The progress of the internet and automated technology conveyed an excellent opportunity for the industry of voice acting. In the Philippines, there’s a wide range of voice acting projects as localization made the industry huge and prosperous. Dubbing for children’s stories and international movies and TV series in our native language and sometimes even in our native dialects are some of the localized ventures that helped the industry flourish. Pocholo Gonzales, “The VoiceMaster,” predicted this growth and revolutionized the industry through his school. Armed with multiple awards, five acclaimed books, and passion for what he does, Pocholo pursues his teaching career as a mentor for new and aspiring voice talents in the Philippine Center for Voice Acting (PCVA) with the CreatiVoices Productions. As the PCVA is the first and only voice acting school in the country, students are pouring every day, and there is a huge need to expand its reach towards other provinces.
The call for voice acting education to be accessible is eventually solved by establishing Voice Act Now, an enhanced version of the VoiceWorx workshops, and adapting it online as the Certified Voice Artist Program (CVAP). This was also a response to the COVID-19 pandemic as the country was placed under quarantine. The said workshop goes beyond the classroom and introduces the students to real-life voice acting to apply what they learned in training. This creates a healthy community in the school and industry as it motivates young talents to not only learn by the book but also in application. It also promotes the culture of sharing opportunities as the workshop encourages the students to make their mark inside and outside the studio.
As a titan in the voice acting industry, Pocholo’s initiative of inspiring young talents and mentoring experienced voice actors is a huge step in making the Philippines the first choice for dubbing and voiceover in Asia. He believes that together with the fact that Filipinos are good English language speakers and the effort of everyone at PCVA, the Philippines can be the center of voiceover excellence in Asia.