Catapult focuses on lights, camera, action!
In 2000, the then 21-year-old aspiring actor Erik Lingvall headed to LA where he soon learned that getting hired in the TV and film industry requires a good deal more than just showing up for an audition and exuding confidence. “I thought it would be easy and that you didn’t really need to train,” he says. “I think that’s what a lot of actors believe when they get into the business. But I realized quickly that it was really hard, and training had much more value than I gave it.”
After three years of commercials and short films, Lingvall went to work for a company that led actor showcases around the country. “I was meeting aspiring actors at these events where we brought in agents, managers and casting directors, and I soon learned about the industry from that,” he says.
With Georgia’s film industry booming, Lingvall saw a way to use his expertise in Atlanta. He moved here in 2008 and by 2015, he was leading his own company, Catapult, with the goal of training those interested in breaking into the business. He now has 10 coaches on staff who lead classes, camps and workshops from the headquarters in DeKalb County.
“Even if they’re just starting, our goal is to give them professional- level training,” Lingvall says. “Without consistency and repetition, it’s hard to get to a place where you’re really good.”
Catapult’s general manager, Brookhaven’s Nicole Buie, found the company through her son who caught the acting bug at a young age. After years of sending him to area acting camps and having him work with private coaches, she got in touch with Catapult when it opened. She was so impressed that she devised a marketing project to spread the word.
“I quit my corporate career in 2018 and started out with Catapult doing a marketing project,” she says. “That became a full time job a year ago.”
Since August, one of Buie’s tasks has been to launch the new Catapult Conservatory where on-camera, TV and film jobs are the end goal.
“The idea is to teach young actors what they need to know so they can walk onto a set with confidence,” Lingvall says. “We have a 32-week course for kids that could be at a college. And we’ve added components like a parents group where they can learn about the industry. We’re also bringing in agents and casting directors, and the goal is to have actors from LA and New York be part of this program.”
Lingvall and Buie say training local actors can boost the Georgia film business, too. “Rather than flying in actors who don’t live here, we can help the industry be more than just a place to come to, film and leave,” Lingvall says.
And though it’s not LA or New York, the training will be just as rigorous and the competition as fierce. “Let me make it clear: It’s a lot of work,” Lingvall says. “But it’s also about building life skills. A kid who goes through our conservatory will be more sympathetic, connected and entrepreneurial. They’ll understand work ethics, drive and tenacity, and how to express who they are in an authentic way. Our approach is a very strong blend of creating professionals and better human beings.”
CATAPULT ACTING STUDIOS
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