Mobile Technology And Me
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Pocholo Gonzales is a social entrepreneur who founded several organizations to empower youth through voice acting and mobile technology. He started with just 20,000 pesos to establish Creativoices Productions, a voice acting studio. This grew into workshops and a society for young voice artists. Pocholo also founded Voice of the Youth Network to inspire youth through radio programs, awards, and mobile SMS updates. His passion and determination to help youth through the medium of his voice has led him to international recognition while fulfilling his dreams.
Mobile Technology And Me
- 1. MOBILE TECHNOLOGY AND ME By: Pocholo “The VoiceMaster” Gonzales THE VOICE What’s to sell these days when you think every imaginable thing is already being sold and being bought – from food to fashion to technology to even, garbage. But how many times has it happened that even the most overlooked and things that are taken-for-granted could become a gold mine for some people who are just brilliant and very passionate about their craft. And this gold mine for me is my God- given gift, my voice. Why not? Come to think about it, those unnamed voice actors are everywhere. Their anonymous voices could be heard in advertisements, movies, TV shows, radio announcements, events, computer games, telephone, cellphone, and in every emerging media. I realized the potential as I made my vision, or should I say, my voice, become my ticket to entrepreneurial success. My growth from a mere voice talent who has voice acting skills that are amazing and entertaining to a voice director and to someone who has always dreamed of becoming more and of reaching my fullest potential through the craft I am almost obsessed about.
- 2. SMALL BEGINNINGS I am a very young yet revolutionary entrepreneur with passion and determination to make a statement of inspiration to others. Starting with P20,000 capital to pay for office rentals and register my business, I used my voice as an initial lifeblood of my business. It’s not an easy path to entrepreneurship as I was raised by a family of employee and factory worker, in a small town of Mariveles in the province of Bataan. There was no concept of business and entering into business isn’t even an option.But I had a chance to study in the University of the Philippines-Diliman and took up Speech Communication as major. I actively involved myself in youth affairs that sooner rather than later made me an excellent choice as Presidential Technical Assistant in Malacanang Palace. As early as 16 years old, I would audition and apply as a radio broadcaster, dubber and reporter. Fuelled by my passion to use my golden voice, I was able to make a respectable name in the dubbing industry. MOBILE TECHNOLOGY Mobile Technology helped me to fulfil my dreams. My first high-tech gadget was a pager. When, I started my career as a voice talents and dubber of ABS CBN, the only means of communication that time was a pager, the year was 1996. I got my very first mobile phone in 1998 and it was a second hand Nokia 5110 I’ve bought from my co-dubber. As of today. Because of this gadget, I had a chance to produce and create thousands of voice over works from different client because they communicate with me through my mobile phone. I still remember when I lost my phone and also lost a lot of project, opportunities and money because that’s the only way to contact and reach me.
- 3. YOUTH ADVOCACY, VOICE OF THE YOUTH NETWORK AND MEDIA I am dedicated youth advocate for years, who has always inspired young people – motivated them and make them move. This is through the organization I founded, the Voice of the Youth (VOTY) Network – a volunteer organization of young people encouraging the Filipino youth to believe in themselves and to promote positive social change. VOTY already received numerous citations and awards, most notable is the Youth Action Net Award by International Youth Foundation awarded in Washington D.C. in 2003 and Global Youth Action in Action Award by Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) awarded in New York City in 2004. I was also awarded in Quezon City as one of Youth Achievers Award in 2003. One if its pioneering project is a radio program dubbed as VOTY Radio which has been airing for five years now over DZME 1530kHz (Sundays 9 – 10AM). We also have a radio program in DZSR Sports Radio (Saturdays 10-11AM) entitled YOUTH SERVICE. Last August to November 2008, I produced the first TV program for youth volunteer entitled VOICE OF THE YOUTH TV. The use of mobile technology plays a major role on our organization especially in inspiring, informing, involving and empowering young people. And these two sides of myself honed and prepared me to step into a higher level of becoming a true artist and an entrepreneur – and a true VoiceMaster.
- 4. SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR Through Creativoices Productions, I opened the doors of the elusive, and somehow, untapped, voice acting industry. Not only did Creativoices provided jobs and projects to our local voice talents, scriptwriters and translators as the business responds to the demand of local and international clients - it also made hundreds of young people realize their potential to becoming voice talents. It is no longer enough for aspiring voice talents to merely have a good or flexible voice to get into the business. For it would take a lot of discipline, days or even years of practice to truly become a professional and make a living out of the craft.
- 5. VOICEWORX AND SOCIETY OF YOUNG VOICE ARTISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES Also, to break into the industry is difficult enough, and this is where Creativoices steps in. Its series of voice acting and dubbing workshops – Voiceworx – already had graduates getting jobs for dubbing, voice- overs, and advertisements. These first – timers did not only enhanced their talents, they also gained self – confidence and realized their dream. My reputation in the industry (where I’ve been involved since I was 16 years old) has also become a selling point to these workshops as I was able to invite the best mentors and practitioners to teach aspiring voice artists that range from students to professionals looking for other avenues for their career. And these students did not only become practitioners in the industry, they also found potential life-long friends with one another as they get involved with several events and projects through the workshop’s off-shoot organization called Society of Young Voice Artists of the Philippines or SYVAP. With its 10 workshops that produced 200 graduates to date that have been truly consistently successful, I realize that there is really a need for it. People are indeed willing to invest in improving their voice skills. They are just waiting for something like Creativoices to happen. Taking into consideration that the participants only receive the announcements of its workshops through email Blasts, social networks and text blast – the response truly is unprecedented.
