Voice actors and producers such as Natsumi Hioka and Wakana Kuramochi answer questions from the trainees! What abilities are required of a voice actor? [Round table interview]

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A voice acting agency founded by Cho Matsuoka, a former Osawa office manager who trained Ayako Kawasumi, Mamiko Noto, and Kana Hanazawa.full power productionNow in its second year, this timeclaire voice、Product BaobabA new talent development audition will be held jointly with the company.

Voice acting is now a popular profession. However, only a handful can succeed. Therefore, we held a roundtable discussion with professional voice actors, producers, and trainees who passed through the first-year auditions and attended the training school to discuss what it is actually necessary to be successful as a voice actor.

The participants are known for works such as “Delicious Party♡PreCure”Natsumi Hioka“Shinigami Bochan and the Black Maid”Wakana Kuramochi、Yuji Matsukura, producer of JCSTAFFfrom the training schoolWakana Makaino, Yume Matsumura, Ayane Bando。

[Text by Hotaka Sugimoto Photography by You Ishii]

■One on-site lesson out of 40 lessons

–Since we have two professionals here, it might be a good idea to have the trainees ask questions.

Matsukura:I agree. There are things I can say from my perspective as a producer, but there are also many things I don’t understand, so I’ll keep asking questions.

Ma Kaino: Since you started working in the field, I would like to know if there are any changes or things you have noticed about yourself.

Kuramochi：There were a lot of people who were good at the training school, but when they went to the field, there were a lot of people who were on a different level. The way they act and the level of pressure they use are completely different, so I thought I could learn more from 40 lessons and one on-site session.

Matsukura: Kuramochi-kun won his first audition for one of our works, “Shinigami Bochan and the Black Maid.” At that time, everyone around me was amazing, including my partner Hiroshi Kamiya.

Kuramochi: That’s right. There are a lot of amazing people like Hiroshi Kamiya, Natsuki Hanae, Inori Minase, and Yoshitada Otsuka, and they all follow instructions and bring out even more interesting things, so there’s a lot to learn on set. I couldn’t even follow instructions properly and ended up going in strange directions…

Matsukura：But I gradually became able to do it. What did you do along the way?

Kuramochi: I always watched the performances of my seniors and took detailed notes of everything. There are people who don’t move their bodies at all, and there are people who act while keeping the rhythm with their toes.When the bold is long, does this person act at this speed? I was trying. Furthermore, when I watched the play when it was broadcast, I was able to confirm that each part of the play was done in order to express these emotions.

Hioka：In the beginning, the microphone was scary and seemed expensive. I was shaking so much just saying my lines while all the veterans were watching. When I was a newbie, I read the script hundreds of times and went to the set based on a pattern, but when I did that, I ended up focusing on my own acting and couldn’t hear the other people’s acting. I’ll put it away. That’s no good, so it’s important to do about 80% of the preparation and be able to create the rest based on the atmosphere and dialogue on the set. Once I had that leeway, I stopped being afraid of the microphone, and acting became fun.

Ma Kaino: There was a lot of dialogue in the Full Power Production lesson, and even though we tried to solidify it in advance, the play didn’t seem friendly, as you said, and we couldn’t create the atmosphere properly.

Matsukura: It’s important to understand the flow before and after the play, and to get a feel for the atmosphere of the conversation. Kuramochi-kun wasn’t able to do it at first either, because he made it 100%.

Kuramochi: I really can’t face Matsukura-san! During the first season of “Shinigami Bochan and the Black Maid,” I knew that I wasn’t good at it, so I worked hard at it. A voice actor that I respect says he only reads the script twice…I can’t really do that, but I’ve learned that it’s better not to be too rigid in your acting, so you can change things up as the situation arises. I did.

Matsukura: I asked Kuramochi-kun to play the character of a girl who doesn’t read the atmosphere. It was a bit clumsy, but it fit the character well. That’s what’s interesting about casting; it’s not necessarily the correct answer to do 100% acting, but the important thing is to become the character. After that, I started to see him getting more and more into the character, and I thought he was growing.

■There is always something you can do to help your seniors.

Matsumura：Do you have a daily routine or something you always do before going to work?

Kuramochi:I try to watch at least two 10-minute voice training videos on Youtube before I go to the field. Even if it’s just a one-word role, I’ll definitely do it. I also do some simple stretches to keep my back muscles straight.

Hioka:I always take a shower before going to work. That way, I feel like my whole body is relaxed and my voice comes out. Sometimes I practice my voice in the bathroom. If you don’t practice your voice, your throat won’t open.

Matsukura: There are people who let their guard down and can’t speak at all in the morning (lol).

Hioka：However, I think that you are a professional because you can perform well even in such conditions. It’s not possible for me, so I try to take proper care of myself before going.

I’m sure there are things that veterans can help you with when you go out into the field. In the first production I had the chance to play the lead role in, I was the only newcomer and the people around me were all veterans. They gave me a lot of support, including explaining parts of the direction that I didn’t understand, and staying with me when I couldn’t do it well and staying with me. I think it’s okay to accept such kindness in the beginning, and when you become a senior, you can do the same for younger children.

Matsukura：In the past, there were times when we intentionally set up teams so that the veterans could take care of the newcomers. These days, it’s often young people who are part of the main cast, so it may not be possible to teach them how to do it that way.