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How Kodak can increase Profits on their Processing


Alessandro Machi

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I'd like Kodak to increase their profits from the processing side of the film business without increasing processing charges to the filmmaker, because that would be a good thing for Super-8. If Kodak went "online" and offered views of their processing plant operations, some of us would pony up to see the Kodak processing plant in action.

 

Multiple that by the largeness of the internet and it's possible Kodak could make significant additional money by simply letting the world see them process film. It's not as if anyone is going to steal their trade secrets anymore, so why not go online and offer a view of their lab for a small fee?

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Actually, Kodak's website does have some photos of our motion picture processing lab:

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/index.jhtml

 

Kodak presents "Kodak Color Workshops" around the world, and many of the illustrations in the presentations show how film is made and processed:

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/train/?id=0.1.4.7&lc=en

 

Some labs have "behind the scenes" tours on their websites:

 

http://www.technicolor.com

 

Many labs offer their customers tours of their facilities.

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Thanks for responding, John.

 

I'm visualizing actual internet cameras placed inside the Kodak processing facility that refresh every 30 seconds or so that show the lab personnel doing their thing. Be it splicing leader on the film to processing incoming orders, etc... For those who have film that they have sent in for processing, there would be a heightened interest in occasionally viewing the lab, live.

 

It would also be a great way to easily demonstrate that film is alive and well. I meet people who think film is no longer being shot, especially Super-8. It would be an eye opener to be able to email a link showing Kodak film processing in action.

 

I think it could generate additional income for Kodak while also raising awareness for a product that Kodak does not seem to spend any advertising on.

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Multiple that by the largeness of the internet and it's possible Kodak could make significant additional money by simply letting the world see them process film.

But it's dark though. We wouldn't be able to see a thing ;)

 

Matt

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Multiple that by the largeness of the internet and it's possible Kodak could make significant additional money by simply letting the world see them process film.

But it's dark though. We wouldn't be able to see a thing ;)

 

Matt

hahaha.

 

I meant the part of the lab that uses light. Opening up the film processing envelopes. Seeing the pile of opened film cartridges (but not the film!) Then, once the film is processed, the drying of the film, the splicing of the leader onto the film. The films going back into individual bags for each customer. Films going out via messenger. Just some master shots of different parts of the process.

 

Many businesses would be reluctant to give away how they run their business so as not to aid the competition. I don't think Kodak has to worry about that, so why not celebrate their uniqueness and keep it in the public eye, and make some money, all at the same time?

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Motion picture film is far from being relegated to "horse and buggy" technology by Kodak. Here's what our Chief Technology Officer has to say:

 

http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/motion/...v2/sehlin.shtml

 

In 2003, Kodak sold a record amount of motion picture film. 2004 is on track to be just as good, if not better.

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I powered up my B&H 8mm and ran off some old newsreels with it this afternoon. Absolutely amazing, seeing the Battleship Arizona at sea doing gunnery drills, and it looked as fresh today as it did when shot, 1934. That is tesiment in itself to the beauty of film.

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When the Spirit telecine (which uses Kodak scanning technology) was introduced in the early 1990's, Kodak's demo at the SMPTE conference showed a HD transfer of a 1930's Fred Astaire movie. IMHO, other than being B&W, the image quality on a large HD monitor looked better than anything else being shown on the trade show floor. Even films that are decades old can improve because of the improvements in "hybrid" technology, not to mention the latest in emulsion technology.

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Motion picture film is far from being relegated to "horse and buggy" technology by Kodak. Here's what our Chief Technology Officer has to say:

 

http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/motion/...v2/sehlin.shtml

 

In 2003, Kodak sold a record amount of motion picture film. 2004 is on track to be just as good, if not better.

Film technology is not horse and buggy. However Digital marketeers love to point out that film is not a one stop process. Many may find seeing the Kodak lab actually operating to be of interest.

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