Chris Cookson (born November 19, 1946) was the President of Sony Pictures Technologies, a division of

Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, ac ...

, and Chief Officer, Sony 3D Technology Center, Sony Corporation of America. As President of Sony Pictures Technologies, Cookson oversaw the development and implementation of the studio's technology policy and processes. He also served as Sony Pictures’ chief liaison with other Sony Corporation businesses in the area of technology. Cookson holds more than 50 U.S.

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...

s, including several involving DVDs, and has been leading the effort to maintain high standards of quality on theatrical digital

post-production Post-production is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording individual program segments. The ...

technologies.

Career

Cookson opened Sony Pictures’ dedicated 4K Digital Intermediate facility, Colorworks, where world-renowned colorists utilize state-of-the-art technology to master movies in 2D and 3D. He also acts as the studio's representative and a top advisor to the Sony Corp. on all things 3D and is the Chief Officer overseeing the Sony 3D Technology Center based on the Sony Pictures Studio lot. Cookson is also leading the studio's effort to roll-out cloud-based production tools. Prior to joining Sony Pictures, Cookson was Chief Technology Officer of

Warner Bros. Entertainment Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

and President of the Warner Bros. Technical Operations Division. He became CTO in 1999, and began his career with Warner Bros. in 1992. Previously he served as vice president and general manager of operations and engineering for the CBS Television Network in New York, and before that, worked for ten years at the ABC Television Network, where he won an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

award for his work as Director of the ABC and International Olympics Broadcast Centers. Sony announced the closure of its technologies unit in January 2014 and Cookson was laid off.

Honors

Cookson is a fellow of The

Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) (, rarely ), founded in 1916 as the Society of Motion Picture Engineers or SMPE, is a global professional association of engineers, technologists, and executives working in the m ...

, a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and a member of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

. He has been awarded three Emmys, including the Charles F. Jenkins Lifetime Achievement Award, and has served on the Committee for Engineering Awards.

Education

Cookson holds a

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degree and an MBA from

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cookson, Chris Living people 1946 births Arizona State University alumni Sony Pictures Entertainment