And why he says “I absolutely love it”
Pocholo “the Voicemaster” Gonzales is the most hated voice artist in the Philippines – and he loves it. The multi-awarded and world-renowned Philippine voice actor says that being “hated” is a sign that he’s doing something right.
“People hate me because I talk about the toxic and exclusive system in the voice acting industry in the Philippines,” he says. “People assume that voice acting is all about the money – but it’s so much more than that. It’s about loyalty, compassion, dedication, spirit, and care – the desire and need to go beyond yourself and let your voice tell a story.”
This commitment to voice artistry is the principle behind CVAP, or the Certified Voice Acting Program that the Voicemaster himself founded several years ago. He says that CVAP gets a bad rap, but only because it focuses more on his “Pochologies”, or his life philosophies on voice artistry, rather than mere technicalities.
He clarifies, “Voice acting is about letting your voice be heard, and knowing that your voice is needed. So many people think that we only care about the next paycheck – but they’re wrong. That’s why I tell CVAP enrollees from the very start that if they only want the money, they should leave.”
A Culture of Excellence
The Voicemaster explains that voice acting is about art and the culture behind it. That is why he is so adamant that new voice artists should learn how to care for themselves and one another, and use their voices for good rather than simply wanting fame. He laments that while there are “more” Filipino voice talents today, less than half of them are inspired by voice artistry itself. Rather, they merely want to be called an artist “for the heck of it”.
CVAP, he says, is the light. The founding principle of the trusted voice acting program is to build a culture of excellence among experienced and new voice actors. “You can kill the people (hypothetically of course), but if you have a strong culture, you can always rebuild the industry,” the Voicemaster says.
This is why CVAP features a unique and revolutionary approach to teaching. Each batch is taught by previous students, to spread the culture of spirit and loyalty. In a profound use of “the students becoming teachers,” Pocholo Gonzales already is letting previous CVAP graduates become mentors for new artists. This allows the CVAP culture to continue – even without its founders being present.
Why He is So Hated
Despite his love for the industry, the Voicemaster says that there is a lingering pus that is festering in it. Rather than being inclusive, the Philippine voice acting industry is entirely exclusive and focused more on the “crab mentality”.
“The system and culture of the voice acting industry in the Philippines has a sickness – a sickness that needs to be treated,” he says. “That’s why I am hated so much. I talk about why this industry has a toxic culture, and everyone else says that it’s my fault. It doesn’t help that the leading critics of CVAP were former CVAP graduates themselves, who felt that I didn’t “give” enough.”
The Voicemaster explains that no one starts as great, they just start and that’s how they become great. However, some students at CVAP expected that the minute they graduated, they would be famous – and that’s hardly how the industry works, he elaborates.
The Genesis of CVAP & Its Future
CVAP began as a way to train future voice artists to embrace the art and use their voices to tell stories – particularly their own. Each batch is taught that “Someone out there needs to hear your voice” and is constantly told to inspire and empower others with their talents.
The Voicemaster observes that there will come a time when he will no longer teach or be present in the industry. However, as long as he has helped establish a culture of commitment, care, devotion, and loyalty among voice artists, then he is perfectly content being the most hated voice artist in the Philippines – at least, for those who don’t know him.