WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. —The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers fellow Chris Cookson, president of Sony Pictures Technologies, has received the Charles F. Jenkins Lifetime Achievement Award. This was the only individual honor during the 65th Primetime Engineering Emmy Awards.
The award recognizes a living individual whose ongoing contributions have significantly affected the state of television technology and engineering.
Cookson has earned three Emmy Awards and holds more than 50 U.S. patents. At Sony Pictures Technologies, he oversees the development and implementation of the studio’s technology policy and processes and serves as Sony Pictures’ chief liaison with other Sony Corp. technology businesses. His team leads the studio’s effort to evangelize and implement strategic initiatives across Sony Pictures and beyond, including UltraViolet and digital distribution; efforts to curb online piracy; and the transition to 4K, 3D and digital, file-based entertainment workflows.
He also leads the effort to maintain high standards of quality on theatrical digital postproduction technologies and to roll out cloud-based production tools. In 2009, Cookson opened Sony Pictures’ dedicated 4K Digital Intermediate facility, Colorworks, where colorists use technology to master movies in 2D and 3D. He also acts as the studio’s representative and is a top 3D and 4K advisor to Sony Corp.
Cookson previously served as chief technology officer for Warner Bros. Entertainment and was president of the Warner Bros. Technical Operations Division. He also worked as vice president and general manager of operations and engineering for the CBS Television Network in New York. He also worked for 10 years at the ABC Television Network, where he won an Emmy Award for his work as director of the ABC and Olympics International Broadcast Centers.
