Photo: View of the exhibition Thierry Mugler: Couturissime. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts - © Nicolas Ruel
Christie is an outstanding example of a manufacturer that has adopted a collaborative approach to doing business and made a demonstrable commitment to the themed entertainment sector. They cultivate partnerships, dialog and collaboration with owners, operators, integrators, creatives and a circle of early adopters, and they take an active role in getting the word out.
The company has worked to understand and meet the needs and demands of the attractions sector – in areas such as stereoscopic 3D, projection mapping, high frame rates, high resolution and color saturation – and to be ready for the next levels.
“The end users know we’re there for them, and the big names come to us,” says Bryan Boehme, executive director of sales and a senior member of Christie’s Location Based Entertainment team, which serves themed entertainment, giant screen and museum markets. “We’re thinking about all the different creative canvases: staging and events, live shows, touring shows, theme parks and attractions, projection mapping, the high end of digital signage and more. We are able to develop and plan for technology that anticipates their needs 2-5 years out, and we are offering more complete projection and display solutions that include support with processing and playback devices and software as well as projectors.”
“We keep the dialog going on all fronts,” says Larry Howard, senior regional sales manager (Americas) – theme parks and giant screen experiences. “Our relationship with integrators, system designers and media developers helps us in building products and software and services that support what’s happening in the design process, hardware, installation, operations and maintenance after a project is up and running.”
As Christie moves toward a century of success (the company was founded in 1929) we present a series of articles on recent achievements in the themed entertainment sector.
CHAPTER 1: Screens to fill, markets to disrupt Christie has made a substantial investment of time and resources in RGB laser projection and recently introduced two, new DLP projector models designed specifically to meet the needs of the LBE sector. Markets seen as a particularly good fit for RGB laser projection include giant screen cinema, projection mapping, branded experiences, digital domes and immersive attractions – both temporary and fixed installations.
CHAPTER 2: Everything is under octrol As modular, programmable, mountable digital display units, MicroTiles were a dramatic game changer technology when originally launched in 2009. Ten years later, MicroTiles LED are presented as delivering everything that made the first iteration a hit and more, with the vividness of LED display and various features and upgrades that expand the creative possibilities
CHAPTER 3: From film dome to fulldome The new, 248-seat INTUITIVE® Planetarium takes the U. S. Space & Rocket Center from analog to cutting-edge digital, and from film dome to fulldome. By virtue of the custom technology package this venue is a pioneering example of RGB laser projection in planetariums, a new standard-setter in many ways and for multiple markets.
CHAPTER 4: Painting the town Around the world, a growing number of festivals and attractions are bringing spectacular shared experiences to cities and towns that want to celebrate art and architecture in the biggest and brightest ways – using the latest projection mapping and large-scale projection tools.
CHAPTER 5: Museum makeovers Display technology is transforming the way people experience museums. From dynamic digital signage and exciting immersive exhibits to interactive activities and large-scale, one-of-a-kind experiences, innovative display and processing technologies are allowing museums to reinvent themselves in extraordinary ways. Seeking to enhance their exhibits and create a truly unique experience for guests, three museums have recently embraced these technologies: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, The Panorama 6th October Museum, and Lisbon’s Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology.
CHAPTER 6: Expos alive – technology innovation at over a decade of Expos Since 2005, Christie technology has been implemented in more than 650 installations at World Expos and for Expo 2020, Christie technology will be used throughout Expo 2020’s 438-hectare site. The vast, domed structure of the show’s centerpiece, Al Wasl Plaza, will use over 250 of Christie’s D4K40-RGB projectors to illuminate the dome with content that can be seen from the sky.
