Creating Money out of Voices.

Much has been said about the skills and talent one must posses to entertain anyone with their voice. Some of us for years, have adored cartoons, anime and telenovela without noticing the most important factor in the show – the voice actor. Many of us dream to take part in a role that will define a popular koreanovela or anime series in television.

So what do you do, to find your way into the business of voice acting? How do you even start auditioning for the roles? What can you do to make your voice silly and make a living out of it. Fortunately there’s an easy and effective way to learn this.

From the creators of the Philippine Center for Voice Acting that gave you the first International-based Voice Over Acting Clinic.. CreatiVoices Productions present: VoiceWorx! Basic Voice Acting Workshop.

The seminar features some of the Philippine’s best Voice Actors converging into one comprehensive and targeted VO seminar for the voice actor at heart, enthusiasts and those who wish to explore their potential in the arts.

It covers 8 intensive sessions about 2-3 hours each on the art of voice acting, managing your vocal investment, characterization, trade history, and skills and techniques to jumpstart your career in voiceovers. This seminar highlights dubbing for anime and telenovela, taught by leading experts in the field of Television Dubbing.

Participating in this workshop is the father of Dubbing in the Philippines, Danny Mandia who teaches voice acting for dubbers, his direction and supervision includes some of the most beloved animated films in Filipino including, Inuyasha, Zenki, Dog of Flanders, B’Tx, Rorouni Kenshin, Starship Operators, Capricorn, Saber Marionette, and hundreds of others.. Industry experts say you cannot be a “real” dubber without passing through Manny’s direction.

Also appearing in the workshop is Alexx Agcaoili, the very talented voice actor and Director for Filipino anime productions like, Fruits Basket, Rave Master, Mobile Suit Gundam, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Beast Machines, Supergals, Babel 1 and 2, Green Rose, and many more. Taking the role of Dr. Smith in the original Filipino Voltes V and Sanosuke Kagara in Samurai X (Rorouni Kenshin). His contribution to the workshop will be in direct supervision of the recording process and applications of voice acting.

The two is teamed up with writer and translator for television, Neil Tolentino. A well known veteran writer in the industry of dubbing. He will cover familiarity with translation, writing skills and techniques for anime and telenovela. As he says, “You should not only know how to act, but to write what you’re supposed to act..” Directing in Fortune Quest L, and Saber Marionnet J to X, is just a few of the hundreds of animes and telenovelas he has helped become a success.

Leading the seminar is veteran Voice Performer Brian Mathew Ligsay, who started out as a deejay when he was just 16. Now turning 29, he is the Marketing Director and Chief Operating Officer of CreatiVoices Productions, a company with a platoon of 200 Voice over talents at their disposal. He adds, “ Voice acting is an art.. it’s a passion. You speak by heart and you work by heart..” He has done thousands of voiceover jobs for narrations, live events, AVPs, the internet, original animation, gaming, multi-media, radio and television dubbing. Credited to his work in anime is his role in the animated series BECK wherein he took 18 character roles in the show. Brian is also a director, producer and writer for original content.

Pocholo Gonzales steps in as the moderator of the group - a multi-awarded voice talent who outlasts the number of voices he can make. Whenever you hear a Mike Enriquez, Mark Logan, Babalu, FVR, Erap, Juan Flavier sound alike on radio, expect that to be Pocholo. He can do more than 100 voices at any given time and is the CEO and Managing Director of CreatiVoices Productions. Saying, “This seminar is a US-based Voice Over training workshop, localized to fit the Filipino Market..” His exposure to Commercials for Radio and Television provides an extensive source of industry norms and practices one must understand in order to break into the business.

The Workshop which is limited to 10 students per class and starts this June 16, for the regular classes which is held once a week for 8 Saturdays. Pilot classes start on June 18, which compresses the entire workshop to about 1 session per day, Mondays to Fridays, so you can finish the seminar in 8 consecutive days. Both offer the same content, but they recommend you take the regular classes if you are just starting in the industry.

