Christie's leadership takes flight with HFR and IMB - Christie Digital ...

Apex Entertainment hasreceived several honorsand awards for itsdedication in exhibitionIndependents in North Americavalue Christie equipment,services and VPF ProgramSmaller independent exhibitors play an importantrole and provide local audiences a connection totheir communities. Christie has helped regionaland local exhibitors move into the 21st centuryof entertainment by providing the world’s mostpreferred DLP Cinema ® projectors and dependablecustomer service. Along with the Christie VirtualPrint Fee (VPF) Program, independents can nowafford their digital conversions and continueto operate the way they always have, withoutunwieldy fees and restrictions.Apex Theatres, Louisville, KYLocally owned by a group ofinvestors, Apex Entertainment, LLC,currently operates 16 screens inLouisville, Kentucky, including BaxterAvenue Filmworks Theatre (Baxter).Opened in 1996, Baxter is far froma typical multiplex. It offers first-run,foreign, and independent fare andmost recently, 3D movies, on eightwall-to-wall screen auditoriums.In addition to state-of-theartprojection equipment andsound systems, Baxter's mostshow-stopping assets are itsaesthetic allure, including amultimedia video wall above theconcession stand, lighted moving sculptures, andvintage posters and hand-painted murals by localartists throughout.“We have always had the highest regard forChristie equipment, even before we startedinstalling their digital projectors,” says LeslieAberson, President, Apex Theatres. CurrentlyBaxter has five Christie Solaria ® Series digitalprojectors installed with the remaining threescreens scheduled for conversion by mid-2012.“We appreciate Christie's reliability and economicaloperation that provide savings day in and day out.According to Gary Engvold, president ofIntegrity Entertainment Solutions, LLC, a certifiedChristie partner, who handled the installation,“We recommend Christie projectors becausethey typically use a lamp size smaller than thecompetition on the same screen, providing morelight and using less electricity. They are known forthe brightest and highest performance projectorsand the lowest cost of ownership.”Christie VPF — best return oninvestmentAfter much research, Baxter contracted withChristie for their VPF Program because theyconsidered it to be the most friendly. “TheChristie VPF Program is straight forward, andin comparison to others, it is the best deal outthere. In terms of simple economics, we get thebest return on our money because the VPFs arepaid faster and we have the ability to depreciatethe equipment under Christie’s self-financingprogram,” explains Aberson. “We didn’t haveto jump through hoops and deal with all sortsof restrictions.”In response to exhibitors, Christie has expanded itsVPF Program until September 30, 2012.Canadian exhibitors embraceChristie total solutionsLandmark selects Christiefor full digital conversionLandmark Cinemas of Canada Inc.(Landmark) iswestern Canada’s largest independent exhibitor.They operate 31 cinema complexes, with acombined total of 111 screens, in 28 locationsin the four western provinces and the Yukon.Privately owned and operated since 1965, thepartners who make up the ownership group ofLandmark have strong roots to film exhibition.The digital conversions for 100+ screens —including a range of DCI-compliant ChristieSolaria ® Series projectors installed by KingCinema — is to be completed over the next sixmonths with no disruption in service. Landmarkwill provide state-of-the-art entertainment in allits markets, including 2D and 3D movies, liveevents and other alternative content.“Christie guarantees us the twin pillars ofsuperior product and the best people,” says NeilCampbell, chief operating officer, LandmarkCinemas. “The team at Christie is highly responsive.I can find the managers I need whenever I needthem, and they’re always focused on meeting theunique requirements of each cinema.”Christie Managed Servicesand VPF ProgramSigning onto Christie Managed Services enablesChristie to remotely monitor and manageLandmark’s digital cinema environments in realtime and to reap the full benefit of digitization.Included with the hardware will be Christie’sLibrary Management Servers for playing onmultiple Landmark screens. They also subscribeto Christie’s simplified and customized VirtualPrint Fee (VPF) Program that provides financialsupport for exhibitors seeking the greatestindependence in making the move to DLPCinema ® digital cinema projection systems.“The program offers Landmark expert supportand flexible options for all phases of the digitalconversion process, including Christie’s NetworkOperations Center (NOC) services, providing24/7 /365 technical support,” added Muscat.Cinémas Guzzo goes100% digital with ChristieOne of Canada’s leading independent chains,Les Cinémas Guzzo (“Guzzo”) is the largestprivately owned cinema chain in Quebec. Partof the Quebec cinema scene since 1974, it wasfounded by Angelo Guzzo, and currently hasmore than 140 screens, mainly in the Montrealarea. Angelo Guzzo and his son Vincenzo work asa team to bring moviegoers the best that cinemahas to offer, including installation of ChristieSolaria ® Series Series 2K projectors as well asthe upgrading of 27 screens to Christie’s nextgeneration Solaria 4K DLP Cinema ® projectors.“In addition to the terrific image quality offeredby digital projection, the conversion will give usmore flexibility in the types of presentation we canoffer, such as 3D, and more personalized pre-showand alternative content,” says Vincenzo Guzzo,executive vice president and chief operating officer,Cinémas Guzzo. The conversion of all 142 Guzzoscreens, managed in-house and supported byChristie, is planned for completion by April 2012.“With Christie, we get first-class service and greatafter-sale support. We’ve been with Christie fromour first installs in 2008, so we know they’re themost reliable choice for this project,”Guzzo added.Services, systems and supportGuzzo is working with Christie Managed Servicesin support of sourcing,integrating and validatinghardware that enablesremote monitoring andmanagement of Guzzo’sdigital cinema projectionenvironments. Included withthe hardware are LibraryManagement Servers thathold the feature films,advertisements, trailers andother digital content forplaying on multiple screens.Cinémas Guzzo will also useChristie ACT , a theaterautomation controller toautomate presentations insome of its theaters.Dave Muscat, senior director of sales, ChristieCanada, noted, “Christie has helped CinémasGuzzo make this pivotal transition to digital, withbest-in-class product and flexible, customized service.Today we have more than 85 percent of Canada'sdigital cinema market through our commitment tolong-term partnership with our customers.”“Christie guaranteesus the twin pillarsof superior productand the bestpeople.”Neil CampbellChief Operating OfficerLandmark Cinemas1011