how to voice act anime

by Prof. Tre Davis 8 min read
image

How To Get into Voice Acting for Anime

  • Hire A Vocal Coach to Work On Your Technique. Hiring a vocal coach is one of the first steps to getting into voice...
  • Research The Type of Roles You Would Want To Voice. Doing your research is one of the most important steps in becoming a...
  • Create A Portfolio to Showcase Your Talents. Now that you have worked with a vocal coach and...

How to Become a Voice Actor for Anime
  1. Voice Acting is Acting First, Voice Second. This seems to be something that plenty of people don't realize. ...
  2. Try a Vocal Coach. ...
  3. Set Up a Home Studio. ...
  4. Create a Portfolio. ...
  5. Get Involved With Indie Projects. ...
  6. Do Freelance Dubbing. ...
  7. Move to Where Anime Action Is. ...
  8. Audition, Audition, Audition.
Oct 2, 2021

Full Answer

How to get into voice acting for anime?

Hiring a vocal coach is one of the first steps to getting into voice acting for anime. A vocal coach can help you develop a warm-up routine for your voice and even improve the range of your voice.

How can I make my voice sound better when doing anime impressions?

Anime impressions will put a lot of strain on your voice. Drink lots of water to hydrate vocal cords and protect them. In addition, hydrated vocal cords will become a bit puffed due to water which will make your voice sound warmer and more pleasant.

Can you do anime voice over work long distance?

Voice over work for anime can be done over long distances but going on auditions and doing work in studios will likely get you much more work than long-distance work. Directors prefer to work one-on-one with voice actors and working in person at a studio is much easier to do.

How much do anime voice actors get paid in Japan?

In Japan, anime voice actors—or seiyuu—are paid according to a ranked system from F to A. Newcomers to the industry, for example, are considered Rank F and earn 15,000 yen (about $140) per episode. Rank A veterans, on the other hand, net $45,000 yen (about $450) per episode.

image

How much do voice actors make anime?

(REMINDER: anime was a $24 billion industry in 2020 alone). According to Sara Secora, who has worked with Funimation, voice actors currently receive $35-75 an hour to dub anime. Lots of people outside the VO industry are arguing that they believe $35 to $75 an hour to dub anime is an incredible rate.

Do voice actors watch their anime?

Voice actors usually only see the parts of the anime/movie and script, which they record. Their might be special occasions, when they are able to see the complete episode, but that is definitely rare.

Is voice acting a talent?

If you can learn it, it's a skill. If it is innate, then it's a talent. A person is said to be talented when they seem to possess certain intuition or brilliance in their creative field.

How can I be an anime?

2:585:05How to Act Like Anime Characters (According to wikiHow) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTake your desired characters basic traits and exaggerate. Them now now kids demonstrate yourMoreTake your desired characters basic traits and exaggerate. Them now now kids demonstrate your characters to the best of your ability. I'm gonna be the next Hokage.

How to become a freelance voice actor for anime?

The first step to becoming a professional freelance voice actor for anime is to set up a home studio. A home studio does not have to be incredibly elaborate to begin with. One of the only items you will need is a voice actor quality microphone and free software like Audacity.

What is voice acting audition?

Voice acting auditions are where the majority of voice actors spend their time. Use these opportunities to find out what directors and studios are looking for and learn how to impress them. Use these auditions to practice each time, and before you know it, you will land a job as a voice actor for an anime series.

How much does it cost to get voice over acting lessons?

Skillshare. Skillshare offers a wide array of voice over-acting lessons for just $9.99 per month. You can take these courses at your own pace and on your own timeline.

How much does a voice actor make?

Voice actors can range in salary between $23,000 to $111,500 or approximately $36.68 per hour. Voice actors for anime must consider the time they spend auditioning for roles vs. how much time they spend doing actual voice over work. The voice acting industry is expected to grow at least 1% between 2008 and 2028.

What can a vocal coach do?

A vocal coach can help you develop a warm-up routine for your voice and even improve the range of your voice. Vocal coaches are also experts in teaching articulation and how to project your voice, tools that you will need to become a successful voice actor, especially for anime.

When will the voice acting industry grow?

The voice acting industry is expected to grow at least 1% between 2008 and 2028. Freelance voice actors for anime are becoming more popular since 2020, which saw a rise in gig-type work that can be found on sites like Fiverr or Upwork.

Can you do voice overs for anime?

Voice over work for anime can be done over long distances but going on auditions and doing work in studios will likely get you much more work than long-distance work. Directors prefer to work one-on-one with voice actors and working in person at a studio is much easier to do.

