As of the moment, I work as a freelance content writer for an offshore Australian fishing company. I write water-body and fishing themed articles focused on informing individuals about fishing hot-spots around the world. I used to be a software engineer for large tech company, but I lost my drive for that field and decided to shift gears in my career. After some self-introspection, I decided to fall back on my passion for speech and writing.
Family and peers have often commented on the way I speak, encouraging me to try and find a way to make a career out of it or at least share my perceived talents to others.
So I did some research on how to do just that, luckily I stumbled upon the CVAP program and saw the testimonies made by people who finished it. I realized that this is a real opportunity for me and enrolled for the position. Right now, I feel that I'm ready to begin in this new journey.
WHAT IS CVAP?
I have to admit that I was rather nervous when the first class was about to begin. One of the initial requirements was to create an intro video in it, you need to introduce yourself and give your expectations regarding CVAP. So I was really worried that I would be too shy to present in front of a camera, thankfully I was able to overcome this hurdle by believing in my skills.
The first day of the program was mainly focused on explaining CVAP's function, history and overall goals. It was very interesting to learn how such a program came to be and helped add context and importance what 's happening with CVAP today.
I learned that CVAP is an online workshop created by Pocholo The "Voice Master" Gonzales. The program is meant to teach someone the ins and outs of voice acting, this includes dubbing, voice-overs, hosting, and everything that involves voice artistry.
The First Day
When the hosts were introduced, I was both impressed and slightly overwhelmed. These people were masters of their craft, the could entertain, inform and engage with over 100 people with little to no effort. These opening segments enthralled me on what a voice artist can accomplish, and I was in it for the long run. I was excited for the next few weeks, there was so much to learn and here were best of the best sharing their knowledge on the industry. It was a privilege I didn't intend to waste.
When Mr. Pocholo came into the call, my expectations were surpassed. He was every bit as talented as the hosts hyped him up to be. But what surprised me the most was his transparency. He didn't sugar coat how difficult and sometimes downright unfair the voice artist industry could be. He came clean on how he plans to teach us through practice and not on a by the numbers step-by-step process.
He even made a jab on "Motivational speakers", that comment genuinely got me chuckling like a little boy. In hindsight he was right in a lot of ways, many of them really do give the most generic "you can do it" speeches and still get paid for their time without them actually saying anything truly meaningful. Contrast with the Voice master, who tried to cram meaning on every statement he makes in the time he's sharing with all of us.
Once the groups and weekly assignments were given I was motivated to do my best. I did each activity the best I could and even after all that, I'm still excited for the coming weeks.
Assignments
The first assignments I accomplished were the commercials. Completing them helped me acclimate to video editing and voice mixing. The first few ones were the most difficult, the remaining ones were more manageable after I got used to the applications' interface. I got more creative with the radio ads and AVPs after using my voice to do different characteristics. I hope I continue to improve in the coming lectures!
I know that there are still so many tricks of the trade that I still have learn to even have the chance of staying relevant in this field, but I am dedicated to seeing it all now, I hope my voice-mates are as excited as me for the next lessons in the CVAP program!
VLOG
As part of the requirements, I've attached my Vlog here for documentation.