What Jobs are in the Anime Industry?

So, you’re an anime fan who is interested in making the leap into the anime industry. You’ve probably read my first blog: Want to work in the anime industry? Perhaps you still don’t have a definite idea of which roles you wish to pursue. I’ve selected some jobs that are crucial to talk about in this blog that may help spark some ideas. There are many roles in the industry aside from animation. I will not be touching base on animation because the work is primarily done in Japanese studios. I’m not discouraging anyone from pursuing animation if they wish, but just know that the chances are very slim unless you start your own animation studio. Let’s dive right in!

Audio Engineer

According to careerexplorer.com, an audio engineer is a person who works with the mechanics of sound recording, mixing, and reproducing (CareerExplorer, 2021). They are not the same as music producers, performers, or writers. Their job is to keep the production going smoothly. They’re responsible for making sure that every line is recorded in the right program, and then recording each take in an organized way so that they can be edited later. Basically, they are the quiet geniuses behind clean and crisp English anime dubs. Audio Engineers in the United States make anywhere from $30,000 to $82,000 a year, depending on their experience (Dark Horse, 2020). 

Japanese to English Translator

Translating is a hard process, it involves having a good understanding of both the culture and the target audience that you’re trying to reach. Doing it right can be challenging, especially since it involves making subtle changes to make the content more authentic. Few people realize that translating anime to English is a bit harder than translating text in English. In addition, the Japanese language doesn’t use articles or specific words. It relies on the context of a situation and is difficult to adapt to when speaking to someone who is different from you. On the plus side, translators have the flexibility to work in either the manga industry or the anime industry. 

Check out Reina Scully, a Japanese to English translator AND voice actress who expands more on the complexity of translating anime. 

According to talent.com, the average salary for a Japanese to English translator in the United States is approximately $58,750 per year. More experienced translators can make up to $101,950 per year (Talent.com, 2021).

Licensing & Merchandise Managers

This particular role comes with an abundance of responsibilities and must be handled with care. Unlike other forms of media, licensing an anime series is not an easy process. This process is typically done in a time-delicate manner, and it involves a lot of legalese and case law. A licensing manager is primarily responsible for overseeing the IP licensing duties of a particular anime. They also have responsibilities that include overseeing and managing license administrators. However, licensing can be fun, especially when collaborating with other brands for cross-overs, collaboration, and other types of sub-licensing partnerships.  According to Glassdoor.com, the national average salary for a Licensing Manager is approximately $83,633 per year in the United States.

Voice Acting

This role is probably one of the more popular jobs available in the industry. It is also the most highly competitive role and requires experienced actors. Voice acting is an art form that requires a lot of practice and effort to master. Doing voice acting is not about making fun of others, it is about honing your skills and communicating what the production needs and expects for you to deliver for your corresponding character. These days, voice actors can work in diverse sectors such as radio shows, video games, audiobook narrations, and stage performances. They can also be used in video game characters and in advertisements. So even if you don’t land a voice acting role in anime, target other areas to gain experience! Voice actors are typically contractors and are paid by the hour. Their rates may range from $60 – $300 per hour. Of course, more experienced voice actors will get paid more. 

Voice acting is a lot of fun! Check out this behind-the-scenes video of Olivia Swasey preparing for her role in Vinland Saga, while some of my coworkers fully embrace the Viking experience. 

Do any of these roles spark your interest? If not, there are many additional roles that are also crucial to the industry such as marketing, accounting, production and so much more! I hope this blog gets you closer to initializing your career path. Ganbatte!

References

Bogna, J. (2019, February 19). Nerdy jobs: The artist who translates anime for an American audience. SYFY WIRE. Retrieved September 21, 2021, from https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/nerdy-jobs-translating-anime-for-crunchyroll-and-an-american-audience.

Dark Horse (2020, December 4). Audio engineer salaries – what you can expect to earn. Dark Horse Institute – Audio Engineering & Music Business School. Retrieved September 21, 2021, from https://darkhorseinstitute.com/audio-engineering-salaries/.

CareerExplorer. (2021, January 27). What does an audio engineer do? CareerExplorer. Retrieved September 21, 2021, from https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/audio-engineer/.

Japanese+English+translator salary in USA – average salary. Talent.com. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2021, from https://www.talent.com/salary?job=japanese%2Benglish%2Btranslator.

How to Start a Career in Anime: 3 Tips to Boost Your Resume

So, the big question is “How to start a career in anime?” Regardless of your skill set and background, here are three things I strongly recommend you should look into before you begin your quest!

Please note that my recommendations are suitable for the anime industry here in the North American market, and may not be applicable to the Japanese market.

