New Kodak Film Targets Digital Filmmakers
By: Caroline Tucker
Updated: August 27, 2012
It's not the kind of picture you thought would develop with Kodak's bankruptcy.
The company is getting out of the business of making film for the cameras we use, but it continues to make films for movies.
It's now marketing towards the very thing that hurt business - digital technology.
Kodak has introduced what's known as "Color Asset Protection Film 2332."
The film is marketed to filmmakers who shoot digitally.
The company says the colors are bold and the film can last for more than a century.
That's longer than the shelf-life of most hard-drives.
A Rochester production company already has its eyes on the new film.
"Many times people have film but they don't see it, they don't even know what it is," said Mike Champlin, co-owner of DeBergerac Productions.
DeBergerac Productions sits tucked inside a Perinton office building.
"This is film that was shot in Grand Central Station of the Kodak Colorama," said Champlin, as he spun film through a reel.
The company restores the past while keeping current with 21st Century technology.
"That's how it looked before and that's what we can achieve digitally," said Champlin, as he pulled up some Kodak test film from 1926.
"Our customers ask us to work in the digital format because it is what is expected and there is an ease of use to it," said Champlin.
The company shoots digitally, edits digitally and prefers film to a hard drive.
"Film is important to archival medium because it is the only format out there that we know will last 100 years or more," said Champlin. "All you need is a light source and you hold it up to the light and you know you've got your image."
Champlin said Kodak's new archival film targeted at digital filmmakers is a positive move.
"They are clearly paying attention to what the needs are out there despite the current news comes out of State Street," said Champlin.
So while digital may be the way to now create works of art, preserving it happens by sticking to the past.
"If they have a high enough spend and they are looking to have their productions last into the next century, they are going to want to look at products like what is Kodak is offering here," said Champlin.
Kodak says motion picture film continues to be a part of its business plan, even as it has decided to drop its consumer film line, kiosks, and scanners by next year.
