The Oatley Academy ArtCast:

Artistic insight and career advice from the most inspiring voices in Animation, Games, Illustration, VFX, Comics and Children's Books.

Interview with Animation Art Director Ryan Carlson (Part 1) :: ArtCast #100

By Chris Oatley

In many ways, I owe my career to Ryan Carlson.

He played a key role in giving me my first break at Disney, taught me more about painting than any other individual and he, more than anyone for whom I’ve worked, has intentionally helped to advance my career.

…and considering that The ArtCast probably wouldn’t exist without my time at Disney, and The Oatley Academy only exists because of The ArtCast, The Oatley Academy might not exist without Ryan…

In this episode we discuss:

Why failure is a necessary part of the creative process.
What makes a good Art Director?
Ryan’s process for creating a Color Script for an animated feature film…

Interview with Animation Layout & Visual Development Artist, John Nevarez (Part 2) :: ArtCast #99

By Chris Oatley

In part one of our interview, John Nevarez (Sony, Illumination, Pixar, Disney) gave us a masterclass in gesture drawing technique.

Now, in part two, John talks about:

What that first day at Pixar is really like,
Sneaky ways to get your work noticed,
And the secret to staying sane in this crazy business…

Interview with Animation Layout & Visual Development Artist, John Nevarez (Part 1) :: ArtCast #98

By Chris Oatley

John Nevarez approaches his art and his relationships the same way. Whether he encounters a new, blank page or a new person, John sees the opportunity to freely explore new and inspiring ideas.

The whimsical energy in his sketches combined with his delightful personality has made him one of the most reputable professionals in the animation industry.

His stellar career spans from storyboard revisionist to visual development artist, with stops along the way at every major animation studio, including Disney, Sony, Illumination, and Pixar.

Today we discuss:

John’s iconic, visceral drawing style…
Just saying no to your eraser…
And what two dozen rejection letters gets you.

Interview with Animation Explorer Todd Favela (Part 1) :: DIY Animation Show #7

By Chris Oatley

From his time at Titmouse, working on shows like China, IL to developing Nick Shorts, Todd Favela has first-hand experience that tight deadlines and high-calibre 2D animation can go hand-in-hand.

Travelling through animation with his eyes and mind wide open, Todd is continually honing and building on his increasingly vast animation knowledge.

Today, in part one, Todd talks about:

His on-the-job animation education.
Maintaining quality on tight, TV deadlines.
His animation insights on acting, overshoots, and… Face-Ships.
Trusting your gut.
The boldness of asking and where it can take you.

Interview with Scholastic Editor Orli Zuravicky :: Stories Unbound #19

By Chris Oatley

Orli Zuravicky is a Senior Editor at Scholastic and the author of the forthcoming Happily Ever Afterlife middle grade novel series.

In this interview we talk about:

How an Editor chooses an Illustrator.
How to approach an Editor at a conference.
How being an Editor helped Orli become a better writer.
Why manuscript submissions get rejected.
Why there are more opportunities in Kidlit now than ever before.

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