How do I become an anime voice actor?

Are there voice acting classes in portland oregon I want to become a character cartoon or anime voice actor.?

• Answer:

  I can't answer specifically about classes in your area because I live far from there. You can google or look in your local phone book for that, or ask if your local high school has a continuing education course on that, or a local college or independent adult education school offers such a class. To be honest, though, most of these are a rip-off. If you have the talent, you can teach yourself. Turn off the sound when you watch a cartoon and try supplying the voices. Look at faces of people in magazines, or at stuffed animals, and imagine and talk with their voices. Do scenes this way, with lots of enthusiasm. If you are able to change your voice to suit many different characters, and to make them amusing and/or believable, then you can be a success. The big question is how to find work! For that you can try googling talent agents or something similar in your area. That is potentionally another problem, though. As far as I know, Oregon is not a booming center for cartoon/anime work. Hopefully I am wrong, but you may need to move. If you are talented and willing to move (or if you find a place close to home), send a tape/CD/download of you doing several voices in a brief scene to a talent agency that recruits talent for cartoons and anime. You could even write directly to casting agents you see listed in the credits at the end of cartoons/anime. It's a fun field! Good luck!