Andrew Paskoff

Career

Andrew Paskoff is currently the Senior Vice President of Production at Lighthearted Entertainment, overseeing company day to day and all aspects of physical production for the series Lighthearted produces, including Are You the One? for MTV , Dating Naked and Twinning for VH1 and Labor Games for TLC. Prior to joining Lighthearted in March 2015, Andrew was the Vice President of Alternative/Reality Original Programming/Development for Sony Pictures Television Networks (September 2008 - March 2015). Upon graduating from Massapequa High School in 1991, Andrew attended the University of Miami, in Coral Gables, Florida, where he studied Film & Psychology, earning a Bachelor of Science in Communications. In 1995, he was hired as a Production Coordinator at Worldwide Production Services after an Internship at the company.

In 1996, after a year of working on diverse international commercial campaigns such as Diesel Jeans, Veronica TV, Kmart, Maribou Chocolate and Saab, to name a few, Andrew decided to leave Miami for a career in Hollywood. As a freelance Production Coordinator, Production Manager and Line Producer, Andrew worked on a few small budget feature films, learning film production from the ground up. He was on the forefront of the reality television boom in the late nineties, working on an array of documentary and reality television programs. Working through the ranks of reality TV, Andrew moved back to New York City in 2002, continuing his freelance career before being hired in 2005 as staff Line Producer at MTV Networks headquarters in New York City. While at MTV, Andrew oversaw numerous television pilots and series. He relocated to Los Angeles in 2008 and was promoted to Director of Production for MTV Series Production and Development.

In late 2008, Andrew left MTV to pursue a new opportunity as Director of Production for Sony Pictures Television, overseeing global development and production for SPT Networks, which has over 60 global channels, 125 feeds, 25 languages, in over 850 million homes worldwide. As Director of Production, Andrew helped develop a global youth, pop culture, lifestyle format called ‘in the QUBE’, producing 22 episodes that aired in over 40 million homes, on 6 continents. He oversaw a 3D spin-off of ‘in the QUBE’ for that launched in the US on 3net (a Sony/IMAX/Discovery 3D joint venture) in May 2011. In addition to his work on ‘in the QUBE’, Andrew has traveled the globe overseeing award winning formats such as, ‘The Amazing Race Asia’, ‘Brazil’s Next Top Model, ‘Mexico’s Next Top Model’, ‘Cyril: Simply Magic’ and ‘Minute To Win It India’, as well as ‘Cyril's Family Vacation', a follow up to 'Simply Magic' and a 2nd season of 'Minute To Win It India’ for AXN India.

In June 2010, Andrew was promoted to Executive Director of Production within two years of joining Sony Pictures Television, where he continues to develop and produce original production formats in Latin America, Brazil, Asia and Europe. His role has grown to also include scripted and alternative format development and managing global channel initiatives for the massive SPT footprint.

Two years later, in June 2012, Andrew was promoted to Vice President of Programming, continuing to oversee alternative/unscripted format development and production across the SPT Networks massive footprint. Most recently he worked on 'The Apprentice Asia'' for 'AXN Asia' and 'Breakout Brasil' for 'Sony Spin Brasil' and has developed 'Breakout' and 'The Odd Squad', SPT formats, for multiple SPT Networks territories. As part of Sony's FIFA World Cup 2014 initiative, Andrew spearheaded SPT's global TV special 'SuperSong', working closely with global superstar Ricky Martin, his management team and Sony Music Brasil on the recording of Vida (Ricky Martin song). Andrew also produced season 5 of ‘Mexico’s Next Top Model’ for Latin America, which premiered on Canal Sony (Latin America) in September 2014 and a 2nd season of ‘Breakout Brasil’ for Brasil, which premieres on Canal Sony (Brasil) in October 2014. Before leaving SPT to join Lighthearted Entertainment, Andrew worked on the launch of 'Asia's Got Talent', the largest series adaptation of the hit format, which premiered on AXN Asia in March 2015 to blockbuster ratings throughout Asia.

In addition to his role as VP of Programming at SPT, Andrew found OUT@SPE, an employee business resource group for Sony’s GLBT employees and their allies. As the founder of the group, Andrew spearheaded SPE’s ‘It Gets Better’ campaign video, garnering major press coverage, including an interview in Daily Variety (January 31, 2011). Most recently Andrew helped pave the way for SPE to score a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) 2012-13 Corporate Equality Index.

Andrew Paskoff married Peter Gandolfo on September 1, 2012 in an intimate New York City ceremony and has a twin brother, Scott, who was married on July 12, 2014 in Los Angeles.