched your project "NIGHTWORKS" and we would love to know when you discovered this was your career path.
25 years ago, but after some savage defamatory attacks, my career paused for over a decade and I pursued my business interests. More recently I have come back, dusted off the library of scripts compiled and begun to translate them into animated form.
NIGHTWORKS (Web Series)
Nightworks is a folklore / conspiracy mystery series. Each season focuses on a different weird mystery. Season 1, “Kannita”, is the story of a feisty young woman drawn into a dangerous mystery involving Mothman and the Toynbee Tiles!
How did your personal connection to the project influence its development?
I’ve studied these folklore stories for decades, so I made sure to keep the “fictional” story as close to the documented facts of real encounters. And for example both Mothman and Toynbee Tiles are a physical reality. I made sure to keep the voice of the story authentic.
Share some real-life obstacles you faced while making your project and tell us how you found creative solutions to overcome them.
The main obstacle has been the never-ending learning process of being a small animation studio – making the animation as smooth as it can be and always in service of the story.
How did you prioritize creating an environment that breathes life into every character in your project?
Picking beautiful but thematically linked background art, and making sure the characters themselves are aesthetic.
Are there particular messages or emotions you hope the audience takes away from the project?
Just because you don’t believe in something, doesn’t mean it can’t kill you.
Based on your past experiences, how did you manage resources to ensure that the budget was utilized efficiently for this project?
Main thing with the animation budget was to focus on what was NEEDED vs what was WANTED. Cater to the essentials for each scene, any spare budget can then go on sweetening it up.
Who would you like to acknowledge and credit for the success of this project?
Fortean researcher John Keel, and the super talented actresses involved, Katie Anderson, Kaylen Paynter and Annika Shyanne.
As you navigate your upcoming projects, how are you enhancing your approach to make your creative ideas truly resonate with your audience?
Each production teaches me a new animation insight so as continuous improvement is a commitment my production company is devoted to those insights are woven into the next production.
What heartfelt guidance would you share with someone aspiring to begin their journey down the path you once undertook?
Discipline, patience and vision. Never give up, never compromise and never doubt yourself.
Thank you, Jonathan, for taking the time to engage with us! We would like to extend our best wishes to you!
NIGHTWORKS Trailer