“Whatever your skills are, voice acting can help you out...” Ligsay adds. “Any form of verbal communication can be effectively delivered with the use of voice acting. If you constantly work and meet people, write scripts for events, engage in sales or you just want to boost your speaking performance... then this workshop is a must.”

Enthusiasts can call 729-7274 for registration, drop by at their office at the 3rd flr Left Wing (Lightblue bldg) 1745 Dian St Palanan Makati City. You can visit their website at www.creativoices.com or email brian@creativoices.com for details about this exciting event. But hurry, time and seminar slots are running out.


What is a Voice-Over?
“ A voice over is any recording or performance by one or more unseen voices for the purpose of communicating a message” – James Alburger. Any message you hear without seeing the

performer is considered to be voice-over. This means voice-over is all around us! Whether you are listening to the radio, watching movies or television, dining at your fast food restaurant or riding the rail transit, voice-overs can be heard!

Is doing Voice-overs hard?
Voice-overs can actually be done by anyone! And it’s a very rewarding job indeed. A lot of Voice Talents are being paid to play and many professional voice-overs get their kick out of the industry just by enjoying what they do. Anybody can do a voice-over, but not everybody can do voice acting.

The Hope of the Voice Acting Industry

“With great talent comes great responsibilities,” as evidently seen on the works of Pocholo Gonzales CEO of Creativoices Productions. This man of action is using his experiences and theories to shoulder the fortification of the voice acting commerce.
Born with a vision, a chap with enormous passion on the field he truly belongs advocates the strengthening of the voice talent industry. At an early age of 12, Pocholo already visualized himself as a voice talent; he promised himself the glamour of radio by being firm on his dream to be heard by millions of people. Completely aware on how voice actors of before failed to make the profession a legitimate industry, he aimed to take the trade notches higher.

Filipinos are known for their talent, bearing powerful vocal chords that has been available ever since the era of zarzuela to radio drama. But the golden voice was turned into a cheap commodity.

Since then voice talents are taken for granted, now being paid by 80 php per script recording compared to its former price of 500 and 300 php, considering that voice acting has long been running as an entertainment and information channel and is still a necessity in the given scenes.

male voice talentfemale voice talent
A Blend of Voice and Technology

Adept voice control, latest technology and the best entrepreneurial skills, all combined for a business not only designed for profit but also as haven for voice talents, was started byPocholo with Chiz Escudero Pocholo Gonzales, CEO of Creativoices Productions.

“Nagstart ako sa zero, wala akong pera ang naging puhunan ko lang boses ko.”(I started with nothing, the only asset I have is my voice.) But this field is the CEO’s first love so he braved the odds and turned his talent into a more serious business.

Through adequate skills and natural talent he operated a company dedicated for voice acting. “We started 2005, pero ang first name of our company is Univoicesal Productions. I was inspired kasi by Universal Studios pero short-lived siya so we created Creativoices Productions.” (We started in 2005 but the company was first named as Univoicesal Productions, because I was inspired with Universal Studios but it was short-lived so we recreated it as Creativoices Production,) he shared.

He recalled that, “Nagsimula kami sa maliit, recording muna sa bahay tapos nagkaroon din ng sariling recording studio at as of now I have 200 voice talents sa record.” (We started small, recording our projects at home until we had our own recording studio and as of now I have 200 voice talents in record.)

With a mission at hand, he prepared himself by taking the proper education. He took up a Bachelor Degree in Speech Communications and Masters Degree in Broadcast Communication at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. To flourish his skills even more he attended Voice Acting Lessons in Hollywood, mastering the art of voice acting in its various forms such as radio drama, dubbing, voice over for commercial, AVP and Narration.

He branded himself as the Voice master having the talent and the knowledge that will carry the future of this small-scale industry into greener pastures.

Pocholo is lobbying a blend of talent and technology, making use of the latest gadgets to enhance the voice industry. He is the spearhead of a now best selling service – the podcast, a revolutionary method of sending voice-over information via the Internet. Derived from its root words Ipod and Broadcast, Podcast resembles a radio program available in the Internet.

