A couple of questions =D

[AsIaN pAnDa]

I've just recently to deided to seriously pursue voice acting as a career. Being a senior in high school, I have just recently started my search for the right college. My questions are these:

1. What kind of college courses do I need to take in order to get hired to be a VA?

and 2. What colleges would be good colleges to go to to take these classes?

If you don't really understand my questions, then please feel free to also ask any questions of ur own. Thanks for all ur help!

[Batgirl]

Well, from the research I've done (I'm all ready in college, so I had to go through this too), there really AREN'T a lot of classes you can take for Voice Acting specifically. The plus side to this? Voice Acting doesn't require a degree, just talent and hardwork (and a little luck >>).

The first thing to remember is that persuing a Career in Voice Acting is going to take a lot of your personal time, doing freelance work, making a demo, doing demo sendings to agencies and casting agents, and self promotion in general.

For college, I would seriously think about thinking of another subject and/or career you would enjoy. Because it's always good to have a back-up in touch-and-go careers like Acting, Art, etc. So, if there was something else you enjoy (and not something else insane like "Well I'd also like to be a Doctor") I would persue that.

However, if you would like some other majors that might help you get on the "inside" of the voice acting business I can reccomend the following:

1 - Animation - Computer or Traditional. This is actually the major I ended up choosing (took me a while) it helps because you can animate things and then do your own VAing, and you will meet other Animators that will need cheap voices for their Student Films.

2 - Sound - Design or Engineer. Being a Sound Designer or Engineer is automatically going to put you in a studio, from there you can hopefully work for a company that does animation or dubbing, and get to know the people on the inside that way. Not to mention Sound is just plain fun.

3 - Acting - Well Duh. I think this one sort of goes without saying, which is why I probably didn't put it first. The good thing about acting is you will get a LOT of mandatory practice via all the classes you will have to take. My personal reason for not majoring in acting is because 1- Where does an Acting Degree really put you after college? and 2 - Who are you going to meet in Acting Classes besides more competition? In my opinion, if you are going to Major in Acting, you'd be better off skipping college all together, saving money, and spending the time you would have spent in class practicing on your own time, and promoting yourself. - But it is a major.

4 - Radio. - My College (Columbia College Chicago) has a Bachelors Degree in Radio with a Concentration in Talent. This, in my opinion, would be better for a Voice Actor than basic Acting classes, since this is voice-intense. It includes classes like "Voice and Articulation" and Career Preparation for Radio. The reason I didn't major in this is it would be preparing me to be a Radio DJ, and thats just not something I personally want to do with my voice.

5 - Marketing and/or Production. What easier way to get roles in a project than by being a producer right? Sure its blatant self casting and all, but by working with the people doing the casting and producing and all the big-decision-work of a cartoon, dub, movie, whatever, is going to make you known. If you can handle getting through 4 years of learning how to turn art into business, this would work, And it would definitely give you a very solid degree to branch off into other fields if Voice Acting ends up not working for you.

6- Japanese - If you really have your heart set on Dubs, this is another option. Very often Production studios for Anime Dubs are looking for Translators/Script Writers and being Fluent in Japanese and knowledgable of its culture is a must. The voice of Shigure from Furuba (Fruits Basket, whatever) actually got the role from being the script writer/translator. So it does work, I can't tell you how often though.

Those are the ones I could think of. As for good schools for them, Thats beyond me. I can tell you off the bet I've yet to find a school with more than 2 years of Japanese available. (Frustrating because I would have liked to Minor in Japanese). I know that Columbia College in Chicago offers all these Majors (its also expensive. >< But w/e.) I'm sure if you do research you can find good colleges that offer these majors. ^^

Hope I was helpful! ^^"

[Iscabibble]

I know that some schools offer degrees in Asian studies. Saint Mary's, here in Nova Scotia, is one. I would have taken it, but I'm too eager to get out of school for a year or two to start a whole new degree now. Too close to finish the one I have now. =P

[AsIaN pAnDa]

Wow, thanks for the help. This makes searching for a college a lot easier now that I have some sort of criteria. You saved me a lot of time so thanks a lot!!

[topleka]

I really wouldn't recommend trying to narrow your colleges down to something that will advance you as a voice actor and only that. I know that you'd really like to be a voice actor, as would I, but don't make that your only criteria. ^_^;;