Did you read the business section in todays Sunday paper?

[FilmsUP]

Ok it's not exactly news.....but Kodak is moving its business into digital. The article hinted at the company phasing out of film all together . I am thinking that the writer knows very little of the differences between film and digital and is only pushing the popular mythology.

True a lot of Kodak's past business has been in still film sales and the market is rapidly shrinking. This might make the motion picture film division even more important.

Unless this new CEO has totally lost the vision of what film can do.

[matt5791]

This would be completely suicuidal for Kodak.

Very little wealth creation can be derived from the digital market. This is because there is basically nothing to form repeated sales, apart from newer and better equipment, which within a year will become a market even more saturated than it already is, with margins on digital cameras becoming smaller and smaller.

Kodak, and Fuji, are able to make a unique product that no other company makes (in terms of MP) and not many more companies produce still film. There is no way that they would want to abandon that market for a market saturated with many many players.

I would have said that both Kodak and Fuji are well aware of this, hence why they continue to invest money in film technology.

I went out to visit Warwick Castle yesterday and there were people snapping away with digital cameras. If they have not printed those pictures out, will they still be able to view them in 5 - 10 years time? And if they have printed them out, will that print stand the test of time and not deterioate?

This is the achillies heel of digital systems - no camera original cast in stone (well, celluliod). Fuji currently say that, stored correctly, their processed motion picture negative should last 100+ years. And to view it? A light.

It is worth mentioning that while I was at the Castle I shot a few rolls of K40 - I have to say I had some admiring glances at my Nizo 6080! mainly from people who have gone out and been ripped off buying these digital SLR cameras, and now think they are the best thing since Lord Snowden.

(Lord Snowden - famous English photographer)

Matt
Birmingham UK

[John_Pytlak]

Last year was the most successful ever for Kodak Entertainment Imaging (Motion Picture), with over 10 BILLION feet of motion-picture FILM being sold. About 70% of Kodak Entertainment Imaging R&D is still for FILM related programs, and several new films (Kodak VISION2 products) have been introduced, with more in the pipeline.

Super-8 is still a popular medium for filmmaking instruction, and often finds its way into professional applications like music videos.

Remember, Variety Magazine wrote "Film Is Dead" about 50 years ago, when Ampex introduced videotape. Yet the Ampex 2-inch videotape format was obsolete decades ago, while film lives on. As Mark Twain wrote: "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated". :roll:

[matt5791]

Last year was the most successful ever for Kodak Entertainment Imaging (Motion Picture), with over 10 BILLION feet of motion-picture FILM being sold. About 70% of Kodak Entertainment Imaging R&D is still for FILM related programs, and several new films (Kodak VISION2 products) have been introduced, with more in the pipeline.

Super-8 is still a popular medium for filmmaking instruction, and often finds its way into professional applications like music videos.

Remember, Variety Magazine wrote "Film Is Dead" about 50 years ago, when Ampex introduced videotape. Yet the Ampex 2-inch videotape format was obsolete decades ago, while film lives on. As Mark Twain wrote: "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated". :roll:

Thanks for the stats John, it is really great to hear from someone from Kodak. There seems to be massive interest in Film at the moment, especially super8, all over the world.

Matt
Birmingham UK

[marc]

Last year was the most successful ever for Kodak Entertainment Imaging (Motion Picture), with over 10 BILLION feet of motion-picture FILM being sold. About 70% of Kodak Entertainment Imaging R&D is still for FILM related programs, and several new films (Kodak VISION2 products) have been introduced, with more in the pipeline. :D

Super-8 is still a popular medium for filmmaking instruction, and often finds its way into professional applications like music videos.

That is good news but can you do anything to make sure that everybody in the company is on the same page? I am reminded of the post that mentioned that one Kodak representative said that Super 8 film is still being manufactured only because the film school at UCLA requests it. What kind of lunacy is that from someone that is supposed to be a professional? Do me a favor, talk to your people please and get them updated!

[John_Pytlak]

Super-8 is a Worldwide format, with thousands of dedicated users, not just one or two film schools.

