Yes, it’s a loaded question. And no, I don’t have a single answer for you. But instead, I have a few of them. Whether you’re looking for one-on-one mentorship, communities of voice actors, group courses to sign up for, or a combination of these things, lemme try and point you to some of the best places to learn how to be a voice actor or voice talent in the Philippines. I can’t promise you a comprehensive list of these places. However, I can say with absolute certainty that these are some of the best ones I know. Ready? Let’s go!

Let’s start with communities

“If you want to go fast, you go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Source not quite known

I won’t get into the origins of this saying anymore. Sure, I can go down that rabbit hole myself, but it wouldn’t be fair to drag you into it. However, if that’s a side trip you feel like taking, go ahead click here or on the link above. Now, with that out of the way…

I wholeheartedly believe that being part of a community of like-minded people goes a long way to success. A large reason behind this is that you want people who can cheer you on and support you. That said, it goes beyond just finding your peers. You want people around you who can teach or mentor you. You want people who can (and are willing) to criticize you and your work when necessary. You want people who can help give you direction when you need it.

And you can find communities like this… well… in a whole lot of different places. And I will admit to bias because I’m part of all these communities. I’ve personally learned a ton from the people in these communities, so I know that others can benefit as well. But I’m rambling, so let’s get to it. Some of the best communities in the Philippines for voice actors are, in no particular order:

The vision of the group is to become “a thriving community, school, and business that helps Filipinos earn full-time with voice overs at home, through complete education and services.” If that’s not a noble goal, I don’t know what is. If you’re trying to build your own voiceover career from home, you’ll find a lot of people here who share in that goal.

VocAlliance was formed with the goal of advancing, educating, and basically improving the voiceover industry as a whole. It says so right in their mission: “VocAlliance is a non-profit organization created by voice talents for voice talents, whose mission is to educate members on best practices and standards, and advance the development of our industry by cultivating the spirit of professionalism.” Many of the most respected professionals in the voiceover industry are actively involved in fulfilling this mission, and I credit VocAlliance (along with people I met through the group) for a huge portion of my development as a voice actor.

The VO Lounge “was created as a safe and neutral social space where Voice Actors from all walks of life can interact with each other.” They’ve got chats and rooms on different topics, casting calls, and frequent script reads that are free for anyone to join. And I do mean everyone – I’m just gonna stea… I mean borrow some copy from one of their invitations a while back: “Whether you’re a start-up pro, or a veteran in the biz, you are definitely welcome! Even if you’re just feeding your curiosity about the industry, or would like to share your expertise and experience, or an industry-friend/vendor, we hope this server helps you expand your network and meet new friends in the biz.”

Full disclosure, membership in this community isn’t free, but there’s a good reason for that. The clubhouse isn’t just a thriving (and insanely active) community of voice actors – it’s a space where mentorship, accountability, workshops, and the community are all rolled-up into one package. As of this writing (late May 2024), there’s a promotion going on for early bird slots, but I can’t quite explain everything here, so I suggest you head over to the site instead.

Looking for workshops, classes, and other forms of group training?

I posted something last year about voice acting workshops in the Philippines, so feel free to visit that posts as well. Availability aside, I think my recommendations there are still very relevant today. In fact, I’m gonna mention some of them again here, along with some new ones that weren’t on my radar before:

Update 2024.06.05: There’s another update, this time with information on the available modules, pricing (for both individual modules and the whole package), and other details.

Update 2024.06.02: Details are no longer as sparse, thanks to this update on their Facebook page:

Wanna learn how pro voice actors do it at Hit Productions?

Join Hit’s Acting Course for Voice Actors – a series of workshops focused on acting and performance for different VO fields. And at the end of the course, get a chance to audition and be part of our talent pool!

Registration and enrollment starts on June 17, and classes begin on July 20.

Have questions? Join our FREE Session Zero on June 15, Saturday, 2pm and get them answered by our Training Team. Simply register through this link: bit.ly/HitVAWorkshopIntro

See you there!

Details are still sparse – so sparse, in fact, that the teaser image here is all I can share. They posted that image with a short caption on their Facebook Page, but haven’t shared much else since. That post is only a few days old as I type this up, so expect more updates later on. I’ll try to post more details after June 17, but for now, this is all I have. Well… almost all I have. I still don’t have a lot of details beyond this, but I’ll keep this part: I have it on good authority that whoever joins this workshop will be mentored by some of the best in the industry.

Update 2024.06.12: The June 15 course is only three days away as I type this, but there’s another one next month, with more mentors on board. Check it out in the next section below.

Dubbed as “A Crash Course on What You Can Do with YOUR VOICE,” this 10-hour course features three of the most respected leaders in the industry: Ces Dela Cruz Guevara, Rosel Manahan Cello, and Ryllah Berico Paruñgao, all of whom have a ton of industry experience under their belts. The May 11 leg is already done, but you can still join the next one on the 15th of June at SPACE IO in Quezon City.

