Mark Bashian grew up in Northern Virginia outside of Washington, D.C. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Business Management in 2000 and then toured with his band "Java Soup" as the lead vocalist and guitar player. After touring with his band, Bashian worked as a Stockbroker on the East coast before moving to Los Angeles in 2004. In 2005, Bashian started Bash Films, a full-service production company specializing in theatrical, commercial, non-profit, and event video productions. In 2007, Bashian's directing work was hand picked by Steven Spielberg and he was a featured finalist for the FOX show "On the Lot" which earned him a first-look deal with Dreamworks. In addition to his on-going media endeavors Bashian has consulted, written curriculum, and taught at a variety of entertainment related institutions.