Please send me the name of that Kodak rep off-line, and I will discuss this with them.

[marc]

I really don't remember which post it was or if the name of the rep was even mentioned but maybe the person that started the post and spoke to that particular rep would remember. While we are here discussing film, what do you think about Kodak offering regular 8 film directly through the company as a regular item that can be ordered in whatever quantity desired? It should come out much cheaper than having to deal through some other middle man that has to hike up the price to make a profit on the bulk orders that he or she buys dircectly from Kodak. I believe that this would also maintain the market for film and help promote the experimentation with larger formats by getting amateurs into the hobby at the very basic level. These people have access to dirt cheap regular 8 cameras. It's got to be breeze for Kodak to manufacture regular 8 film compared to super 8 with it's complex cartridge design. The sprocket holes are consistent with 16mm so it is very common in design and you only have to roll it on a spool rather than stuffing it into a narrow plastic cartridge. I realize that you may not be involved in marketing and that you work in R&D but maybe you could pass these thoughts along to your people.
thanks,
Marc G.

[John_Pytlak]

It's all a matter of volume. Remember, film is manufactured in rolls 54 inches wide and thousands of feet long. So consistent sales volume would be needed to justify manufacturing a "niche" format. I believe 7240 and B&W reversal films are still available in the 8mm format, perforated 2R-1497.

[MovieMaker]

Welcome, John!

Finally we got one member in this forum from the big K! It´s great to have the chance to finally get real informations instead of rumors that are driving us dedicated Super-8 users nuts sometime! :lol: :lol: :lol:

BTW: Will there be any other films from Kodak in Double Super-8? K40 maybe? We all mourn the loss of K25 - and I love my Canon DS8 and want to feed her!

And: Why is there such a big price difference for Kodak´s Super-8 K40 between the US and Europe (even with processing included).... :?:

Thanks for your answers...

MovieMaker

[John_Pytlak]

Please understand that I am a "technology guy" and don't make the marketing decisions you ask about. As I noted before, which films and formats to provide are decisions based on the volume of film likely to be sold. Remember, the film is coated in rolls 54-inches wide and thousands of feet long -- that's a lot of small rolls or cartridges that need to have willing buyers.

[disjecta]

John,

The topic referred to earlier about the rep saying S8 was only alive because of UCLA and the like can be found by clicking on this link:

http://www.8mm.filmshooting.com/scripts ... light=ucla

Scroll down to the post by T-scan

BTW, I don't mean to pry, but are you on this board in any official capacity or is it just personal curiousity? I mean, what's your connection to Super 8?

[John_Pytlak]

I am a Senior Technical Specialist in the Customer Technical Services group of Kodak's Entertainment Imaging (motion picture) division. So my interest is in helping customers use Kodak's products to get the best quality.

I participate on about 30 Internet user groups, ranging from professional cinematography, to film archivists, to 35mm projectionists, to IMAX projectionists. A typical day sees many dozens of correspondence with these film users, so sometimes, you need to be patient.


Certainly there are many dedicated Super-8 users. Filmmaker education is only one part of the market. Unfortunately, when demand is not sufficient to justify investment, some products may be discontinued. New environmental regulations required considerable new investment to continue solvent-based magnetic striping operations, that were not justified by the volume of film sold.

[Mikael]

Good to have you onboard John! Will you give us any news about coming filmstocks ?

[marc]

This is it right here as posted by T Scan:

I called to place my order for super 8 film today. had them put me with the product manager, I asked him about sound film. he said, "absolutly not" and almost laughed at it. then told me Super 8 film sales are falling dramatically! and only the film schools are buying it. and the only reason they still make it because of them. said they will keep making it only cause UCLA and USC would go bannanas if they stopped. i guess we're not vey noticable

[John_Pytlak]

I'm sure you are aware of the new B&W reversal stocks, as well as the Kodak VISION2 Color Negative Films (two on the market already, and more to come).

I was saddened when Kodak had to discontinue making film with magnetic striping, but fully understand the reasons.