I want to be a voice actor, but I have no clue how!!!

[anime_ai364]

Hey all,
I've been watching anime forever, way back when Robotech was still on the air. My love of anime has increased to the point where I want to be a part of voicing dubs, but I have no clue where to begin. I've taken some acting classes, but I can't find any specifically for voice acting. If anybody has an advice I would be very appreciative!

[Shadow Kira01]

I didn't think I would find somebody would seeks to become a VA over here, but..

If you are serious about going into this line of career, then have you had the thought of applying for an audition? Is there a place that recruits VAs in your city? Why don't you head there and ask the reception for details?

[Sonae]

I want to voice act~~~!

This is something I really want to do aswell but I don't have the resources to start. Does anyone know where auditions are usually held?

[bayoab]

ANN's Answerman has answered this topic a good dozen+ times. Here's one of them. There are updated versions of that answer out there since ADV is no longer a major player.

[koonchu]

Depends. Are you male or female? Do you have any youtube clips of yourself speaking in some accent/dialects/moods?

I'm partially answering you to better prepare you and I might know of some animation studios that could use you.

But as with anything you want to do: you have to be really passionate and be really good at it.

[Mystique]

Was checking out your profile to see if you had updated your age and country and gender etc, but nothing yet, however I see that you've just join Asuki (welcome)

I'll be back to edit this, but I (used to?) be an amateur voice actress as part of an online community who due to politics and geography behind the scenes sadly have split the community apart so its not as active as before. But i know everyone kinda went their own way and formed more communities of their own preference so give me some time, i'll dig around some old links of mine and paste.

But the ANN guide is a good place to begin.
And with most crafts, the first and mainly only real advice is to
P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E.

With VA'in, you need to start building a portfolio and gain small roles as well as learn to train your voice and breathing.
Usually only develops via practice and experience.

[Zu Ra]

There is an amateur voice actor in this forum dont know whether he is active or not . Searched good 20 minutes with no results . He was doing small roles back in 06/07 I will keep looking , he would offer you the best advice

[Solafighter]

Im voiceacting myself every day. Thats almost enough for me.

[LeviathanDarkly]

OP, you can't be a voice actor. Give up.

[One_To_Protect]

That would be a very fun and interesting job to do. Plus to see your voice give life to a character would be thrilling.

[Mystique]

Okay, my old community (seems to still be fairly active)

VAA
Nov 07, is a while for a hiatus, guess I should lurk around again some.
In there, please check the FAQ which the usual forum rules, sign up and then skip to here to introduce yourself.
You can make your own thread to say 'hi'
(I wonder if the welcoming crew of doom, still exist...) >.>

I dunno how the community has changed over 2008, but I see some old faces in there, so it should be fine, most are friendly and supportive.
All the info, help, auditions, support and advice you could possibly need are in here.

Good luck

[Tri-ring]

If your able to speak Japanese, here are some links to Voice Acting training schools here in Japan for what is worth.

http://yoani.jp/

http://veeschool.com/fashion/SH022/P...001/index.html

http://www.tv-asahi-ask.co.jp/tv_asa.../seiyuu01.html

hope it helps.

[-KarumA-]

Originally Posted by Tri-ring

If your able to speak Japanese, here are some links to Voice Acting training schools here in Japan for what is worth.

I would also suggest looking for schools in your own community/country for this and as said before make a portfolio, take like a cartoon and voice over it yourself, practise different voices etc.

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by Tri-ring

If your able to speak Japanese, here are some links to Voice Acting training schools here in Japan for what is worth.

http://yoani.jp/

http://veeschool.com/fashion/SH022/P...001/index.html

http://www.tv-asahi-ask.co.jp/tv_asa.../seiyuu01.html

hope it helps.

Bookmarked, thank you
Previous issues I've had with Japanese VA schools are some automatically think
"gaijin! needs a student visa sponsorship! Too much trouble!"
And will instantly reject you from even coming to an open day.
(I speak this from experience)
Others, kinda encourage you try to break it in your own country, rather than "struggle" in another language, (short of being bi-lingual) - but it's a more gentler way of rejecting you.
However if you come with experience and some skill inc a porfolio, it does help make things a wee bit easier, I suppose

- Another factor that splashed a bucket of icey cold reality on me, was kanji.
You gotta be fairly solid with a script and kanji to be able to read fast enough to memorise or lip synch to the characters on screen and that takes many years as a westerner to perfect (short of being talented to read kanji fast)
- Something I'm working on, so who knows in a couple of years time.

Thirdly:
(ha ha, it'll take me some years or i'll need a bank loan) x.x
Tuition is up to thousands of pounds for a year course (or shorter)
figures of 2005 for a studio i was interested in demanded £3,000 for one year and to graduate took two years.
So yeah, robbing banks may be an option >.>

Nonetheless appreciated, maybe the schools have loosened up lately for possible future foreign students

[Tri-ring]

There are also correspondence course like the one below.

http://www.u-cansikakunoguide.com/ar...6/post_66.html

The lessons will probably be similar to narration training with additional training on voice acting like overlaying various emotion into one word.