  1. Be an anime fan

This one is a no-brainer. You absolutely have to be a fan of the product. Being a casual anime fan is fine, but if you live and breathe anime, even better. For example, I work in the marketing department at Sentai Filmworks. To be quite totally honest, I was already an anime fan before I started working in the industry, but there were many titles that Sentai has to offer that I was just absolutely clueless about! In order to fulfill my responsibilities and roles in social media marketing, I had to get familiar and FAST. I’ve been exposed to titles I wish I knew about before, such as MADE IN ABYSS, Land of the Lustrous, SCHOOL-LIVE! & so much more!

It wouldn’t make sense to work in marketing and not be able to market titles you know nothing about. And I have to thank my time here at Sentai & HIDIVE for expanding my anime palette. If you are looking to work in other departments or part of the industry such as legal or accounting, then perhaps you don’t need to live and breathe anime. However, for roles in marketing, production, and voice acting, I firmly suggest knowing your stuff!

2. Volunteer and network at anime-related events

Did you know, that 85% of jobs are filled through networking? In fact, one in four applicants doesn’t network at all (Frost, 2019). If your town hosts a local anime convention or event, sign up to volunteer! Volunteering will let you get a preview of the business aspect of the anime industry while also networking. Many vendors seek volunteers to set up booths, lure in customers, cosplay, and sell merchandise.

During my time as an undergrad, I would volunteer at conventions every summer and in my university’s anime club events. Another thing that helped boost my resume was volunteering to write articles and news coverage for a small gaming news site. This experience helped me stand out and really impressed the hiring recruiter. Work hard so you can be referred to other vendors or conventions who may want to utilize you or bring you on as an employee. These small steps can guide you right into the industry!

3. Stay focused and develop your skillset

This is the most important step of them all. You need to know exactly how you, as an individual, will contribute to the industry. Will you be an animator? Or perhaps a voice actor? Regardless of what it may be, stick with it and gain as much experience as you can. The industry I worked in before anime was fashion. I used to work for multiple fashion websites where I learned how to use Google Analytics, paid ads, social media marketing, SEO, and more. Sure being a fan of anime is important, but it’s also a business. And what anime companies such as Sentai, Crunchyroll, and Funimation want to know, is how YOU and your skillset will contribute to their business. Passion is admired, but your experience is what will ultimately elevate you.

Understandably, you may be thinking “well how can I have experience if I can’t get experience?”

Hence, why I strongly suggest volunteering! Or even better, start your OWN anime-related blog or channel, especially if you want to work in marketing! Start a portfolio if you’re into voice acting, graphic design, or web design! Be prepared to explain why your skillset can bring in awareness, revenue, or smoothen existing workflows.

Bonus Points: Learn Japanese 

You absolutely do not “need” to be fluent in Japanese to score a job in the anime industry (unless you want to be a translator or you want to live in Japan), but will it help you? Absolutely. According to Mimicmethod.com, it takes about 88 weeks, with consistency to learn the basics of Japanese (Do Carmo, 2019).   The Japanese language uses three writing systems: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji! Prepare some flashcards because there are over 10,000 Kanji characters used in the Japanese language. Even native speakers don’t know them all (Sakamoto, n.d.).

I took 8 semesters of Japanese in college, and to be frank, I forgot so much of my Kanji! But, it definitely gave me a resume boost according to my colleagues! It’s totally worth it, plus it comes in handy when you’re watching subbed anime.

Check out some of the Japanese language and culture books I love:

  1. Japan to Introduce Hello Kitty in English (Japan in English to Introduce)
  2. The Cambridge Companion to Modern Japanese Culture
  3. Tobira Textbook–Gateway to Advanced Japanese Learning through Content and Multimedia

Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to check back next week for more tips!

References

Do Carmo, I. (2019, January 22). How long does it take to Learn JAPANESE: Beginners Timeline. The Mimic Method. https://www.mimicmethod.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-learn-japanese-beginners-timeline/.

Frost, A. (2019, June 25). 15 surprising stats on networking and face-to-face communication. HubSpot Blog. https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/face-to-face-networking-stats.

Sakamoto, M. (n.d.). How many ‘kanji’ should you learn? All About Japan. https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/7054/.

How does Anime Licensing Work?

Perhaps, you’re interested in developing a career in anime licensing. Unlike licensing any other kind of media, the process of licensing an anime series is a time-honored process that’s typically not an easy subject to discuss. There are MANY moving parts, variables, committees, individuals, opinions, and even data involved when involving licensing an anime title. (Even non-anime titles in the United States!) This is mostly due to the non-disclosure agreements and clauses that typically accompany most contracts. Therefore, I can’t discuss in full detail how licensing works exactly, but I can provide a brief overview! 