Realize it's acting

Voice acting is primarily acting. It involves characters, motives, beliefs, and vocal performance. Even more so in anime voice acting! So it’s best to recognize that acting talent is a big focus in anime voice over.

Seek experience

Voice acting for anime can be very competitive. It’s important to distinguish yourself as someone who is serious about becoming an anime voice actor. Consider working on indie and small projects. This will help develop your portfolio, and will give you a helping hand landing jobs with more renowned anime studios.

Get training

Consider getting training from professionals. Voice acting for anime can involve a lot of yelling and screaming, and can be exhausting for the voice actor. Training in the proper use of voice can help you avoid damaging it, and help you voice act for anime safely.

Audition and network

As you continue to audition and find work, try to build good relationships with your clients. You never know when one of them is connected with the studio you’ve been dreaming to work with, and it just so happens they need a voice like yours.

How to get into voice acting

on how to get into voice acting and establish your voice over business, for free.

Basic Definitions in Anime Voice Acting

Before jumping into the anime voice acting creation process, we must understand some basic definitions:

History of Anime

Anime appeared as early as 1917 in Japan. It began to acquire the characteristics it is known for in the 1960s, with the works of Osamu Tezuka. By the end of the 20 th century, it had spread globally.

Genres in Anime

Anime has many different genres, sub-genres, and amalgamations including: action, adventure, comedy, drama, fantasy, historical, horror, martial arts, school life, sci-fi, romance, supernatural.

Translating the Anime Script

Western fans are evermore avid for anime and thus the problem of translation and dubbing comes into the spotlight. We will try to create a template, which will serve as a blueprint for clients who need to dub such projects. This process begins with the script.

Voice Acting in Anime Project

Ok, so we have a translated anime script that we want to dub. Now what? Anime voice acting requires proper casting. Some important tips are:

Conclusion

The first step towards tackling an anime voice acting project is translating the script. It is important to understand the building blocks of the script and of scenes.

What does anime symbolize?

Anime symbolizes, “We humans are strong because we can change ourselves.” You can learn a lot from anime, the life lesson which we might not get from any other series.

Is voice acting a tough job?

Voice Acting is a tough career, but you shouldn’t give up just because it’s difficult. The job may be demanding for a newbie, but you should aspire to become an expert in dubbing as soon as possible. Following are a few steps which might help you achieve your goals :

How to get started with voice acting?

Voice acting is different from stage or screen acting, but acting experience is still important. Take theater classes and work with theater groups to get started. Training with an experienced voice coach can help you control how you speak and deliver your lines.

What are some projects that require a good voice actor?

There's a wide range of projects that need good voice actors, such as audiobooks, commercials and video games . Gaining experience in any such field can help train your voice and demonstrate your professionalism. Doing non-anime gigs is also good for the bottom line.

Is it good to do non-anime gigs?

Doing non-anime gigs is also good for the bottom line. Most anime actors can't rely on that alone to pay the bills, so having an assortment of projects helps you stay solvent. To sell yourself as an anime voice actor or in any voice-acting field, you'll need a demo.

How to make anime voice sound better?

Drink lots of water. Anime impressions will put a lot of strain on your voice. Drink lots of water to hydrate vocal cords and protect them. In addition, hydrated vocal cords will become a bit puffed due to water which will make your voice sound warmer and more pleasant.

How to sound like an anime character?

To sound like an anime character you will need to exaggerate emotions, smile when recording, add breathiness, use body language, drink lots of water, watch a lot of anime, react to the action on screen and try to mimic a particular character that you wish to impersonate.

How to make your voice more breathy?

If you listen to anime characters speaking, you will hear a lot of breathiness in their voice. To add breathiness you need to relax and push out more air than when speaking normally. Try exercising a breathy voice before recording. You should get a grasp of it quite fast.

Is it okay to sound emotional in anime?

What normally would sound like overacting, in anime sounds just fine. In fact, it is much better to sound a bit too emotional rather than slightly dull. You can also add a bit of emphasis at the end of sentences to add more drama.

Do anime voice actors sound over the board?

Most of the anime personalities would sound way too over the board in real life. Therefore, to do anime voice you have to add a lot of character to fit within anime atmosphere.

Community Q&A

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Tips

Always take direction when recording. It's fine to want to try new things, but you are providing work for someone else, so you have to deliver what they want.

Warnings

Do not quit long-term projects suddenly or without notice. If you absolutely must leave, inform the director ahead of time, to allow them time to find a replacement.

About This Article

This article was co-authored by Garrett Sandoval, a trusted member of wikiHow's volunteer community. Garrett is a voice actor specializing in comedic voice over. His voice has appeared in a wide variety of media including short films, animations, radio plays, podcasts, and dubs.

image