Measuring ninety-four feet wide and forty feet tall, the new 4K Super EMAX screen at Emagine Theatre in Canton credibly holds title as largest in Michigan, as of its official ribbon-cutting last night. [1-5]
Fittingly, guests took their seats to see Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker at the close of ceremonies. [6]
And yet, impressive as the technical specifications above clearly read, along with what could be said about the incredible Dolby Atmos immersive sound system that completes this picture, collaborations with two stakeholder municipalities, fast-track build schedule, and multimillion-dollar price tag, none of those things really tell the story here. [7]
This is, after all, Emagine Entertainment. That always means something more. [7]
Anyone who’s heard Emagine Chairman Paul Glantz speak publicly a few times will have been struck by a recurrent theme. He never speaks in terms of hard-earned success as evidenced by his having become his own boss; that role must always be held by the customer, he says. Neither is nor should any Emagine Theatre experience ever be merely one or few things to its patrons. Rather, the goal is for a broadly immersive, thoroughly satisfying experience. [9,10]
Thus, covering a Super EMAX screen unveiling, as Saline Journal did last night, or new theater opening, as we did most recently twelve months ago in Hartland Michigan, importantly serves as an “accounting” to all communities of which Emagine Entertainment is a part. [11]
Last May, hired-head of one crew for Emagine offered that “The guy you see in the policy trailer, the guy you see at the opening, the guy who comes to ask your city council for permission to build a theater there — at lunch, at two o’clock in the morning: All the same guy. Paul Glantz really cares. He only hires people who really care. Employees. Crews.” Is this still true? And if so, how well does it permeate Emagine DNA? [12]
During a sit-down conversation with Saline Journal in their Super EMAX earler yesterday evening, Emagine CEO Anthony LaVerde easily shifted from predictable talk of technology and market share to answer our questions about the substance of their corporate giving and ongoing accessibility in communities in which they have theaters.
There are obviously more demands on Paul’s time as we grow. It’s important to make that a priority, for Paul to get out there, because Emagine is Paul. I handle operations so he can do that. I’m also very involved in communities on behalf of Emagine; I participated on our behalf in the Crain’s Summit earlier this year, for example. If you get me instead of Paul, it’s important that you know that you’re getting Emagine. That’s very important to us. [13]
He then paused, smiled and recalled a recent instance where he had been held up at a meeting, and called Paul Glantz to stand in for him on an obligation on literally hours-notice. “I think everyone was okay with that substitution.”
The longer we talked, the clearer it became that Anthony LaVerde was as interested in staying current with the needs of Emagine Saline grand opening beneficiary Saline Area Social Service today as the theater chain had been in March of 2017. [13]
When Paul Glantz himself walked over to join this conversation, Saline Journal turned to the topic at hand: How had the idea to expand Emagine Canton had originated?
“This was me, in candor” he responded.
And it was precipitated by the fact, that in this case, our competitor, down the road, decided to close up shop. And so at that point, there were a hundred-and-twenty to a hundred-and-forty thousand guests a year that had been patronizing that former location, that, now, of course, had to find a new place to see a movie.
Well, I’m of the opinion that they should choose Emagine, and I wanted to make sure that we had the capacity to be able to facilitate that.
He went on to explain that this customer commitment was not just “the giant screen,” but also “our ‘screening rooms’ — you know, where we’ve got sixteen to thirty seats, where it’s an ideal place for a birthday party, a family party, corporate outing, things of that nature.
So I would say that we’re going big, and we’re going small. And it’s all about serving niche opportunities and serving unique needs.
Later that evening, joined by nearly a dozen cosplayers outfitted as Star Wars characters, Mr Glantz stood before the Canton Michigan Super EMAX screen and shared a few thoughts before taking his own seat (in Row D) to watch The Rise of Skywalker.
He called attention to the clearly marked line on the floor between lobby and theater doors, noting that this expansion actually meant that the building now bridged into the City of Westland. He reflected on his own personal growth in having turned management of this project over to his son Jim, not seeing things as they’d be set until three o’clock this afternoon. He thanked government officials, skilled trades workers, and in-house concessions.
He also thanked his former competitor for having left the market and thus created this opportunity for Emagine. True to character, his words conveyed a sense of genuine appreciation.
As news items go, it’s hard to upstage a 3,760-square-foot motion picture screen, “biggest in the state.” But it’s even harder to imagine a business that saw a competitor fold, then responded by investing millions of dollars into that same local market, working that much harder to earn patrons’ business.
Thus came our headline from the Emagine Entertainment event that Saline Journal covered in Canton and Westland last night.
References
- “Super EMAX Comes to Canton” (June 6, 2019) Emagine Entertainment.
- “Super EMAX Canton/Westland Screenlapse December 2019” Emagine Theatres (December 17, 2019) YouTube.
- “What is 4K Digital projection?” Sony.
- Canton Michigan (home page).
- “The Force is with Canton, Westland as biggest movie screen in state opens at Emagine” David Vaselenak (December 20, 2019) Hometown Life.
- “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)” IMDb.
- “Dolby in the Cinema” Dolby Laboratories.
- Emagine Entertainment (home page).
- “Polyphony – Emagine Entertainment CEO Paul Glantz Interview (720p)” Matthew Ward (September 10, 2017) Vimeo.
- “Walsh College – Alumni Profile (MST ’84) – Paul Glantz, Founder & Chairman of Emagine Entertainment” Walsh College (January 22, 2014) YouTube.
- “Latest Emagine Theatre Opening In Hartland Michigan Continues To Raise The Tide For All Boats In Movie Entertainment” Dell Deaton (December 15, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “New corporate video takes time to explain how Emagine Entertainment serves in communities of which it is a part” Dell Deaton (May 8, 2019) Saline Journal.
- “Crain’s HR Summit to tackle how CEOs, HR leaders interact” (July 28, 2019) Crain’s Detroit Business.
- Saline Area Social Service (home page).
- Westland Michigan (home page).