A license is an agreement between the copyright owner and a user. It details the legal ownership of the video for the intended use (Halkyard, 2021). In most cases, a written contract is required before a license is granted to allow the use of a video. This agreement can specify a price, limit the duration, and the intended audience for the video.

For new distributors, attending a convention is a must-do if you want to get into the content business. It’s also a great place to meet influential producers and peers. There’s a long process of “shopping around” the title, generating buzz and interest. Let’s say there’s a mutual interest to license an anime title. This is the time to discuss terms and it’s time to draft up a deal and handle potential contracts. 

I can’t discuss what exactly is listed in these contracts but topics such as territory rights, license duration, if there are holdbacks and etc are outlined. Territory rights define where the distributor can stream the anime. When it comes to anime, most of the time the territories are “worldwide” excluding Asia. Of course, each title is unique. License duration refers to how long the distributor will hold onto the license of a title. They can range from 2 years, 5 years, even 10 or 15 years depending on the title. Lastly, a holdback is a term used when a title is being shared or sublicensed between streaming services. This means that one service may have priority or “first dibs” on new episodes while the other service may have a fixed duration before being able to stream that same episode.

How much does it cost to license anime?

Depending on the title and the number of episodes each season may have, one episode can cost over $250,000 PER episode. And remember, a distributor typically purchases the entire season. If it’s a lower-tier title or a brand new series that doesn’t exactly have a track record yet, the costs are significantly lower.  In addition, it also depends if the anime is exclusive to a streaming service or not. Non-exclusive catalog titles are usually cheaper than exclusive ones. A streaming platform could pay approximately $1,000 per episode depending on the series’ demand.

Royalty amount and minimum guarantees are also discussed in contracts when it comes to licensing. Minimum guarantees are when a licensee agrees to a minimum revenue for the rights holder. If the content does not perform, the licensee may pay additional fees. On some AVOD platforms, like the streaming service, Hulu, the licensee pays a fixed amount to the content owner per view but then the distributor makes money from advertising. 

Some contracts require that the licensor provide the publisher/distributor with all of the materials they need, while others only allow the publisher to use what they give them. Some limitations also apply (like how the finished product can be used). Since the anime content is used to generate revenue, then the rights holder and the licensee will each receive a share of the transactions as agreed in the agreement. Then the process repeats when and if it’s time to renew the license for a title (Halkyard, 2021). 

Sometimes, a licensee can be on the production committee for an anime. This means that they are effectively a part of the corporation that makes the anime. As a result, they are expected to make an investment in the production budget. Usually, members of the production committee get a lower price for a license than they would be expected to pay, though they still get the same rights and privileges as everyone else. Most of the time, foreign companies are not invited to join production committees for popular titles. This is because producers may be looking for more investment or other added benefits (McDonlad, 2021).

Risks involved

One of the trickiest things in the anime licensing world is not being able to see a completed product. What many streaming services may experience is that they may have to rely on the manga version of a story to get insight before the production is complete and then translated for screenings. Prospective buyers are asked to bid in advance for shows that will be ready for production sometime in the future. Basically, they are bidding before seeing the “pilot” or preview of a title. That’s why it’s so important to use social listening tools, read fan feedback and be familiar with the manga of a story to stay up to date and make practical decisions. Even more, riskier, sometimes the prospective buyers have no idea who the production team will be, and how popular they will be. Sometimes the process involves going in blind and just hoping for the best! 

Licensing anime is super tricky, I work in the industry and sometimes I don’t even fully understand it. Each title is treated differently and has its own special conditions and limitations. It also depends if it’s a new anime title or part of an ongoing series or franchise. A new franchise entry costs significantly more than licensing a non-super popular series. This is because the demand for the product is higher than the supply. It’s even more costly as we’re currently experiencing “streaming wars” from a consumer aspect. 

Licensing anime is also the reason in one of my previous blogs, that streaming anime legally is important. Distributors and streaming companies typically have agreements to share viewership data to help quantify and evaluate different IPs. This also provides licensors to make data-driven decisions on whether or not an anime will receive an additional season or certain merchandise. What many fans may not realize, is that studios such as Funimation, Sentai, Viz Media, and Crunchyroll do NOT create anime nor do they have the authority to make a decision on whether or not an anime receives an additional season.

As mentioned, a lot of details of what happens in this process were omitted from this blog. Getting a contract to license an anime or sublicense is a bit challenging, but it’s worth it. After all, it’s a necessary step in making sure that the rights are protected for all parties involved. Most of the points discussed apply to streaming, don’t even get me started on theatrical releases! More contracts and specifics are handled in a very time-sensitive manner! So if you love dealing with contracts or you’re studying law and want to work in the anime industry, licensing may be for you! 

