Jobs associated with Anime voice-over are an extremely specialised and niche section relating to the voice-over sector. This article covers tips on how to go about becoming an anime “voice actor”.
Becoming a “voice actor” for Anime is different when compared to pursuing a career or job in animation voice-over. Even though Japanese storytelling is among the most ancient traditions relating to civilisation, the Western World seems to only be interested in anime and manga in the last few years. Most of the well-known and largest anime was born out of the famous Studio Ghibli.
Titles like Spirited Away, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Castle In The Sky, are just some of the now highly famous and well-known anime movies produced by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli fame. Today, the newest generation has become more and more enthralled by stories the East-Asian children have enjoyed for decades. The latest evidence relating to this latest trend is the success and increasing popularity linked to the Big-Hero 6 Franchise associated with the Japanese movie Baymax by Haruki Ueno.
With more anime series, comic books, and anime films now being translated into English, voice actors for this niche are set to increase. This also means that a lot more aspiring actors for voiceovers will get the opportunity to secure anime voiceover jobs or careers.
What Is Required To Secure Voice Over services?
Even though most of the voice actors that work in anime first started as voice actors without specified training within this field, just about every one of them began their career with a few things that they shared in common. These include vocal range, acting experience, and the abilities to assume as well as maintain specific characters. Voice actors are foremost and first an actor.
Most of the active voice actors came from an acting background. It is these acting skills and abilities that make them desirable to most anime studios. These are the same skills that you will need to first learn and then practice if you would like to secure auditions and for the studio to take you seriously.
Actors, and voice actors in general, don’t require “formal” education in order to succeed. An aspiring anime actor needs to first learn about anime. This typically entails at least exploring a few of the famous anime series, film titles, and more particularly the differing genres. It is very important to think about and listen to how anime voice actors make those voices.
One of the challenges associated with anime voiceover is that you are often required to scream and use many different vocal ranges. Traditional training will provide the voice actor with the required skills needed to offer full-body performances giving life to the voice used behind the character. However, every role will be different, so actors are encouraged to carry on learning and training, and to develop any new skills as they go.
If you would like to find out more about the voice actors that successfully perform roles in anime, refer to this useful list:
- Develop Your Voice
All voice actors have to focus on their vocal skills. Actors that have the skills to voice several characters within a single show often secure roles faster than other voice actors. To learn these skills you have to prepare voices that match up to different cadence, accents, dialects, etc. Developing a new voice becomes possible from studying the different anime characters and finding a delicate balance between the original portrayal and the expectations of the character.
Listen to well-known record shorts and anime excerpts. You need to focus on more than just replicating a voice by adding your own style of voice into a recording. The voice that you use must still match up to the anime character and the scene while still remaining original.
- Find Representation
Anime acting is not something easy to secure and break into. The ideal way to make a success in this industry is to approach each studio directly or through representation. Make sure you have a demo tape prepared that will showcase your skills and abilities as a successful voice actor. The demo should also highlight any skills you have in anime. The tape should not exceed 2 to 3 minutes and should include scenes directly from anime. It is important that you have used different voices so that it clearly demonstrates your range.