TIRANA TRAINING CENTER FOR TV & FILM PRODUCTION

PROGRAM DETAILS

WELCOME!

Storytelling is our global cultural currency. It is how we learn, connect, inspire, and shape the world around us. Working in TV & film storytelling is exciting, however, creating a sustainable career in this industry can be challenging. There is no set path to success; everyone's journey is unique.

It takes a team of people to create every film & TV project. Learning the artistic and technical skills to excel, and build a trusted network of collaborators, takes time and practice. Catalyst is where these relationships are made. Our participants have gained jobs, signed with agents, sold projects, and built careers.

THE ULTIMATE GOAL: A SUSTAINABLE CAREER

Catalyst courses are unique because we focus on the full cycle of what it takes to build a long-term career. Our Storieroad program is a step-by-step pathway of meetings, workshops, seminars, festivals, and events focused on:

Wellness
Housing
Time
Inspiration
Education
Financing
Production
Distribution

Through Catalyst, you will have the opportunity to showcase your stories, advance your career, learn new skills, and grow your professional network. We are your safe starting point and a trusted guide along the way.

WHAT WE OFFER

Our Tirana location offers training for over 180+ types of film and TV jobs for all ages and experience levels. We bring the artistic elements (above-the-line) and the technical elements (below-the-line) of production together into one place.

AGE GROUPS & EXPERIENCE LEVELS

Kids: ages 7-11. No experience required.

Youth: ages 12-16. No experience required.

Adults, Explore: ages 17 & older. No experience required. For beginners and those who want to explore new skills.

Adults, Advanced: ages 17 & older. Some experience required. For those interested in a long-term career.

Adults, Professional: ages 17 & older. For working professionals only.

ENROLLMENT DATES

Enrollment is currently open for all courses

TEACHERS

Catalyst teachers are mix of local, European, and American industry professionals with decades of experience working for major networks such as HBO and Netflix, as well as other studios and independent projects.

COST

Cost varies. See individual course page for details.

LOCATION

All classes are held in-person at our Tirana Training Center at Kinostudio

SCHEDULE

The Tirana campus is open Monday-Saturday. Please email us for exact schedule times.

LANGUAGE

All classes are taught in English. This includes all scripts, communications, and interpretations.

VIDEO RECORDING

There are no recordings. Classes are not recorded for later use.

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM (optional)

Our 12-month professional production certificate is designed for those who want to create a successful long-term career in the TV & film industry. It is open to all creatives, technical, and crew positions. It has 4 phases:

Phase 1: (5) in-person classes. Production set comprehensive. Learn everything about how professional TV & film sets work.

Phase 2: (1) month online in-depth production course developed by Hollywood studio partners. Learn all of the roles, vocabularry, tasks, and procedures of creating a project.

Phase 3: (6) months of in-person classes twice per week in the discipline you choose: acting, writing, directing, crew, etc.

Phase 4: (3) months of actual live production experience on a working TV & film set

THE FILM & TV
CAREER CYCLE

THE CATALYST TEAM

Please note: This is only our operations staff for the Tirana Training Center. This is not the teaching staff. To view the course teachers, please visit the individual course pages for details.

Philip Gilpin, Jr.
CEO

Born in Boston, MA, Philip started his 20+ year creative career exploring theatre & film while earning his BS in Physics and Mathematics at Boston College.

Philip moved to Los Angeles and learned the inner workings of the industry as a business affairs analyst at HBO where he worked with on major series including “The Sopranos”, “Sex and the City”, and “The Wire”.

Philip has also served on the Board of Governors of the Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences.

Thom Woodley
Curriculum Director

THOM WOODLEY helped usher in the online video revolution with the launch of his show THE
BURG, the first full-length sitcom online; THE ALL-FOR- NOTS (with Michael Eisner and Mark Cuban), ALL’S FAIRE, and IFC’s GREG & DONNY.

Career highlights include leading
business at CollegeHumor; designer of story app Episode Interactive; writer of a 007 video
game; Head of Content at vertical video app Rizzle; ad campaigns including the Dos Equis Most Interesting Man in the World campaign. Founded Unprecious Studios for microbudget films, 2024.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Screenwriting, Script Doctoring and Story Evaluation
• Microbudget Video Production
• Vertical Video Production and Distribution
• Online Video Distribution
• Social Media Marketing
• Traditional Advertising

Shikha Ahuja
Education Director

Shikha has a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in English (Hons) and Bachelor's in Education from a renowned university in India.

She is an IBEN member and works with the IB as a Workshop Leader and a School Visit Team Member, thus providing learning opportunities for teachers in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Shikha's IB journey began in 2011 and she has taught and led the PYP team in different international IB schools in India, Gabon, Austria and Albania. Originally from New Delhi, India, she prides herself on her cultural roots.

Shikha is very passionate about educating young minds and her education philosophy stems from George Evans quote - “Every child can learn not just the same day and not the same way”.

Lidion Kulla
Director, Albania

Lidion Kulla is a journalist, author, and anchor man at Scan TV in Albania. With 18 years of experience in the media industry, he has built a reputation for insightful reporting, compelling storytelling, and authoritative anchoring. His work reflects a deep commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content to his audience.

Pamela Cederquist
Lead Producer

Pamela is a multitalented writer/director who has written for Mindhunter (Netflix) and been an assistant director on Law & Order (NBC), among many other projects in her 50+ year career.

Skilled in theatre, film production, and television, Pamela graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Film in New York & studied at Polakov School of Design.

She now loves living in Tirana and is excited to work with Albania's upcoming generation of TV and film storytellers.

Suada Lici
Manager, Tirana Office

Born in Tirana, she has a Bachelor and Master degree in Pedagogy, Literature and Albanian Language, and years of practical experience in Business Management.

Suada is a professional Cosmetician as a Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist, considered a talented master for more than 13 years in this field. She has worked for various large companies, fashion shows and events in Albania. She was part of the distributor L'oreal Paris Albania as a Trainer and Marketing Manager, a proposal that came after a long and deep knowledge of this brand.

Passionate about art such as literature, painting and the film industry. Skills in painting and writing which are part of her innate artistic nature.