Meet Mike Perkins, principal product developer

At Christie, we provide reliable, innovative, and high-quality solutions to theatres around the world. From RGB pure laser projection to immersive sound, our technology delivers those cinematic moments that live on in our memories forever.

Behind the scenes is a group of employees who are dedicated to innovating and delivering best-in-class technology to enable the best on-screen experience for moviegoers. Put simply, these are the people who eat, breathe, and love cinema.

In this series, we meet some of the people who work on our Cinema team and discover why they love cinema and what it means to them.

Who am I?

Mike Perkins, principal product developer

What is cinema to me?

Cinema is the sharing of stories. So are books and TV. For me, what differentiates cinema is the audience. When you’re in a theatre you get to share the experience. A scary movie is ten times scarier when a room full of people all scream at the same time. When those same people laugh as one, it’s that much funnier.

What do I like to watch?

I’m a lifelong fan of science fiction, fantasy, and comic books. Give me “Star Wars,” the “Marvel Cinematic Universe,” and the “Lord of the Rings,” and I’m in heaven.

Having said that, my favorite film is “Casablanca”. Anyone who knows the history of this film knows it shouldn’t have been a classic. The cast and crew treated it like it was just another movie of the week. Filming started before the script was complete. And yet they were professionals and they put their all into it. Not because they were creating “the greatest movie of all time” but because it was their job, and that is what you do.

Out of that came a perfect gem. Brilliant dialog, iconic scenes, beautiful cinematography, and every actor created a distinct and memorable character. I have watched it 100 times, and plan to watch it 100 more.

“Here’s looking at you, kid”.