Everyone Is Good Now. ...So Now What?

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The Internet is overflowing with amazing artists.

It has become painfully apparent that art skills are simply not enough to compete in this huge, global art market.

If you want a sustainable career as a professional artist, you must master the "professional" part as well.

We at The Oatley Academy have helped our students and podcast subscribers launch careers at high-profile studios and publishers.

...and with our new "Backstage Pass" you'll get access to an ever-growing media library full of the richest insights and most current, cutting-edge perspectives we have to offer.

...all to accelerate your development as a creative professional.

...at a price just about any artist can afford.

Here's what you get...

Become A Competitive, Creative Professional.

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Are you tired of nickel-and-dime freelance jobs?

Is your creativity being crushed by a day job that's driving you crazy?

Are you worried that you'll never get paid to make creatively-fulfilling work full-time?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions then you might be trapped in what we at The Oatley Academy call "Art Jail."

Available exclusively to Backstage Pass subscribers, Escape From Art Jail is a new, premium podcast designed to help you become a competitive, creative professional.

With our bi-monthly business lessons, we will help you establish consistency and confidence in the areas where most artists fail miserably:

Money, networking, branding, self-promotion, social media, time management, working with clients etc...

Perfect What's Most Important...

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While we must equip you with essential business skills, let's never forget the vitality of a strong portfolio.

If you get your portfolio right, then you've already done half the work of building your "personal brand" and choosing a "target audience."

Every month, we select at least one portfolio from our community forums and review it live online. 

We share clear, constructive critique for the individual and professional direction for everyone watching.

Of course, we post the recordings of these live critiques in the Backstage Pass library so you can watch them any time...

Avoid Mistakes And Time-Wasters...

NewOatsBioPhoto_220wEscape From Art Jail and the monthly portfolio reviews are hosted by the director of The Oatley Academy - Chris Oatley.

With former clients including Disney, Activision, EA, EMI, Geffen Records and Hasbro and credits in visual development, character design, concept art, 2d animation, background painting and freelance illustration, Chris' multiple careers and worldwide industry connections have given him uniquely diverse insights into the business of being a professional artist.

His experience growing The Oatley Academy from a sole proprietorship into a thriving company with fourteen creatively-fulfilled freelancers and employees means you'll get practical insight and the benefits of hindsight...

NewEdgeBioPhoto_220wEjiwa "Edge" Ebenebe (formerly one of Chris' star-students) was hired at The Oatley Academy because of her insatiable curiosity and obsessive attention to detail.

A lot of her job involves researching and experimenting with the most current opportunities, resources and tools for creative professionals.

We share these new discoveries with our Backstage Pass subscribers so you can decide which new tools and tricks are worth your time...

You Are Not Alone.

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Artists are not meant to work alone.

...at least that's what we believe.

Sure, we're all wired differently: introverts, extroverts, wallflowers, rockstars...

...but the process. The process simply doesn't have to be as lonely as it is for most artists.

The Backstage Pass includes access to the OA Community Forums where sketchbook threads, quick answers, helpful resources, collaborations, Google Hangouts and good vibes abound...

More Backstage Pass Benefits:

  • Extended Interviews

    Enjoy hour-after-hour of extended interviews and deleted scenes featuring some of our favorite podcast guests.

  • Art School Talks

    Hear us helping art students across North America to feel more hopeful and confident as they approach graduation.

  • Early Releases

    Get access to the extended versions of our podcasts at least a week before the shorter, free version drops.

  • Support OA

    You'll help to ensure more paid work for our growing creative team and consistent quality in our free resources.

Try It FREE For 30 Days:

Try The Oatley Academy Backstage Pass completely FREE for 30 days.

After that, the subscription fee is only $7/ Month. ...which is less than 24 cents a day. 

Your account will not be charged at checkout. You can cancel any time with a single click.

Start My Free Trial Today >>

Testimonials From The OA Community:

  • Manny Tamarez
    Wow. If "life-altering" is what you guys were going for, you nailed it.
    Manny Tamarez
  • Sara Burke
    While there are countless tutorials on technique, there isn’t much from this school of thought. I think you are really filling a gap here.
    Sara Burke
  • Dan Kelby
    Escape From Art Jail is fantastic, practical advice from industry professionals that will enable you to live the professional artistic life that you've always dreamed of.
    Dan Kelby
  • Austin Light
    Chris Oatley & guests build holistic art programs. The Oatley Academy transcends mere internet tutorials. This is life enrichment via storytelling and art.
    Austin Light
  • Andie Desiderio
    I LOVE it. Escape From Art Jail really fills a place that's missing in the curriculum that we all need.
    Andie Desiderio
  • Abrian Curington
    Escape From Art Jail really opened my eyes to a lot of options.
    Abrian Curington
  • Stephen Sheredy
    You have arrived at THE best place to grow and prosper as an artist.
    Stephen Sheredy
  • Paula Shin
    Gosh, every word you say in a podcast or even a simple Q&A is just so inspiring!
    Paula Shin
  • Sara Wilde
    Start listening to everything on this site!
    Sara Wilde

