Official educational partner of the ERoss School of Film & TV
TIRANA TRAINING CENTER
WELCOME!
Storytelling is our global cultural currency. It is how we learn, connect, inspire, and shape the world around us. Working in TV & film is exciting, however, creating a sustainable career in this industry has no set path to success; everyone's journey is unique.
It takes a team of people to create each film & TV project. Learning the skills to excel and build a trusted network of collaborators to work 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:
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Wellness
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Housing
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Time
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Inspiration
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Education
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Financing
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Production
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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.
To begin, select your class below:
THE FILM/TV
CAREER CYCLE
CLASSES
PROGRAM DETAILS
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
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Kids: ages 7-11. No experience required.
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Youth: ages 12-16. No experience required.
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Adults, Explore: ages 17 & older. No experience required. For beginners and those who want to explore new skills.
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Adults, Advanced: ages 17 & older. Some experience required. For those interested in a long-term career.
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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. View the specific class schedule below.
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
CLASS SCHEDULE
Title | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Accounting/Business | 18:00-21:00 | |||||
Acting | 18:00-20:00 | 18:00-20:00 | 16:00-18:00 | |||
Cinematography | 18:00-20:00 | 14:00-16:00 | ||||
Directing | 17:00-19:00 | 12:00-14:00 | ||||
Kids (ages 7-11) | 16:00-17:30 | 11:00-12:30 | ||||
Producing | 16:00-18:00 | 16:00-18:00 | 14:00-16:00 | |||
Writing | 18:00-20:00 | 19:00-21:00 | 12:00-14:00 | |||
Youth (ages 12-16) | 16:00-17:30 | 16:00-17:30 | 15:00-16:30 |
ACCOUNTING/BUSINESS
Wednesday 18:00-21:00
ACTING
Thursday 18:00-20:00
Friday 18:00-20:00
Saturday 16:00-18:00
CINEMATOGRAPHY
COMING SOON
ADVERTISING
ANIMATION
CREW
EDITING
GAMING
LEGAL
MUSIC
SCIENCE & TECH
Thursday 18:00-20:00
Saturday 14:00-16:00
DIRECTING
Thursday 17:00-19:00
Saturday 12:00-14:00
KIDS (ages 7-11)
Monday 16:00-17:30
Saturday 11:00-12:30
PRODUCING
Thursday 16:00-18:00
Friday 16:00-18:00
Saturday 14:00-16:00
WRITING
Wednesday 18:00-20:00
Thursday 19:00-21:00
Saturday 12:00-14:00
YOUTH (ages 12-16)
Tuesday 16:00-17:30
Thursday 16:00-17:30
Saturday 15:00-16:30
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
Executive 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.
Ana Veseli
Youth, Social Media & PR Director
Ana Veseli is an Albanian film director and producer. Her passion for filmmaking blossomed at a young age when she was part of the young jury at the Rozafa Film Festival 2013 when she was just 16 years old.
Ana graduated from the Academy of Film and Multimedia Marubi, where she studied film directing and editing. She has worked extensively in the industry since her student days, contributing to films, animations, documentaries, commercials, and TV shows for Albania's top networks.
One of Ana’s standout works is her short film "I Am Eva," which explores women's perspectives and issues they face in the modern society. She was also awarded "Best Cinematography" at the 48 Hours Film Festival Tirana in 2020 for the one-shot film "The Last Minutes."
In addition to her filmmaking achievements, Veseli has gained valuable experience working with young people on various projects, bringing a unique perspective to her work.