The company’s operations serve as a host that protects the rights of voice talents while ensuring not only the needed quality but to as much as possible exceed the studioclient’s expectations on voice services. With this, the company earned big clients from different industries such as politicians who used the podcast for its electoral campaign; (Election 2007, a tie up with inquirer.net is an example of Podcast) Advertising companies for voice over on commercials, TV and Radio companies for radio drama and dubbings and many other.

Standing solely in the market as voice providers, the company patterned its business from international voice over standards. There are many recording studios in the Philippines but only Creativoices focus on the welfare of voice artists.

Heroic Voice

Voice acting is not a dying industry; in fact just like celebrities flaunting their beauty in the screen, these talented people whose voices echo through the TV, radio and every other medium, should also have their share of the limelight for they are also stars on their own right.

The number of foreign shows that are turned into Tagalog broadcasting and Anime’s that swept the screens of today is a proof that Voice Acting is then and still an imperative part of entertainment. Therefore voice artists are also big players in the industry.

For the implementation of his plans, Gonzales established an institution that will serve aspocholo sanctuary for voice talents. “Why not create something for the industry,” he shared as he unravels his mission of founding Creativoices Productions. “Basically this is my passion, my first love, it has been here ever since but the craft was not professionalize.” So the young CEO took it upon himself to make his talent a better vocation. His small voice is his armor to continue the legacy of voice acting as he strives to change the future of other budding talents.

Creativoices for Pocholo conveys a lot of meaning, “Creating Voices, creative voices or the voice of creativity. So the company’s function is to focus on voice acting as an art,” he added. By establishing the company, Pocholo aims to address the individualism among voice artists. “Kasi dito sa Pilipinas ang problema ng voice talents, kanya kanyang diskarte kaya walang tintawag na market value. Kahit na anong galing ng isang voice talent Kung wala kang entity, pwede kang ibagsak ng malalaking kumpanya.” (The problem with Filipino Voice talents is that they work individually, therefore losing their market value. No matter how good you are if you don’t have an entity, big companies could easily turn you down.)

Next Generation of Creativoices

“Sound can be visualized and imagined a thousand ways so casting imagination to its listeners, that’s the wonder of voice over work,” shared by Pocholo also a Director of Hero TV and the youngest board member of the Animation Council of the Philippines.

Combing the flair for innovative voice acting and entrepreneurial skills, Creativoices is growing by leaps and bounds, “I keep on studying researching and discovering new trends” revealed by the voice actor as the secret components of a successful business.

Creativoices has been a part of E-services Philippines a fair designed by the Center for International Trade Exposition and Missions for IT companies in two years and by joining such exhibits the CEO is dreaming to make the Philippines the center of Voice over industry in Asia like call center or BPO in principle.

Envisioning the future of the company, Pocholo shared his plans, “Plan ko mag venture in the future sa another entity na related like video. Gusto ko din kasi ng mga video documentaries.” (I’m planning to venture into another entity that is related to audio projects like video because I am fond of video documentaries as well.) The company’s focus is on the artistry of being a voice talent; and because of technology nothing is impossible on producing the best audiovisuals giving limitless possibilities to their listeners and viewers.

For more information on Creativoices Productions log on to www.creativoices.com.

Angara: A leader rises
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Senator Ed Angara proposed a mandatory health insurance program for Filipino children.
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Senator Edgardo J. Angara, the longest serving senator in the post-EDSA Senate, began his political career when he was elected as one of the youngest delegates to the 1971 Constitutional Convention.

A year later he founded what would become one of the country's top law firms known by the initials ACCRA . Honing his skills while practicing, Angara was eventually elected as president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) in 1979, an indication of his rise to prominence in the legal profession.

In recognition of his internationalist views and pragmatism, he was chosen in 1980 as founding president of the ASEAN Law Association, an organization that seeks to harmonize laws in the region and promote a common focus on key issues and policies.

