Speaker

Scott Zakarin

New York born visionary Scott Zakarin is considered the godfather of online entertainment having created the first episodic Internet serial "The Spot"

in 1995. Scott coined the term "webisodic" which has now become part of the vernacular of the entertainment industry. The Spot won the first Cool Site of the Year "Webby" award in 1995.

 In 1996 Zakarin started a new company, Light Speed Media, which heralded a new form of interactive entertainment on the web; comedy in his ground breaking webisodic "Grapejam" a fictional account of a comedy troupe reunited by the internet. Zakarin was dubbed the King of Sit.com by People Magazine in October 1996. Grapejam was nominated for the second 1996 Webby Awards.

From the success of "The Spot", Zakarin came to the attention of television legend Brandon Tartikoff. AOL's Greenhouse Studios purchased Light Speed Media and teamed Zakarin with Tartikoff to create "The Entertainment Asylum"

which brought top celebrities and newsmakers to a live video show where the fans can interact. Zakarin was recognized by the Hollywood Reporter for his work on Entertainment Asylum for being one of the top 35 young executives under 35 on the rise, in Hollywood .

After Entertainment Asylum, Zakarin turned to more traditional media, calling on his filmmaking skills to direct and produce a variety of vertical genre movies which including the award-winning "Comic Book: The Movie" which won in 2005 best picture at Variety's DVD Exclusive Award as Best Live Action DVD, "Mind Meld" with science fiction icons William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, and "Stan Lee's Mutants, Marvels and Monsters" with Spiderman creator Stan Lee and filmmaker Kevin Smith.

 In 2005 Zakarin also Executive Produced E! Entertainment's "Kill Reality"

television series which followed reality all stars acting in a horror movie.

Zakarin was also a producer and co-writer of "The Scorned" movie which was the movie filmed during the series.

Zakarin directed and co-wrote the 2006 Internet webisodic phenomenon "Soup of the Day". Echo Bridge Home Entertainment released a 2 disc DVD set of "Soup of the Day" in February 2007. Zakarin also directed, wrote and produced "Charlie Cobb's FlashBash" which dominated the LiveVideo.com website in which it premiered in episodic format.

In 2008, Zakarin returned to the web and created the Downstairs Guys and Upstairs Girls; Model Ball; Cougars and The Shatner Project amassing a viewership total of 50 million views in a 9 month period.  Zakarin continues to innovate and develop multi-platform projects.  Scott lives in leafy Pacific Palisades with his lovely wife Debra and his two children, Caleb and Maci