■ Board Member Site Visit

At Sony, we provide our outside Directors with opportunities to visit the frontlines of our operations around the world, as a way to deepen their understanding of Sony's business. On this occasion, over two days on September 6 and 7, our Board members visited Sony Interactive Entertainment's (SIE) Santa Monica Studio, the Digital Media Production Center (DMPC), located near Hollywood, and Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) in Culver City. This was the first time in four years our Directors visited Sony operations outside of Japan, since the visit to Sony Music Group (SMG) in New York in 2019.

Santa Monica Studio
On the first day, the Directors visited Santa Monica Studio, which is renowned for developing the "God of War" game series, and participated in a demonstration of Virtual Production using motion capture technology. They asked various questions about the game development process, and Ariel Lawrence, a game creator from the studio explained, "As game creators, we take great joy in bringing a fantasy world to life--creating new places and experiences that players have never seen before."

The Directors taking part in a Virtual Production demonstration at the Motion Capture Stage

DMPC
On the morning of the second day, the group toured the DMPC, which provides access to Sony's array of consumer and professional content creation products, as well asl test shooting facilities and other services and support. It also features a viewing room with a Crystal LED display, a fully equipped film set, a photo studio, and color grading room. It is a place where Sony can bring together and engage in dialogue with creators such as cinematographers, producers and other creative professionals.

We were joined by Shelly Johnson, President of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), and fellow ASC member Checco Varese, who responded to questions from the Board members, sharing their insights from a creator's perspective. I was particularly excited to receive the comment from Shelly Johnson that, "Sony is responding to the real, on-set needs of cinematographers by creating products such as VENICE 2."

A studio set capable of Hollywood-level visual production	Yoshihiko Hatanaka, Chairman of the Board, standing on a Virtual Production stage that uses Crystal LED
With Shelly Johnson (far right), Checco Varese (far left), and Daniel Perry of DMPC (second from right)	Q&A session with Shelly Johnson and Checco Varese

SPE
After the DMPC tour, we visited SPE in Culver City. Following the program there that included a studio tour and presentations from SPE management, the Directors commented that they gained a true appreciation of how collaboration is spreading throughout the Group, as well as a sense of SPE's long history at the center of entertainment, and how it continues to value while this heritage also driving new innovation and initiatives.

Through the activities showcased at SIE, DMPC and SPE, I believe we were able to create an opportunity for our outside Board members to experience the "Power of Pictures." I would like to thank everyone involved for their tireless efforts in planning and ensuring the success of these visits.

The production studios for the popular game shows "Jeopardy!" (left) and "Wheel of Fortune" (right) located within the SPE lot
Explaining the history of recording technology	Attending a lecture on the post production process
At Sony Innovation Studios (SIS), which is engaged in Virtual Production. Taking in a giant set that uses Crystal LED.

■ Empowering Women at Sony

During this visit, outside Director Wendy Becker had various dialogue sessions with female employees at SPE. I understand these sessions will be covered in greater detail in an upcoming article on Inter Sony, but they were held under the theme of "Empowering Women at Sony" that aims to help each individual female employee cultivate their own workstyle and career path through dialogue with female management figures. This is a photo taken at the luncheon meeting between Wendy Becker and members of the Women's Leadership Initiative (WLI) who are in management roles across SPE, which Tony Vinciquerra, Chairman and CEO of SPE, and I briefly joined. The participants engaged in extensive discussion on topics including networking among women and creating a positive work environment.

WLI mission statement	Luncheon invitation

Diversity is one of Sony's strengths and is essential for sustainable growth. We will continue our efforts to create a workplace where all each and every one of you, who are the foundations of Sony's value creation, can work with peace of mind.

As always, I look forward to receiving your thoughts and feedback.