Zapata Corporation Expands Focus of Internet Subsidiary, Charged Productions, to Multimedia Animation And Entertainment

Increased focus on Charged means move to sell Word.com

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 25, 2000--The Zapata Corporation (NYSE: ZAP) today announced an expanded focus of its subsidiary, Charged Productions. While Charged will continue to produce and distribute online content, its expanded focus will be pursuing opportunities in off line and wireless animation and multimedia creative. The Company also announced it is closing the New York offices of Word.com, with plans to sell the Webzine in the near future.

Avie Glazer, CEO and President of Zapata said, "With an exciting and expanded team of seasoned professionals at Charged, we intend to continue to push the creative envelope even further. The new additions to Charged bring a tremendous wealth of animation and multimedia experience ranging from Hollywood to MTV to the Sundance Film Festival."

Mr. Glazer continued, "Word - the pioneering and award-winning Webzine - doesn't fit with our current business strategy. We have made the decision to maximize its value by putting it up for sale."

The decision comes on the heels of the tremendous success of Charged's inaugural "60 Second Film Festival" event, hosted this past May. Launched in the spring of 1999, the Festival was the first of its kind to align the merits of a traditional film festival with the exciting opportunities of new media.

Zapata has also announced the repositioning and hiring of several key staff members: Jen Heck, (creator of the 60 Second Film Festival and Editor-In-Chief of Charged) will take the position of Creative Director and will be joined by the Creative Development Team of Babatunde Adepimpe, Alex Cohn, Adam Pierce, and Scott Rosann. Together, the team offers a wealth of experience in film production, animation, and Internet content development, and is positioned to offer both original work and production expertise to a range of clients, from broadcast TV distributors to Internet destination sites.

Since its inception in the fall of 1996, Charged has remained a true pioneer of content on the World Wide Web. The site, dedicated to exploring the art of "extreme leisure," is a forerunner in the art of content delivery, launching its first online films and games (to rave reviews) almost five years ago. Through channels focused on action, leisure, games, adventure travel, and movies, the Site has worked with everything from text delivery to broadband applications. The creation of Charged Productions will further that dedication to creating experimental content, pushing the limits of media and the ways it can be distributed to a global audience.

Jen Heck

A writer, producer, and director, JEN HECK began her career at the age of 18 when, while working as a music photojournalist and covering acts from Prince to Alanis Morrisette, she created her first Webzine. The venture was noticed by Prodigy Internet, who hired Heck as a producer for three evolving Prodigy sites: Chat Soup, Reel Time, and Wiseacres. In October 1997, after co-producing a low budget feature film, The Night Runs Red, Ms. Heck came to Charged, where she created and developed the high-profile "Charged 60 Second Film Festival" in 1999. Making waves at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, Ms. Heck was honored as a panelist in a popular Web/film content discussion. Her film and digital video work has also been seen on MTV and the Travel Channel. She recently organized the creative team of Charged Productions and will spearhead the creative development of the company.

Babatunde Adebimpe

BABATUNDE ADEBIMPE is a writer, director , animator, and actor who most recently starred in the feature film "Jump Tomorrow" for Channel Four/BBC Films, due to be released in January, 2001. The film is a longer version of the 1998 short "Jorge" which won first place at the NYU/Tisch school of the Arts Wassweman Awards Ceremony, was featured at the Sundance Film Festival, and garnered Adebimpe the "Best Actor" award from the school's graduate division for his role as the title character. Adebimpe also worked as a lead animator for the first two seasons of MTV's highly acclaimed prime-time series "Celebrity Deathmatch", and was writer, director, and head animator for the Charged films "Pirate Lyl" and "Millenium Movie". Mr. Adebimpe's primary role at Charged is as a head animator and writer; he will work with the group to develop both new original projects and to produce commercial work.

Alex Cohn

A New York-based filmmaker, ALEX COHN has worked on a number of projects in various capacities. He has location managed Hollywood features such as Men in Black, Beloved, and 54, as well as produced the award-winning educational film, Real Life: Sexual Harassment in School. He has also shot episodes for The Learning Channel's "Trauma: Life in the ER." Mr. Cohn recently completed his first feature-film, which premiered as a finalist in The Santa Monica Film Festival, and will be screened at the Woodstock and Brooklyn Film Festivals in September 2000. Mr. Cohn joins Charged as a writer and director.

Adam Pierce

A multi-media visual artist for Charged Productions, ADAM PIERCE has worked in almost every aspect of film, holding posts as producer, director, writer, animator, director of photography, and sound designer, among others. Recent credits include animator for television programs such as FOX's "The PJ's" and MTV's "Celebrity Deathmatch" and "Hormone High." Mr. Pierce was also co-producer/director of photography for the feature-length documentary American Dreamer. He is the founder and producer of "Scary Little Town," a collective of filmmakers, writers, and actors. Mr. Pierce will head the animation division of Charged Productions, as well as write and direct various Charged projects.

Scott Rosann

SCOTT ROSANN is a writer, director, and editor living in Brooklyn. He is proud to join Charged Productions following a long creative collaboration with Charged.com. His award-winning work has been seen on Comedy Central, MTV, ABC, BBC Television, and the Sundance Channel, as well as in film festivals around the country. His animated short film, "Conspiracy Rock" was an official selection in the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. Mr. Rosann will join the writing staff of Charged productions, and will function as a director for the Company.

About Zapata Corporation

Zapata Corporation is the largest shareholder of Zap.Com Corporation, an Internet company which seeks to build a branded network of independently owned Web sites. Zapata also owns approximately 61% of the stock of Omega Protein, the nation's largest marine protein company, and approximately 40% of the stock of Viskase (NASDAQ: VCIC - news), a world leader in food packaging.

About Charged.com

Since 1996, Charged has utilized the Internet to present original content to users. Multiple technology and media platforms have been employed to develop stories into unique multimedia experiences that audiences have truly identified with. As the digital/broadband revolution takes hold, Charged will continue to produce content, with a special sensitivity to broadband and its possibilities. As a digital production studio, Charged will offer a fully functional commercial production house with a dedicated animation facility. Charged will also develop its own original content, intended for distribution both on and offline, resulting in a unified entertainment product that maximizes distribution outlets to the fullest extent. "Safe Harbor" Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The statements contained in this press release which are not historical fact are forward-looking statements based upon management's current expectations that are subject to risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results, events and developments to differ materially from those set forth in or implied by forward looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results, events and developments to differ include, without limitation, those factors listed under the caption "Significant Factors That Could Affect Future Performance And Forward Looking Statements" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K dated March 30, 2000 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999 and the Company's ability to successfully sell Word.com or its assets or to do on terms and conditions that are favorable to the Company. Consequently all forward looking statements made herein are qualified by these cautionary statements and there can be no assurance that the actual results, events or developments reference herein will occur or be realized. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operation results.

--30--jc/ny*