Industry Praise For The OA Podcasts:

  • Imagine FX Magazine
    Each podcast is charged with Chris’ passion for his craft, and aims to spread the love to any artist with a mind to listen and learn.
    Imagine FX Magazine
  •  - Sarah Marino, Artist for Nickelodeon and ReelFX
    From the mind-blowing amounts of knowledge, to the earnest and honest advice, Chris Oatley's podcast reveals the heart and soul of what it means to be an artist today.
    - Sarah Marino, Artist for Nickelodeon and ReelFX
  • Jenn Ely, Concept Artist for Laika, Dreamworks and Google
    I found Chris' site and podcast when I was a student just starting to learn about this job called "visual development". Back then I was so grateful for the practical knowledge. As someone trying to break in, it was a powerful tool. As a working animation professional I love it for it's pure inspiration fuel! It's a must listen!!
    Jenn Ely, Concept Artist for Laika, Dreamworks and Google
  • Creative Bloq
    Disney character designer Chris Oatley gets down to the important stuff with his podcasts. Packed full of helpful hints and inspirational content, it's one of the best out there.
    Creative Bloq
  • Brett Bean, Character Designer for Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and Disney
    Chris Oatley's ArtCast is truly a place to get inspired, creatively contemplate, and explore while building a welcoming community of like minded artists.
    Brett Bean, Character Designer for Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and Disney
  • Paul Scott Canavan, Lead Concept Artist for Blazing Griffin
    Chris is one of the smartest, most motivating dudes around. Highly recommended for artists of all levels, I always learn something new from his blogs/casts.
    Paul Scott Canavan, Lead Concept Artist for Blazing Griffin

Still Have Questions?

How Does The Free 30-Day Trial Work?

With this free trial offer, you get to try The Oatley Academy Backstage Pass completely free for the first thirty days.

At checkout, you will enter your payment information but your account will not be charged until the thirty-first day of your subscription.

If you don't like it, you can easily cancel with a single click at any time on your member profile.

Of course, we don't think you'll want to cancel, but if you do before your first payment is due, your account will not be charged at all.

Can I Cancel At Any Time?

Yes. You can cancel/ renew your subscription at any time via your member profile page.

How Do I Download My Backstage Pass Content?

For a small fee, you will be given the option to add downloading to your subscription immediately after checkout.

Do I Have To Audition?

Nope! The OA Backstage Pass is open to anyone who wants to enroll. The only exclusions are for those who refuse to follow our code of conduct.

Are The Oatley Academy Mentored Courses Included With My Subscription?

No, but The VIP Backstage Pass is included with a subscription to Magic Box 2.0 (launches early 2016) and also with The Storytellers' Summit.

...and Backstage Pass subscribers will be notified about opportunities to audition for our mentored courses before the general subscriber base.

How Do The Monthly Portfolio Review Sessions Work?

We built a forum specifically for submitting links for the monthly portfolio reviews. Every month, we will select at least one portfolio from that thread and review it live via a private YouTube Live Event.

When Are The Live Portfolio Review Sessions?

The Live Portfolio Review sessions will be held once a month, usually on Saturdays at 9am PT.

Barring any significant technical difficulties, recordings will be posted on the OA site within a couple days of the broadcast. There is no expectation that you will want to (or be able to) join live all the time.

Sometimes we will have to shift the schedule around to accommodate guest availability. 

You can subscribe to The Backstage Pass RSS feed or the OA Calendar to stay up-to-date.

How Often Can I Expect New Content?

We release two episodes of Escape From Art Jail per month.

We hold one Live Portfolio Review session per month.

We post new, Extended Interviews as often as we post our free podcasts (which is usually 1-2 per month) and we'll post them at least a week early.

We'll post more Deleted Scenes and Art School Talks as they become available.

*If there is ever an unavoidable delay on one of the live portfolio review sessions, we'll offer a make-up session asap.

Will You Join Us Backstage?

Get instant access to every episode of Escape From Art Jail, our extended interviews, deleted scenes, art school talks, the OA Community forums and admission to our live, monthly portfolio review sessions free for 30 days.

...and after that, you can continue for just 23 cents a day...

Start My Free Trial Today >>