[Quarkboy]

If you want to be a voice actor in Japan, it's far far easier to find English voice over work in Tokyo as a native english speaker, and there is plenty of that sort of work (mainly commercials and cheap english dubbing for business videos).

Then if you are extremely lucky you might land a gig similar to the people who voiced the weapons for Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, or "random American soldier #5" in Ghost in the Shell 9.0

That's pretty much you're only chance in Japan to actually be in an anime. The number of non-native anime seiyuus can be counted on.... no hands at all. Because there are none.

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by Quarkboy

If you want to be a voice actor in Japan, it's far far easier to find English voice over work in Tokyo as a native english speaker, and there is plenty of that sort of work (mainly commercials and cheap english dubbing for business videos).

Then if you are extremely lucky you might land a gig similar to the people who voiced the weapons for Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, or "random American soldier #5" in Ghost in the Shell 9.0

That's pretty much you're only chance in Japan to actually be in an anime. The number of non-native anime seiyuus can be counted on.... no hands at all. Because there are none.

Who has dared to try, that's the thing.
Outside of being native, a foreigner would have to know how to read a script which isn't the smallest of tasks, learning the odd 3000 characters.
I'd feel as dead certain as you reality wise had I not seen the results of last years Anison competition (2nd year running) to have a non-native canadian woman beat 3,000 japanese natives to become the first foreigner to be singing anime OP and ED and get a music contract within Japan.

Her Japanese wasn't perfect, they kept the interviews on stage while she competed really simple, they slowed down their japanese for her, they picked her based on talent over ethnicity, i think that was the biggest shock for me but it's also a weird kinda hope.
Singing isn't quite the same as acting, but both fields are as competetive as hell; if you're really good, believe in what you do and enjoy it, there's always a chance.
A very very slim one as Quarkboy was saying which he's correct with voiceover work being english related in japan (like the voices for the Tokyo metro), but how many of them can read Japanese, or attempted to take lessons for japanese accent and pronounciation?
That's my little curiousity.
How many dared to try otherwise like the canadian woman?

In relation to what karuma said, try to gain the experience and skill in your own country first if you can (or online) and persist. She won Anison, but she didn't hop over to Japan without any experience, she had been singing/competeting in her local anime conventions for many many years, so I guess she had her foundations set.

[Tri-ring]

I doNt know why everyone is being pessimistic.
Yes the classes will be in Japanese and yes you'll need to be fluent in the language to keep up with class and yes there you'll be competing with the other hundreds of Japanese to secure a job, but why do you think just because you come from a different country be treated differently?
On the other hand once you do graduate class you'll have an upper hand against most Japanese rival with fluent foreign languge.
People like Oshi wants realism in his work so if a part requires English, Spanish, French,etc. then he will look for talent that can do the Japanese and foreign language at the same level and not bastarize the second language part. In fact most directors demands this and have the VAs take intonation classes when the part requires a dialect like Kansai-ben, Kyoto-ben and or other dialect. The only reason they do not ask this for a foreign language is simply because gave up looking for a VA that can speak fluent foreign language.

I also like to point out that region 1 for Blu-ray includes both US and Japan so big project will consider placing a second language sub to maximize sales if they are people readily available who can handle the job here in Japan.

[C.A.]

Originally Posted by Tri-ring

I doNt know why everyone is being pessimistic.
Yes the classes will be in Japanese and yes you'll need to be fluent in the language to keep up with class and yes there you'll be competing with the other hundreds of Japanese to secure a job, but why do you think just because you come from a different country be treated differently?
On the other hand once you do graduate class you'll have an upper hand against most Japanese rival with fluent foreign languge.
People like Oshi wants realism in his work so if a part requires English, Spanish, French,etc. then he will look for talent that can do the Japanese and foreign language at the same level and not bastarize the second language part. In fact most directors demands this and have the VAs take intonation classes when the part requires a dialect like Kansai-ben, Kyoto-ben and or other dialect. The only reason they do not ask this for a foreign language is simply because gave up looking for a VA that can speak fluent foreign language.

I also like to point out that region 1 for Blu-ray includes both US and Japan so big project will consider placing a second language sub to maximize sales if they are people readily available who can handle the job here in Japan.

Japanese VA industry is extremely tough: http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2009/0...ork-part-time/

The page is still quite safe for work as long as you don't wander off to the side links.

[Tri-ring]

Originally Posted by C.A.

Japanese VA industry is extremely tough: http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2009/0...ork-part-time/

The page is still quite safe for work as long as you don't wander off to the side links.

How different is it from Broadway or Hollywood?
It's highly competitive and yet many people still jumps in for a shot. It's not anything new.