Colin Watkinson ASC BSC is a British cinematographer whose career encompasses feature films, television drama, commercials and music videos. He is a member of both the American Society of Cinematographers and the British Society of Cinematographers.
Watkinson's interest in cinematography developed after he went on location with Peerless Camera Company, a London visual-effects studio. He subsequently established a career as a director of photography, working across commercials, music videos, television and feature films. His commercial work has included campaigns for companies such as Apple, Coors, Disney, Verizon and Nike, while his music-video credits include work for Paul McCartney, Katy Perry and P!nk.
His first feature film as cinematographer was The Fall (2006), directed by Tarsem Singh. The film was photographed on locations across several countries and became an important early feature in Watkinson's career. His cinematography earned him the 2008 Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography, as well as nominations from the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Online Film Critics Society.
Watkinson has maintained a substantial television career alongside his feature work. His credits include Entourage, Emerald City and The Handmaid's Tale. He collaborated with Tarsem Singh again on Emerald City, the 2017 NBC television series, having previously worked with the director on The Fall.
His work on The Handmaid's Tale became one of the most significant achievements of his career. Watkinson served as director of photography on the series' pilot, Offred, and subsequently photographed the episode June. His cinematography on Offred (Pilot) won the 2017 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour). He received a further Emmy nomination in 2018 for June and another in 2019 for The Word. The Television Academy records three nominations and one win for Watkinson.
Watkinson's feature credits also include 500 Days of Summer, Baywatch and Dolemite Is My Name. His work has therefore extended across a wide range of genres and production scales, from independent and visually ambitious features to studio productions and long-form television drama.