What a ride it’s been. This year marks Christie’s 95th anniversary — nearly a century keeping our own, and countless other shows, on the road. And without doubt, that’s been the most rewarding part of the journey: the collaborations and partnerships that not only built this business but created exceptional art and experiences as they did so.

Three Academy Awards

We doubt S.L. Christie could have imagined that the battery-charging business he began in 1929 in the Hollywood Hills would one day provide the projection for the movies that were making his hometown famous. Or that Christie tech would become a fixture at the Academy Awards or help the Academy Museum tell the definitive story of the movie business — but they did. And he certainly wouldn’t have believed that the company that carries his name would win three Academy Awards of its own, including one this year for Principal Product Developer Mike Perkins, who has been awarded an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Award in Scientific and Engineering, along with three other recipients, for his work and that of the engineering team on the design and development of the Christie E3LH Dolby Vision Cinema Projection System, developed in partnership with Dolby Laboratories.

Finesse and passion

As we said, quite the ride. We’ve provided projection for Expo 2020 Dubai and nightly projection mapped the world’s largest statue — The Statue of Unity — in India, using laser illumination. And all the while, and just as importantly, our solutions power smaller-scale shows and events and thousands of cinemas across the globe. So, for every ground-breaking immersive ride that’s hit the headlines, there have been countless other shows delivered with just as much finesse and passion. For our partners who create them and the audiences who experience them, these are, at that moment, the most important event on the planet and as worthy of praise as any large-scale spectacular.

Though 95 years in business has meant 95 years of change, there has always been one constant — the dedication and enthusiasm of our global partner network and our customers. It’s their desire to make every show, every install, and every movie better than the last that drives our technical innovation. It’s why we have HFR, HDR, digital cinema projection, RGB pure laser, premium LED, Global Professional Services, and all the rest. Because our partners wouldn’t rest and have always reached for something special.

So, while this issue of AVenue celebrates 95 years of Christie, it isn’t only about Christie. It’s also about you, our dedicated partners, collaborators, and customers. People who dream a little brighter and bigger than the most. This is your achievement and your celebration too. Read about Christie’s history in Spotlight.