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(Troy, Michigan—Dec 6, 2017

Emagine Entertainment Growing with Christie as Technology Partner

Christie® 4K RGB laser projector lighting giant screen at Novi, Michigan, theatre opening
Christie is pleased to announce that Emagine Entertainment has selected a Christie CP42LH 3DLP® 4K RGB laser projector to illuminate its Super EMAX theatre, with its 92 ft. (28 m) by 48 ft. (15 m) screen. The latest addition complements a plethora of Christie technology and services that have assisted Paul Glantz, CEO of Emagine Entertainment, in keeping his luxury theatre company ahead of the curve in the highly competitive world of movie theatre chains vying for their share of the entertainment dollar.
 
Glantz opened the doors of the first Emagine theatre in 1997, and 20 years later he is the proud leader of this thriving Midwest-based theatre company that operates 17 theatres and more than 200 screens across Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois.
 
In step with this expansion of his theatre empire, Glantz has built a strong relationship with Christie to become Emagine’s technology partner, supplying content, hardware and software to the theatre chain. Starting in 2005, Emagine led the digital-cinema roll out when it began the conversion of its screens to DCI-compliant, high definition digital projection, installing Christie Xenon-lamp projectors. It was one of only two theatres to bring Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith to Michigan audiences in digital format.
 
“We wanted to partner with a company that was involved in not only providing the finest mechanical projection systems, but also could foresee the future – and the future was, and is, built on digital technology. We chose Christie specifically because of their expertise in digital projection and the company’s long history in the cinema world,” said Glantz. “We live in an ever more competitive world, but by making the best use of successive waves of digital-projection technology, Emagine can compete more effectively against home theatre and other forms of entertainment.”
 
His love of film goes all the way back to childhood when his movie-buff mother took him to the now defunct Mai Kai Theatre in Livonia, Michigan. “When you’re small and you see a big screen, it’s even more impressive than when you’re an adult,” said Glantz.
 
Inspired by the memory and majesty of the Mai Kai theatre, Glantz has reached the fruition of a dream to launch his biggest project yet – the Super EMAX screen at the Emagine Novi Michigan theatre, the largest movie screen in the state and comparable to large screens nationwide, such as the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX® in Hollywood.  
 
The opening of the Novi giant screen theatre is part of an overall $5 million complete refurbishment of this impressive Michigan entertainment complex, which first opened in 2002. The Super EMAX screen will be enabled by combining two auditoriums into one and extending them out to accommodate this giant screen, which is now one of 17 auditoriums at the facility.
 
“Our guests deserve the best, so to light up our Super EMAX theatre, with its 92 ft. (28 m) by 48 ft. (15 m) screen, we’ve installed a Christie CP42LH 3DLP® 4K RGB laser projector,” said David Zylstra, VP of Technology, Emagine Entertainment. “But technology is always improving and so I’m delighted that, with the launch of the CP4325-RGB, Christie is introducing its RealLaser™ line-up of all-in-one projectors; a family which has the potential to ‘future proof’ our Novi and other auditoriums across the U.S. heartland.”
 
Susie Beiersdorf, VP of Sales, Cinema-The Americas, Christie, said:  “The movies projected at Emagine’s Super EMAX theatre, with its gigantic screen, deserve to be shown with the brightest illumination and color rendition available, providing a superior image quality for a large-format, mainstream cinema.  Therefore, it’s no surprise that the chain that led the digital-cinema rollout in 2005 has opted for a Christie RGB pure laser solution to draw in the crowds, beginning with STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI.
 
As the Emagine chain has expanded over the years, Glantz has also looked to Christie for interactive cinema-lobby displays and Christie professional services, as well as Christie’s industry-leading projection systems.
 
“The Christie Experiential Network (CEN) provides advertising, menus, information on special events and show schedules, as well as movie trailers and custom movie content in the lobbies of our company-owned multiplexes across Michigan and Illinois,” said Glantz. “Our CEN installation delivers engaging content through a variety of digital displays, most notably the ‘Hero Walls’, which are sound-enabled, interactive digital displays that our patrons can interact with using their mobile devices.”
 