But it was his tenure as president of UP from 1981-1987 where he made his mark after gaining the respect of students and faculty for his professionalism and determination to make the state university attain its true status as the premiere educational center in the country.

He rallied alumni in the country and abroad to pool their resources for various projects to mark UP's diamond jubilee in 1983, including the creation of additional professorial chairs and faculty grants. Through his efforts, the liberal arts curriculum was strengthened, a seven-year honors medical curriculum installed, humanities and science were energized, and a multi-campus university organization was instituted.

In essence, the whole UP system was reorganized to make it more efficient and attuned to the changing times.

He defended the state university's tradition of dissent and fiscal autonomy, while maintaining its reputation for academic excellence. He established stronger links with the business community and alumni organizations, raising the biggest faculty endowment in the university. It came as no surprise then that despite being a political neophyte in the 1987 senatorial elections, he placed in the top five.

By this time, he had established a reputation as a resolute reformer and firm leader, winning praise for his non-confrontational stance on contentious domestic and international issues, while building consensus at the same time.

The same reputation enabled him as Senate President (1993-1995) and as senator (1987-1998, 2001-present) to get through the legislative gridlock that stood between the Legislative and Executive branches of government. He made a difference in the lives of others by pushing for the passage of laws on arts and culture, agriculture, education, good governance, health and social welfare.

As chairman of the Congressional Commission on Education, Angara sponsored laws that resulted in the creation of the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skill Development Authority, both of which enabled the Department of Education to focus on its main concern - basic education.

He also sponsored the Free High School Act that ensured secondary education even for the poorest; the Senior Citizens Act (or The Angara Law) that allowed the elderly to avail of substantial discounts when buying medicine or riding public transport; the National Health Insurance Act, or PHILHEALTH, that provided insurance to every citizen; the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE), the biggest scholarship program.

Under his Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA), farmers and fisher folk benefited from improved seeds and plant materials, better irrigation, better financing and market access.

He authored the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers and was the principal author of the laws that created the new National Museum and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts.

As secretary of agriculture (1999-2001), he had the opportunity to implement his own creation, AFMA.

He oversaw an improvement of food production programs and support services that led to a bigger harvest of rice, a development that underscored the drive to attain self-sufficiency. Overall, the agricultural sector saw a growth rate of three percent since 2000, compared with a 1.2 percent growth over the past two decades.

He served as executive secretary (2001), albeit briefly, during the presidency of Joseph Estrada, and oversaw the peaceful transition of power after the second people power revolution.

As Philippine National Bank chairman (1998-1999), he made the bank a major player in the domestic financial market.
Senator Edgardo J. Angara
Senator Edgardo J. Angara

Upon assuming the leadership of LDP, the dominant opposition party, he began to quietly transform the party into formidable institution bent on effecting change in the political and economic infrastructure of the country, like decentralizing the national government and removing barriers that hinder the entry of foreign investment.

Today, he is overseeing a number of important legislative measures, like the Bio-fuels Act that aims to lessen dependence on imported oil and promote increased usage of renewable energy, and the Political Party Development and Campaign Finance Reform Act that seeks to make political parties ideology-based organizations and true instruments of change.

A recipient of the Commandeur dans l'ordre des Palmes citation from France , Angara was also director of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption in 2002

As a further testament to his international experience, he was elected last year as charter president of the Southeast Asia Parliamentarians Against Corruption. Not coincidentally, Angara was the author of the Procurement Reform Act, the biggest anti-corruption law in Philippine history, as well as the father of the Ombudsman Law.

It has not been easy scaling the ladder of corporate law, the academe and politics and becoming one of the country's top public leaders, but Angara has impressed his peers.

Sen. Angara is married to the former Gloria Manalang, past chairperson of the Cultural Center of the Philippines , and has four children. His son, Juan Edgardo, currently represents his home province of Aurora , while daughter Anna is a trained museum curator. Another daughter, Katerina, is completing her arts studies, while the youngest, Alexandra, is graduating with an economics degree from the London School of Economics in the UK.