- 6. What’s also admirable is my advocacy, which is to promote voice acting as an art - for it is true that no skill, craft, business or profession would ever become a legacy until it has become an art. Creativoices does not only serve as a studio for voice and audio needs; it is also a school, an events venue and an avenue where young bright minds meet. It has become a melting pot of ideas, maximizing the fullest potential of the craft and the offerings of new technologies. And the possibilities are indeed endless – from voice and audio services, to audio books, to podcasts, to radio dramas and promos, to events management and speaking engagements. To mobile phone content creation such as audio drama, which I also did and I’m proud to say that the latest version of Yahoo Messenger was voice by me and CreatiVoices talents. Walking into the office make you see that whoever owns the place is a young man who never really left his childhood with all the toys and action figures scattered everwhere, the cool gadgets, the posters of animes and movies plastered on the walls; among all the accolades I received . An ordinary voice talent would be content of just having enough pay slip after receiving a project or two once in a while and to be kept anonymous by their various voices. But I had a different thing in mind. I wanted to provide opportunities to other people, to motivate them and to enrich their talents. I wanted to open the Pinoy voice talent industry to the other people who are just waiting for such doors to be unlocked. I also wanted to open the Pinoy voice talent industry to the world.
- 7. (My entrepreneurial spirit is truly unstoppable that in spite of the growing success of my voice productions company, I recently put up the Creativevents Management aimed at putting more zest and creativity in every events that clients would want to stage with the added value of the audio-digital- technical expertise that is sure to produce quality events.) And I believe as a VoiceMaster , I’ve already got what I’ve wanted. Through Creativoices Productions, My voice was heard paving the way for many other talented Filipinos. MOBILE TECHNOLOGY I believe that Cell Phones or Mobiles phones have already taken in our lives and have made their own exceptional place. Before, I consider it as a lavish and pricey gadget, but it is now the thing I love. I couldn’t even buy a brand new cellphone because it is too expensive. I don’t use wristwatch, because these phones have even replaced the watches, I find it easier to see the time on my cellphone. For I also made it as my personal notes and diary. It even acts like my parents and wakes me up in the morning; it also keeps me updated of all your meetings and important events, off course with the help of my secretary and Google. It even became my personal assistant. Mobile phones replaced many other devices. Actually I have 3 cellphones on my pocket. To many professionals, accessing the internet has become compulsory, I am actually online 24/7 literally. As of the moment, I think it also replaced the laptop by enabling internet access through the mobile phone which I always use to do, when I’m out of town and during my talks and speaking engagement to different schools and universities or when I’m travelling. I always listen to mp3 music and FM station through my phone. Mind you, I love AM station more, I’m just wondering why they don’t put AM station to cellphones
- 8. only FM stations. I hope Nokia will put AM to its mobile phones. I also love using my camera phone to shoot my everyday affairs. Mobile phone has popularized the SMS and this has made it easy for us to send across messages and nearly erasing the traditional mailing system. I owe everything that I have now to this greatest invention, The Mobile Technology, it has already got involved in my life in a positive manner and it will continue to make my future better. NOKIA INSIGHT MAGAZINE SINGAPORE SHOUT IT ALL OUT Pocholo Gonzales, 28 Social Entrepreneur It is highly unusual to find a young man whose vision is to turn the apathy of his country’s into passion for nation building. But such a young man can be found in 28-year old social entrepreneur, Pocholo Gonzales. Pocholo founded Voice of the Youth (VOTY) based on personal experiences as a young voice talent, writer, and director while I was still a student. VOTY is a non-profit organization run entirely by youth and is dedicated to developing leadership among talented children and youth in the Philippines, and making a difference by focusing on education, youth participation and development, through the use of technology and media. The innovative VOTY, funded by Pocholo himself, has reached out to youth through the airwaves, cyberspace and mobile technology. The organization had its own radio youth programs to promote youth participation and development through broadcasting, becoming the only youth programs of their kind in the Philippines. VOTY also broadcasts a variety radio show where young people showcase their talents. Even on the cutting-edge of technology, VOTY now promotes youth empowerment using mobile technology. Simply by typing “Enter VOTY” and sending the SMS to a number, one can become a cyber-member of VOTY, and receive updates on youth events. VOTY has grown from strength to strength and is now a multi-award winning organization, having won the Global Youth in Action Awards 2004, Youth Action Net Award of the International Youth Foundation 2003 and the second Quezon City Youth Achiever’s Awards for Community Work Category 2003. Despites this
- 9. accolades, nothing is sweeter for Pocholo than being appreciated by those he has helped. “The greatest award that I’ve received was during my birthday when VOTY members gave me an “Award of Empowerment”, simply by giving them empowerment, involvement and inspiration. Pocholo’s not stopping at setting up just one award-winning organization. An entrepreneur in all senses of the word, he has also set up his own company, Univoicesal Productions, a recording studio, voice talent, agency, and voice- acting school. Quizzed on his long term goals, he says, “I dream to have programs from TV, radio, web cast, and Internet run by youth for the youth. I also dream of having my own youth centre, a one stop shop where all youth can come together to solve all the problems they face in life”.