Nothing compares to be on the same screen with Mr. Danny Mandia, the Father of Modern Filipino Dubbing.
I am lucky to be one of the CVAP people who did not miss Sir Danny's talk on the third day of the Certified Voice Artist Program Batch 9.
Sir Danny is one of the most prominent dubbing directors in the country. He was one of the pioneers in the dubbing industry. He directed Ragnarok, Voltron, Zenki, and a lot more projects. Yet, despite his huge achievements, Sir Danny remained humble and helpful.
Sir Danny shared to us his story. He started his career in the dubbing industry in 1991. According to him, dubbing was not common that time and they were using Video Home System (VHS) tapes. These materials were considered the most modern back then. It is indeed nice to know that technology was evolving alongside dubbing. These two really do go together.
Sir Danny began in the industry by doing translations. He was then invited to dub minor characters and he appreciated it. Eventually, he became dubbing supervisor. In 1992, he started his dubbing directorial job in Channel 2. He directed classical cartoons. He was the sole dubbing director until 1996.
He also recalled the hardships he faced in the industry. When it comes to translating, it usually took two weeks to complete one episode because synching and choosing the right words were tedious and must be done meticulously. But in the end, he got the techniques in translating. Now, it’s already possible to translate two episodes per day.
There were also issues in the dubbing industry, according to Sir Danny. There were unfavorable events that led to the creation of workshops administered by CreatiVoices Productions.
However, aside from these hardships, of course there were many superb accomplishments in the dubbing industry. Tagalog-dubbed Meteor Garden in the early 2000s was a phenomenal success. Sir Danny showcasing his skills and sharing it to others is a success in itself.
The successful dubbing industry we know today won’t be admirable if it weren’t for the unselfish Sir Danny Mandia.
I extremely liked listening to Sir Danny. It was undeniable that he’s sincere with his words. He was also real with us, he gave us a glimpse of the reality in the industry. He also gave us advices that are worth noting. I love what Sir Danny and Sir Choy have in common: the desire to always share what they know and what they have while keeping their feet on the ground.