Yup, it’s another Pera Sa Boses course, this time in July 2024. This is from a post by one of the mentors of that course:

As the first half of 2024 comes to an end, we’re ending it with one last Pera sa Boses Primer on June 15, 2024 at our amazing partner venue SPACE IO .

And we’re starting the 2nd half of the year, with a Pera sa Boses Crash Course on July 11-13, 2024. We’re all very excited to share the news with everyone, and we’re also hoping you’ll share in our mission by telling your friends and family about this humble endeavor.

(Additionally, we’ll be back in September with more opportunities for experiential learning for those who want to be empowered to create, and those who want to create to be enriched.)

I was tempted to put this under communities instead of workshops simply because… first, they offer several workshops and classes, and second, they’ve really built a community around these classes. But I’m putting them under workshops so I can highlight a couple of them. They’ve got a 3-hour, pay what you can introduction class in San Juan City coming up on June 6 that I think is a steal (but please don’t be stingy, and really pay what you can). If you’re down for a full course, the July cycle of their Meisner Core Program: Fundamentals is open. And if you sign up before June 15, you can probably avail of their early bird promo, too! If you wanna know more, please go and check their site above, or their Facebook Page here.

Whether they’re called VO Workouts, Script Reads, workshops, or anything else, magic has a tendency to happen when you put a bunch of voice actors together in a room, whether online or off. I’ve spent countless hours in these magical rooms over the past several years, and I can’t recommend it enough.

These sessions happen in all the communities I mentioned above, as well as in other groups. And if you come across one that’s free, I suggest you find time in your schedule to be there. They’re great places to get constructive criticism on your reads, to hear how others approach their scripts, and basically to learn about the craft. Think of them as mini-workshops or one-off classes that give you a taste of what it’s like to be a voice actor.

Voice acting is acting. Except the actor, in this case, isn’t seen by the audience. Even announcers in promos and ads – they’re acting, too! If you wanna become a better voice actor, you wanna level up your acting skills. And places like Third World Improv, Repertory Philippines, and the Philippine Educational Theater Association (or PETA), are great places to do that.

Want some one-on-one mentorship or individual coaching?

Classes are great, but sometimes, you need some individualized instruction. Sometimes you need help with a specific project and need to talk it over with an expert in the field. Maybe, this project is protected under an NDA (or non-disclosure agreement) and you can only discuss it behind closed doors, so to speak. Or perhaps you’d like advice on VO-adjacent matters like career advice, studio consultation, or other things. This is when you seek out mentors or coaches who can help you with stuff that you can’t quite cover in a class or other group setting.

Yup, this name has come up before, and that’s because VocAlliance is more than just a community. Education is part of their mission, and they’ve held several workshops over the past few years. Recently, they started offering one-on-one coaching, too… and the coaches they’ve tapped, are… well… stellar.

They kicked off the program in the latter half of 2023 with the news that Paul Holme, a 40-year veteran of the industry, would be offering one-on-one coaching. Then they dropped a bombshell later in the year, announcing that award-winning director, writer, and voice actor Tony Hertz, had joined the faculty. I have no idea what they’ll announce next, but based on these two dispatches, they’re putting together quite an awe-inspiring lineup of mentors.

Again, Voice Actors at Home PH isn’t just a community. VAH PH has its own awesome roster of coaches, all of whom are respected veterans of the industry. And if you want to focus on specific niches within the industry, like children’s media, Tagalog dubbing, or others, the VAH PH coaches have you covered as well. Each coach has their own specialty… their very particular set of skills that they can teach you.

I’ve personally learned a ton from all the VAH PH coaches, and I’m proud to say that I’ve also had the opportunity to work with some of them. They are some of the most respected and sought-after voice actors in the country, and I’m thankful they’re sharing their knowledge with others. It would be a waste to not pass up on opportunities to learn from them.

With over three decades of experience and countless credits between them, Ryan Bondoc and Aireen Sigaya Bondoc seem like they’re everywhere. Their voices are all over local TV, international cable channels, and streaming sites. And while they’re among the coaches over on the VAH PH roster, they also have their own venture: BRAE Recording Studio. They’ve both got a ton of knowledge to share, and they offer both online and on-site sessions. If you want to venture into the world of Tagalog dubbing and voice over, you’d be hard pressed to find better mentors. Check out Coach Ryan’s post on mentorship on his profile to book a 15-minute inquiry call over Zoom.

Did I miss anything?

I said at the start that this wouldn’t be a comprehensive list, but I’d still like to give anyone reading this options. So if you think there’s a workshop, class, community, coach, or whatnot that deserves to be mentioned here, please let me know.

And if you found this post useful, please let me know, too!