Glantz added: “Our experience with CEN has been exceptional; the positive impact on guest experience and the additional revenue we receive has exceeded expectations. As an example, the deployment at our Palladium Theatre in Birmingham, MI, was honoured as “Best Overall Retail or Mall Experience” at the Daily DOOH 2015 Gala Awards which, in addition to the business results, made the decision to include CEN in our operational plan for our subsequent acquisition of Mueller Theatres a no-brainer.”
 
Emagine also relies on the Christie Network Operations Centre (NOC) in Cypress, California, for remote support of its core locations, drawing on Christie 24/7 technical help desk, remote equipment monitoring and configuration management tools, preventative servicing, on-site emergency response and critical spares replenishment programs.
 
“Christie offers the most comprehensive and economical on-going support available through Christie Managed Services,” said Zylstra.  “We get top-notch professional service, their customer service engineers work hard to get the job done as quickly as possible, minimizing downtime and their Network Operations Center personnel are always helpful, remotely fixing most issues quickly.  From sales and service to product performance, Christie offers the best overall package on the market.”
 
While the Emagine chain continues to grow, concessions account for about 40 percent of revenue and that revenue model dictates which markets it targets for expansion. “We go where consumers have the discretionary spending power to enjoy out-of-home entertainment,” said Glantz. That is the underpinning for Emagine’s rapid growth across the Great Lakes, having recently opened a site in Saline, Michigan and in Frankfort, Illinois. Emagine is also planning for a ground-breaking in Hartland, Michigan, and is focusing on a prime location in the City of Detroit.
 
Indicative of the enlightened entrepreneur he is, Glantz is wary of growing too quickly or in the wrong way. “Our job is to create a wonderful entertainment experience for our guests,” he said. “It’s not just the content but it’s all the embellishments that go along with the content, and I believe that is the future of our industry.”
 
Glantz added “Emagine is an entrepreneurial organization and we’re guided by the principle that each and every one of our guests should have an exemplary movie-going experience. We’ve been very pleased to be able to work with Christie to achieve that goal.”
Christie Contacts:
Media Relations:
Carmen Benyair


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About Christie: Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. is a global visual and audio technologies company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Ushio Inc., Japan (JP: 6925). Christie revolutionized the movie industry with the launch of digital cinema projection, and since 1929 has embraced innovation and broken many technology barriers. Our technology, paired with the support of professional services to design, deploy and maintain installations, inspires exceptional experiences. Christie solutions are used around the world, from the largest mega-events to the smallest boardrooms, and include advanced RGB pure laser projection, SDVoE technology, content management, image processing, and LED and LCD displays. Visit www.christiedigital.com. Christie Directory page Christie Web Site
About Emagine Entertainment: Emagine Entertainment’s affiliates own and operate luxury theatres in Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Emagine operates theatres with a combined 23,141 seats and 244 screens. Emagine has led the way in bringing luxury theatres to the metropolitan Detroit market. Emagine enjoys the honor and distinction of being named “Best Movie Theatre” for several years running by the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit News, Hour Magazine, and WDIV television. Emagine is a recognized innovator in the theatrical exhibition industry having been the first theatre chain in the world to convert to 100% digital projection. In 1997, Cinema Hollywood (now Emagine Birch Run) was the first theatre in Michigan to open with all stadium seating. Emagine was the first to introduce 4K projection to the Detroit market and it boasted three of the first 100 Dolby Atmos® immersive sound systems deployed worldwide. On December 15, 2017, Emagine began operating the largest movie screen in the State of Michigan with the opening of its Super EMAX auditorium (featuring laser projection technology) at its megaplex in Novi, Michigan and on December 19, 2019, Emagine opened the largest CinemaScope screen in the Midwest at its Emagine Canton/Westland location. For more information about Emagine, please visit https://www.emagine-entertainment.com.
  

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