References

Halkyard, T. (2021, July 15). Understanding video licensing – imagen enterprise video platform. Imagen. Retrieved September 27, 2021, from https://imagen.io/blog/video-licensing/.

McDonlad, C. (2021, August 2). How much does it cost to license anime series? Anime News Network. Retrieved September 27, 2021, from https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2021-08-02/how-much-does-it-cost-to-license-anime-series/.175579.

 

 

How Piracy affects the Anime Industry

Piracy, it’s a love-hate relationship, Yes we love free stuff but it’s illegal. It’s also tempting because the only way to access the majority of available anime is through subscribing through multiple streaming services. This makes things more expensive for the consumer.  Ironically, pirating has SOME benefits such as vast catalogs and zero ads, but did you know that pirating actually hurts the anime industry?

What is piracy?

Argh, no it has nothing to do with pirates (except the stealing). According to Business Insider, “Piracy is the act of illegally copying protected content that infringes on the owner’s copyright”(Johnson, 2021).

I definitely sympathize with consumers because sometimes, the anime they desire to watch may not be available on legal streaming services, but that doesn’t excuse the action.

The anime industry in Japan is underpaid

The anime industry, specifically in Japan, is already severely underfunded, overworked, and understaffed. In Japan, an animator is typically paid around  ¥1.1 million per year (approximately $10,000 USD) in their 20s, and they make around ¥2.1 million in their 30s, and they are still earning around  ¥3.5 million in their 40s and beyond (Margolis, 2019). If you want to work in the anime industry, these are potential conditions that come with the job. Now in North America, I can’t say the same, per se, as it varies depending on the role and company. But piracy definitely affects viewership worldwide.

No second season?

How does it affect viewership you may ask? Well, legal streaming sites have legal agreements to share viewership data with Japanese licensors. If you’ve ever wondered why some really amazing titles haven’t received a second season, it’s probably because there’s not enough positive viewership data to support the idea of creating another season.

This is why piracy is so dangerous and hurtful, it robs the chance of a really good anime to gain a second season. It also affects decisions for merchandise, special editions, and more. Anime is technically more profitable in Japan, not only because Japan is where anime originated from, but because piracy laws are taken more seriously.

Again, I understand consumers, who would want to pay for all of these streaming services at once? And if you are able to afford all of them, sometimes streaming services don’t have the ones you’re looking for…

So what’s the solution? I wish I could have the answer. All I can say is this, if you love anime and want to support the creators, animators, and designers, please look for legal streaming options. There are also free websites, such as My Anime List and Anime Planet who offer 100% and legal anime with short ads. In fact, Anime Planet alone has over 45,000 legal anime episodes to watch!

References

Johnson, D. (2021, March 26). What is piracy? Here’s what you need to know about digital piracy, and how to avoid stolen digital content. Business Insider. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-piracy.

Margolis, E. (2019, July 2). The dark side of Japan’s anime industry. Vox. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/7/2/20677237/anime-industry-japan-artists-pay-labor-abuse-neon-genesis-evangelion-netflix.

Want to work in the anime industry?

So you want to find out more about how to land a job in the hottest industry… I’m here to help guide you! Anime is so popular, that it’s value hit an estimated $24 billion in 2019 (Dooley & Hida, 2021). In fact, anime is so popular, that Sony’s Funimation recently acquired its competitor, Crunchyroll, for a whopping $1.2 billion (Simons, 2021). 

Currently, I am the Social Media Coordinator at Sentai Filmworks and HIDIVE. Sentai is an anime licensing and distribution company, while HIDIVE is an anime streaming service. Both are headquartered in Houston Texas. Sentai also translates and dubs anime into English! So obviously, translators are needed! But there’s more to the business than just translating from Japanese to English, there’s also merchandising, theatricals, production, marketing, accounting and so much more! You just have to find the right fit for you and your skillset.

In this blog series, you’ll learn more about my background, how I got into the world of digital marketing, and how some of my past experiences helped me pursue a career in the anime industry. My hope is to be your Senpai, and help guide, inspire and motivate you to land your role in either the anime or the entertainment industry.

Be sure to set up your Google alerts to follow my weekly updates! Until next week!

 

References: 

Dooley, B., & Hida, H. (2021, February 24). Anime is booming. so why are animators living in poverty? Retrieved August 31, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/24/business/japan-anime.html

Simons, R. (2021, August 10). Everything you need to know about the Crunchyroll and Funimation merger. Retrieved August 31, 2021, from https://www.newsweek.com/crunchyroll-funimation-merger-explained-what-happens-now-1617743