kodaks stock plunges 50% in the last month!!!

[lee caropolo]

Hmmm could red have something to do with this? Maybe i should invest in kodak since its so low and use the extra cash to bye a nice red zoom or maybe upgrade to the ff35. LOL. I can't wait for tomorrows announcement.

 

[Dan Hudgins]

What future for film?

What future for film?

I have been telling my brother to sell ALL our film equipment while it is still worth something.

I have been thinking Color Print stock will be the last to go, maybe made by Fuji, but on what date, 7 years, 12 years, does anyone think 35mm prints will be made 20 years from now?

 

[Gavin Greenwalt]

5 years before I think it'll die.

 

[Kyle Presley]

Film prints are expensive. There is no reason for any theater chain to invest in new 35mm projectors. 4K cinema will be the norm before you know it.

 

[Bob Gruen]

Not until they figure out who should pay for them...

Theaters say the distributors will save the money so they should subsidize it, while the distributors say it's theater equipment...

I checked about a year ago and there were only about 35 4K projectors in theaters. Anyone know how many there are now?

Bob

 

[Graeme Nattress]

In 2001 I was on record saying 10 years.

Graeme

 

[Felix K.]

Still a bit sad when an old trade dies...

 

[Graeme Nattress]

Well, it didn't happen with either vacuum tubes or vinyl records - they just became "niche". I fully suspect that the same will happen with both the acquisition and projection of film. Film still holds an emotional value to many, and it will be preserved by them.

Graeme

 

[David M]

Your Point?

Your Point?

So what point are you all making?

Kodak took a hammering over the last 12 months, just like a lot of other consumer companies. I can't find any news stories that suggest anybody thinks Kodak is going down for the third time anytime soon.

Film sales make up a tiny part of Kodak's income these days anyway. But as long as there is a demand for film prints, Kodak will be happy to supply the stock, it's not like the factory is costing them anything.

It's a bit like vinyl records when CDs first started to take off. Although the vinyl market was dying, record companies still put stuff out on LPs for a long time because the pressing equipment was already there, and there was still some demand, so why not exploit it.

A large amount of Kodak's income stream these days comes from Patent royalties, ironically a lot of it from digital imaging technologies.

 

[David M]

Well, it didn't happen with either vacuum tubes or vinyl records - they just became "niche". I fully suspect that the same will happen with both the acquisition and projection of film. Film still holds an emotional value to many, and it will be preserved by them.

Graeme

You can even have a DJ playing 78s on acoustic gramophones to make your next function a real blast!

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED20%20Jun%202007%2009%3A11%3A50%3A270

 

[Mark L. Pederson]

Film sales make up a tiny part of Kodak's income these days anyway. But as long as there is a demand for film prints, Kodak will be happy to supply the stock, it's not like the factory is costing them anything.

It's not free to make motion picture film. Companies only loose money for so long. (Go buy a pack of Poloroid.)

IF Kodak can survive ... I think we all know that it will NOT be from revenue from motion picture film stock.

 

[Wesley Scoggins]

It's not like the factory is costing them anything.

It actually costs a lot, they have to pay rent on the space, taxes on operation, cost for raw materials (silver isn't cheap), specialists operating very expensive machines every step of the way, all that have to be paid, all of the non-specialists who have to be paid, all of the electricity that it'll take to run the machines.

It's expensive to produce high-quality 35mm stock.

 

[Joel Kaye]

It's not free to make motion picture film. Companies only loose money for so long. (Go buy a pack of Poloroid.)

IF Kodak can survive ... I think we all know that it will NOT be from revenue from motion picture film stock.

3/4 of their revenue is from the digital division. They have over a billion of cash on hand. They saw the end of film a long time ago. They'll survive beyond film but they might not be as big as they once were.

 

[Wesley Scoggins]

I have been telling my brother to sell ALL our film equipment while it is still worth something.

I have been thinking Color Print stock will be the last to go, maybe made by Fuji, but on what date, 7 years, 12 years, does anyone think 35mm prints will be made 20 years from now?

I think 20 years from now, there'll most likely be a few people still shooting on film for nostalgia's sake. Just like how there are still people shooting on 8mm, even though it's been technically obsolete for 20 years as well.

I think that film will be VERY expensive, and printed in small batches to only a niche market.

 

[Ace]

18 months.

 

[Jon B.]

Tomorrow

 

[David M]

It actually costs a lot, they have to pay rent on the space, taxes on operation, cost for raw materials (silver isn't cheap), specialists operating very expensive machines every step of the way, all that have to be paid, all of the non-specialists who have to be paid, all of the electricity that it'll take to run the machines.

It's expensive to produce high-quality 35mm stock.

What I meant was, the infrastructure is already in place. It's not like they have to keep upgrading plant to keep up with rapidly evolving technology. The plant is there, it works, and they know how to run it. And they still turn out enormous amounts of print stock every year, more than they ever did in the past in fact.

When cinemas stop using film prints, THEN they'll close the factory down.
That time is a long way off, despite what you may have heard on your Blog-of-choice.

And by the way, the bulk of new cinema installations still use mostly film projectors. Shocking but true.

 

[Darren Orange]

For sure true on the mostly film projectors, a brand new gold class theaters opened up by me...one digital projector out of 8 theaters....high class... $22 bucks a ticket. Also a NEC crazy huge digital projector...NEC, really? They are using the Z screen for 3D from Real D also. Place serves food and drinks and has a huge lounge and bar area, its extremely nice, like being at a top end lounge in Chicago.

 

[Dylan Macleod CSC]

As a capture medium film still rules. And I'm a RED owner.
I still come across a surprising number of "young" folks in the business that are interested in learning the film process.
I do agree it will become a novelty - mainly for cost reasons - and that digital - or other media will take its place.
But I think it will be longer than 2011 Graeme!

 

[lee caropolo]

So what point are you all making?

Kodak took a hammering over the last 12 months, just like a lot of other consumer companies. I can't find any news stories that suggest anybody thinks Kodak is going down for the third time anytime soon.

Film sales make up a tiny part of Kodak's income these days anyway. But as long as there is a demand for film prints, Kodak will be happy to supply the stock, it's not like the factory is costing them anything.

It's a bit like vinyl records when CDs first started to take off. Although the vinyl market was dying, record companies still put stuff out on LPs for a long time because the pressing equipment was already there, and there was still some demand, so why not exploit it.

A large amount of Kodak's income stream these days comes from Patent royalties, ironically a lot of it from digital imaging technologies.

Hey David im glad to hear that kodaks ahead of the game. How could they not be ready for the future? I wouldn't want to see them go out of buisness. Im seriously gonna buy some stock tomorrow.