When most people think of acting, their frame of reference is visual — namely the stars they see on a TV show or in a film. But for Yumi Iwama, an actress whose credits include both media, it’s more important that you hear her voice.

Iwama has found her acting passion in voice-over work, a part of the industry where no one is judged for their beauty, age, gender or ethnicity, she says. Success depends on the timbre of your voice.

There is a variety of work: TV and radio commercials, animated projects, audio books, educational materials, video games and corporate video narration. Film directors often turn to the voice-over community when a star is too busy to re-record dialogue to replace bits that couldn’t be heard clearly the first time, Iwama says. And voice-over specialists are brought in to provide atmospheric conversations for scenes with big crowds.

"There are so many opportunities," Iwama says. "It’s pretty amazing."

The opportunities are so tantalizing that the University of Hawaii’s Pacific New Media program is bringing Iwama to Hawaii to lead one of its four Actors Core Training classes. The classes include the business of acting on June 23, the audition process on June 24, improvisation skills on June 25 and Iwama’s voice-over class on June 26.

As of last week, Iwama’s class was attracting the most students and it’s easy to understand why. One of voice-over’s biggest attractions is that much of it can be done at home, she says.

"I have a recording studio in a closet of my home," says Iwama, who lives in Los Angeles. "I soundproofed it. I have a microphone in there and a place to hold my script. I will spend hours in my closet recording all kinds of things."

Similarly, a voice-over specialist doesn’t have to live in Los Angeles to have a successful career.

"Companies from all over the world want American accents," she says. "You can live anywhere and have an equal shot. That’s why I want to teach in Hawaii. There are a lot of people with talent but who don’t have access to casting directors.

"With voice-over they can start a solid career."

Iwama grew up in New Jersey — if you ask her to say "down the shore" she can prove it — and says she was interested in voice-overs from an early age, making mock radio announcements on a tape recorder with her brother.

She got into it professionally only about four years ago when the pressures of raising twins — a boy and a girl who are now 11 — made it nearly impossible to drop everything for a traditional acting audition.

But voice-over work holds a greater attraction for Iwama than cozy work at home in her pajamas. It’s an antidote for an industry that doesn’t always treat aging actresses or Asians very well, she says. (And no, she won’t tell you her age.)

"What’s great about that is the casting is colorblind and it’s all about the voice," she says. "I do feel that the ground is more even for voice-overs. I think on camera there is ageism and racism and a lot of different things."

All this doesn’t mean it’s a snap to land a voice-over job. It’s a very competitive specialty and you need more than a nice speaking voice, Iwama says.

"They want someone who can be a good actor," she says. "And they want character in a voice: a low gravely voice. A bright young mom. A flaky teenager.

"They don’t want bland voices."

To register for Iwama’s class or the other Actors Core Training sessions, go to www.outreach.hawaii.edu/ pnm.

AND that’s a wrap …

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Mike Gordon is the Star-Advertiser’s film and television writer. Read his Outtakes Online blog at honolulupulse.com. Reach him at 529-4803 or email mgordon@staradvertiser.com.