Tag Archives: Kodak

Kodak Reaffirms Its Commitment To Film

June 1, 2010

Kodak restated an unwavering commitment to film this morning, with an announcement that it has added two new films to its Vision3 family.

The stock additions include a medium-speed, tungsten-balanced color negative camera film, and a color intermediate designed for digital post workflows.

“These new Vision3 films are the tangible results of our ongoing commitment to filmmakers,” said Kim Snyder, president of the Entertainment Imaging Division, and vice president of Eastman Kodak Company, in a released statement. “By capturing the highest possible amount of image information, far more than any digital format, the Kodak Vision3 family of films gives the filmmaking community incomparable flexibility throughout the motion picture chain. That translates directly to time and cost efficiencies on set and in post, and greater creative control no matter what workflow is followed.”

From the press release:

Vision3 5213/7213 is a 200-speed, tungsten-balanced film. It features extended latitude, enabling cinematographers to record more details in highlights, and delivers finer grain for natural-looking images in the darkest areas. The emulsion is optimally designed for both controlled interiors and challenging high-contrast exteriors, and is available in all formats (65 mm, 35 mm, Super 16 and Super 8).

KODAK VISION3 Color Digital Intermediate Film 5254/2254 is designed for use with contemporary film recorders – both laser recorders and numerous CRT recorders that are still widely used in the marketplace. The imaging characteristics of this new intermediate film enhance the speed and efficiency of DI postproduction while rendering noticeably sharper images that more faithfully represent the intentions of filmmakers.

Posted in Miscellaneous

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Sony Pictures VPF Deal With Regal & AMC Makes Warner Bros The Only Hold-Out Studio

By Patrick von Sychowski

April 17, 2009

Sony Pictures has become the next-to-last Hollywood studio to sign a virtual print fee (VPF) agreement with DCIP, the digital cinema integrator representing the three largest US cinema chains (AMC, Regal and Cinemark). This should help DCIP re-start the intended 3 1/2 year roll-out of digital cinema to all of its screens as of this summer, when credit is predicted to start flowing again. Variety only did a brief item on the announcement, covering the bare basics:

Sony’s deal with the Digital Cinema Implementation Group, a consortium repping Regal, AMC and Cinemark, means that Warner Bros. is the odd man out. Every other major, as well as Lionsgate, has already signed its own agreement with DCIP.

DCIP intends to use the studio deals as collateral in securing a multimillion-dollar line of credit that theaters can use to pay for the cost of the conversion. Those efforts have been sidelined by the economic crisis.

THR.com went a little more in depth with the analysis and implications, particularly as to why Warner Bros might be holding out:

“We’re in the middle of negotiations,” Warners domestic distribution president Dan Fellman said. “We’re close. So we might be the last one, but we’re going to get there.”

Sony signed its VPF pact with Digital Cinema Implementation Partners several weeks ago, but the news was delayed pending internal review of the formal announcement.

Through VPFs, studios volunteer to pay the equivalent of print costs for years after switching to digital distribution as a means of defraying most exhibitor costs to convert auditoriums. Sony refers to its VPF as a “digital conversion fee.”

For Warners, set to release more films this year than any other distributor, the cost of a VPF is likely to run considerably higher than that for studios with lower annual output. Sony also is among the most prolific film distributors.

Neither of the two articles makes an explicit link between the SPE-DCIP deal and the earlier announced deal between DCIP member AMC and Sony Electronics to equip its cinemas with SXRD 4K projectors. While the SPE deal would not have been contingent on the AMC-4K deal, it most likely didn’t hurt and may have acted as a sweetener.

So what does WB have to hold out for? Noit much. Coming in last amongst all the studios means that the it will benefit from whatever best terms have been previously agreed under the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) provisions that states that DCIP cannot offer a better deal to a future studio unless those terms are offered retroactively to those already signed.

This means that DCIP will be resisting getting squeezed on VPF terms by WB, who in turn (as the biggest releaser of 35mm prints) will have seen the price of celluloid prints [acetate prints actually, as true celluloid was phased out decades ago, only 'Acetate Junkie' doesn't sounds as good; Ed.] drop significantly as Kodak offers cheaper and cheaper film stock prices to maximise what is left of the film print stock business. Why pay a VPF of, say, $725, when a print has dropped to, say, between $600 and $500. Particularly in these times of plunging DVD sales.

If DCIP want to blame anybody for the delay in Warner Bros signing a VPF deal, the telephone number for Kodak’s switchboard in Rochester, NY, is 1-800-621-FILM. See how far you get arguing with a sunset industry.

Posted in Digital Cinema, Integrators

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Digital Cinema Integrators Continue to Bleed Money

By Patrick von Sychowski

February 11, 2009

There is a standing joke in the industry that to make a small fortune in digital cinema you need to start with a large fortune. Sadly, this sentiment seems to be vindicated by the latest quarterly figures from Cinedigm (formerly AccessIT). The company’s scorecard is impressive enough:

Cinedigm Digital Report Card

And the revenue has been going up year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter, as the press release proudly trumpets:

Access Integrated Technologies, now doing business as Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. (”Cinedigm” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CIDM), reported a 10% increase in year-to-date revenue to $65.1 million, and a 6% increase in revenues, to $22.7 million for the fiscal 2009 third quarter ended December 31, 2008, versus the year-ago periods. The Company posted an Adjusted EBITDA (defined below) of $11.0 million or $0.40 per share, an improvement from the fiscal 2008 third quarter of $8.4 million.

But is there any profit? No, the company is still burning through money. $17.4m in losses in the most recent quarter to be precise. What are the implications of this? The 10-Q transcript makes for grim reading; Read More »

Posted in Analysis, Digital Cinema, Earnings Announcements, Integrators

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Warner Bros. Goes With Kodak Pre-show In Italy

By J. Sperling Reich

January 22, 2008

Kodak Digital Cinema is notching a win in its belt after Warner Bros. International Cinemas selected them to run digital pre-show in their theatres throughout Italy. Kodak will install pre-show systems on 172 in 17 venues throughout the country starting in late January.

Over the past several years, Kodak Digital Cinema has faced stiff competition in the North American pre-show market from the likes of National Cinemedia and Screenvision. So much so that few may remember that Kodak is still in the pre-show business. Even Kodak seems to understand they might need to show exhibitors the worthiness of their advertising solution, as Enrico Ferrari, Kodak Digital Cinema manager for Italy was quoted as saying:

“Warner’s staff set high standards for system performance and did extensive research into the pre-show solutions available. It will be our goal – in everything we do – to prove they made the right decision.”

Posted in Cinema Advertising

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