After over a decade of pounding the pavement and knocking on the doors of Hollywood’s movie studios and TV networks, Katharine Watford Cook was awarded the prestigious Golden Halo Award in 2017 by the Southern California Motion Picture Council for her persistence in advancing 360 VR technology.
In one of Katharine’s early meetings, a not-to-be-named major studio executive dismissed the application of virtual reality to film and removed her from the studios conference room within less than ten minutes of her presentation, saying “Why would anyone want to look around in a movie?” But the visionary Katharine persisted tirelessly toward her goal of bringing 360 VR to the Hollywood Studio market place.
Universal Studio was the first to hire Katharine and her new cutting edge technology on the films Inception and Snow White And The Huntsman, but due to the nature of the locations of the scenes that the studio were requesting, it was not a feasible option.
Then, after numerous meetings with Lionsgate, Katharine was hired to be the first person to direct and produce 360 VR on a Hollywood movie, starting with the Hunger Games titles Catching Fire, Mockingjay 1, Mockingjay 2, then Insurgent and Now You See Me 2.
Katharine then went on to produce and advance 360 VR multi-camera live event streaming. The sought after Golden Halo Award was established in 1936 by The Southern California Motion Picture Council and has been awarded to many of Hollywood’s greatest talents, including: Marilyn Monroe, John Travolta, Bob Hope, Michael Jackson, Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Taylor, Howard Hughes, and H.S.H. Princess Grace (Kelly) of Monaco, just to name a few. Hollywoods Royal His Highness Dr. Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe learned about Katharines achievements in 360 VR whilst working on a new TV show together and nominated her for the Award as a previous Award Winner and and the board promptly signed off and approved the nomination.
Katharine Watford Cook now joins this illustrious list of A List luminaries that changed the Hollywood Screens for generations. She is now part of the icons of the entertainment industry.