Catalyst has partnered with NATAS, the National Academy of TV Arts & Sciences to create a trusted, annualized pathway for new voices & storytelling artists to enter the television industry through professional mentorships. This is a highly curated program to ensure useful matches between artists and mentors.

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The Truth About Making a Series

Because your story is in a series format, it is not good enough for you to just be talented and have a good story idea. You need to simultaneously build a network of people who believe in your ability to create an entire series that doesn't exist yet. Creating your show is as much about who YOU are as a person as it is about the story you're telling.

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This is why the series side of the business can seem so much more difficult to breakthrough - because it's all about relationships and trust. And that takes time (years) and opportunity.

 

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About the Mentorship Program

Our mentorship program, through a partnership with the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, is a gateway for storytellers in the Catalyst Story Institute to advance their careers. Each mentorship is carefully aligned by our Institute Directors and is uniquely structured based on the creator’s career path, skill set and goals. Some consist of a series of career coachings between mentor and mentee, while others may include a hands on experience or connection, such as an onsite visit to a working set or production office or a valuable industry introduction. While we cannot anticipate the exact evolution of each pairing, we have found that they tend to develop organically and have proven instrumental to many in terms of career momentum and ignition. If a content creator is selected to be a mentee, they will be connected to an industry professional for one-on-one mentorship. Catalyst's pool of mentors come from across the TV landscape including current NATAS members and more. We are proud to be curating this highly rewarding program that will continue to foster the career paths of the future’s brightest storytellers.

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This mentorship is meant to open doors and establish the opportunity for advancement in the TV industry. This program is just the beginning of an artist's creative journey.

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Types of Artists Accepted

Content creators, writers, directors, videographers, producers, actors, news anchors, and reporters, ages 18+ are welcome to apply. Mentorship pairs are created on an individual basis and there is not an exact timeline on the creation of the match. Mentorship is neither immediate nor guaranteed.  

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2022/23 TV INDUSTRY MENTORSHIP PAIRINGS

2022/2023 Television Industry Mentorship Pairs

• Director/Editor Justin Joseph-Hall & Rob Bonardi (NATAS) & Producer Mike Mee 

• Writer/Director Tomás Fleck & Writer/Director Steve Basilone (The Goldbergs, Community)

• Writer/Producer Laurie Criego & Writer/Director/Producer Pamela Cederquist (Mindhunter)

• Writer John Gaspard & Writer/Director/Producer Pamela Cederquist (Mindhunter)

• Writer Lillie Gardner & Showrunner Jessica Goldberg (Away, The Path)

• Actress Eve Black & Programming Manager Alex Hicks (History Channel)

• Writer Mark Bradley & Programming Manager Alex Hicks (History Channel)

• Documentarian Nicholas Stange & President of the Upper Midwest Emmy Foundation, Diana Pierce

• Writer/Actress Mikala Stacer & Director/Writer Kris Lefcoe (Superstore)

• Writer Saninye Alasia & Writer/Story Editor Jackie Decembly (4400)

• Producer Emma Slade & Director Rachel Goldberg

• Composer Dan Rufolo & Music Editor/Engineer Jason Tregoe Newman

• Actress/Writer/Director LJ Johnson & Producer/Former Network Exec Adam Fratto

• Director/Producer Gabor Herendi & Producer/Former Network Exec Adam Fratto

• Actress/Producer Emm O’Connor & Rob Bonardi (NATAS) & Jan Sage (Advertising & Brand Solutions, ABC Disney)

• Documentarian Jamie Baldanza & Rob Bonardi (NATAS) & Neal Bennett (NATAS)

• Writer Hillary Nussbaum & Producer Meryam Bouadjemi

• Writer Heather Taylor & Producer Meryam Bouadjemi 

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