Let’s hear it for the voice

Let’s hear it for the voice



Jaser A. Marasigan

The voices behind your favorite anime series revealed...

For a cartoon or anime lover, this may be the best job in the world – dubbing that is!

"Ang maganda sa pagiging dubber is nauuna mo ng mapanood yung mga anime," says 12-year-old Kathlyn Rose Tolentino, a first year high school student at Bulacan Ecumenical School. Kathlyn is a dubber for the local cartoon network "Hero TV.’’

Born into a TV and film dubbing family, Kathlyn remembers how she would tag along her dad to the studios. "Nakikita ko na yung ginagawa nya. Mahilig din kasi ako sa anime kaya nung tinanong ako ng tatay ko kung gusto kong ma-try mag-dub, I said yes right away,’’ Kathlyn says.

In her first dubbing experience, all Kathlyn remembers was the fun of it all. "Ang saya niya kasi makikita at maririnig mo na sa iyo yung boses nung anime character," adds this pre-teener who has fully embraced the profession of her father Neil. After school in the morning, she goes to the ABS-CBN studios for her dubbing job.

VOICE ACTING AS AN ART

Working as a cartoon dubber is similar to being an actor. The only difference is that it’s the voice, not the image, that comes out onscreen.

Can anyone then be a dubber because physical attributes do not matter in this job? Not really because an effective dubber still must know how to act and give life to a character just by using his or her voice.

"Voice acting is an art," says Creativoices CEO and managing director Pocholo Gonzales. "Parang kanta yan, may techniques, styles and skills na kailangang matutuhan. It’s not really about voice, secondary lang yan, it’s more about acting, kailangan mabigyan mo ng buhay ang script, kahit na anong ganda ng boses mo kung wala kang voice acting, wala rin. And it doesn’t mean na kapag pangit ang boses mo pangit na ang acting mo. Sa voice acting walang pangit na boses. Kahit pangit na boses nagagamit kasi minsan yun ang hinihingi sa karakter," he continues.

For anime fans, quality dubbing is extremely important. Since many of these animated programs have been imported from other countries, there is a need to translate the script into Filipino and hire the voices who will give life to the characters.

Creativoices, the first voice talent agency in the country, holds annual workshops where they discover the next great voice actors or actresses. The workshop called "Voiceworx," runs for two months with eight sessions, and are conducted by Creativoices co-owner Brian Ligsay, actor and voice talent Alex Agcaoili and Danny Mandia, considered as the "father of modern dubbing’’ in the country.

In the workshops, not only the voices but the personalities of the students are enhanced.

"It’s more of a craft. It’s an art. Mas mamahalin mo kasi craft mo yan, kumbaga sa painter nag-drawing yan hindi para kumita, para sa kanyang artistry. Iba kasi kapag pera-pera lang, at the end of the day, if you’re really good, money will come," adds Pocholo Gonzales, himself a voice talent before putting up Creativoices with friend Brian Ligsay, a former discjockey.

I WANNA BE A DUBBER!

"Sa dubbing, hindi pwede ang mahiyain," admonishes John John Gementiza, who has been dubbing since he was 10 years old. A second year Nursing student at the Far Eastern University, John is the grandson of comedian Matutina.

"Pina-try lang ako ng lola ko na mag-dub hanggang sa nahasa nang nahasa. I was in Grade IV then. Alam ko na para sa TV siya kasi mahilig din naman akong manood ng cartoons," he shares. John’s most recent works are for the anime series "Digimon’’ and "Negima.’’ A cartoon series requires about six dubbers and it takes about a month to finish.

Jill Fernandez, and Macky McRae, both products of Voiceworx workshops, say that this is a dream come true for them.

"It’s a fun experience kasi matagal ko nang gustong mapasok sa dubbing ever since Grade 5. Meron akong classmate who was a child actress dito sa ABS-CBN, siya rin yung nag-dub kay ’Sakura.’ Tinanong ko siya about dubbing. Simula nung in-explain niya, nagkaroon na ako ng interest," says Jill, a sophomore Communication Arts student in Miriam College.

Macky, a third year Education major at the University of the Philippines, says that it is also about the prestige and pride. "It’s something unique and different, something that I can be proud of because not all people can do what we do. People think yung normal voice lang ang ginagamit. Hindi nila alam that there’s a technique, it’s an art, it’s our form of expressing ourselves. It’s something different from what everyone else is doing and it’s fun to do. And yung samahan among the dubbers, it’s like an extended family," she relates.

The three student dubbers also share another talent – balancing their time between studies and dubbing.

"Priority pa rin yung studies. Dubbings are usually scheduled thrice a week. Ako, what I do, pag nasa school ka, dun ka mag-aral, pag nasa bahay pahinga. Minsan gumagawa rin ako ng homework dito. Basta dapat hindi ko na sya pinapaabot ng bahay," shares John.

Macky’s mom, meanwhile, never fails to remind her daughter to keep her priorities straight. "Academics always comes first, once na na-clear ko ang academics, then I can do anything I want. Kapag natapos ko na yung projects ko then I can come here sa ABS-CBN to do my work," she says.

To be a successful voice talent, Jill says that one must know how to act and how to speak.

"Kailangan versatile ka. Kaya mong iba-ibahin ang boses mo. At kailangan may passion ka rin sa ginagawa mo."