CYPRESS, CA – (August 13, 2008) – Christie’s acclaimed Roadster series projectors are on the road with eleven-time Grammy award winner Alicia Keys as she travels the globe for her latest “As I Am” world tour. After five weeks in Europe, the tour kicked off in North America on April 19th in Hampton, VA and will run throughout the year. Montreal-based Solotech, one of North America’s largest suppliers of sound, lighting and video equipment is providing a full compliment of equipment for the show including six Christie Roadster S+20K 3-Chip DLP® projectors for the live video projection.
The expansive stage is comprised of a 54 x 20 foot curved screen creating a seamless back projection surface to project HD video content synchronized in real time with live camera shots and special effects during the performance. Two towers of triple stacked Christie Roadster S+20K projectors produce a combined 120,000 ANSI lumens of brightness to display the high definition video imagery and live mixes of Alicia Keys and her musicians and dancers.
The technical design and video elements of the set were created by VYV Corporation, a staging-dressing company based in Montreal, QC. Emric Epstein, co-founder and technology developer for VYV and lead technical designer of the set commented, “We love Christie projectors for their superior image quality and brightness. They allow us to achieve a stunning 120K lumen output that competes in brightness with LED screens but with better resolution and quality. The projectors deliver a super bright and extremely clear image with no rainbow effect, which is crucial for live performances. They really add another dimension to the show.”
Emric continued, “Because the show is moving very fast with a lot of back-to-back performances on the road, quick set-up, alignment and blending of the projectors is essential. Christie projectors are easy to use and set up with our PHOTON systems and software that automatically blends the triple stacked projectors and also manages all of the content for the show. With Christie’s latest remote control RoadTools software, we have even more flexibility to do things like shutter the lenses and even write our own applications to control the projectors using ChristieNET protocol.”
Dave Muscat, director of sales for Christie Digital Systems Canada, Inc. added, “The Alicia Keys tour is a world class production. The video elements designed by VYV bring the concert experience to another level, creating a feeling of total immersion for Alicia Keys fans the world over. It speaks to Christie’s own world-class reputation to be chosen by VYV and Solotech for the quality and road worthiness of our products.”
About VYV Corporation
Located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, VYV Corporation is a stage dressing company. VYV develops specialized software and hardware systems to create interactive special effects in artistic performances, shows, and special installations. The systems emerging from VYV are developed and adapted in close collaboration with artists and creators. This formula allows for higher-quality systems and better satisfaction tailored to the needs of clients. By merging creativity and technology, VYV’s team of creators work with a client’s vision to suggest, adapt and create digital and scenic solutions that are out of the ordinary. The company’s primary goals are accuracy, robustness, and high quality. The quality of the technologies and services of VYV have led to achievements such as Cirque du Soleil, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys and more. Using the VYV Photon, a high-end video server, VYV can project almost anything, on any surface, anytime.
About Christie
Christie, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ushio, Inc., Japan, (JP:6925), is a leader in visual solutions for world-class organizations, offering diverse applications for business, entertainment, and industry. A leading innovator in film projection since 1929 and a pioneer in digital projection systems since 1979, Christie has established a global reputation as a total service provider and the world's single source manufacturer of a variety of display technologies and solutions. With the acquisition of Vista Controls Systems, Corp., Christie offers the most complete and advanced solutions for cinema, live venues, control rooms, business presentations, training facilities, 3D and Virtual Reality, simulation and education as well as industrial and government environments.
