Earlier this year, Kodak showed the world that it has no plans of burying its storied history as a manufacturer of cinematic film. In addition to releasing a Super 8 camera, they also managed to get six major studios to purchase enough filmstock to help Kodak keep its plant operating.
It appears though that their efforts haven’t stopped there though. Kodak has decided to team up with Kickstarter to create an artist initiative that will help support cinematographers who are interested in shooting analogue film in the 35mm and Super 16mm varieties.
Already, Kodak has chosen the first four cinematographers who will be a part of this initiative. They are Derek Ahonen, Antonio Ferrera, Daniel Levin and R. Paul Wilson.
This spring, each of these cinematographers will have their own Kickstarter campaign to help fund their next film. Of the money raised, Kodak has promised to match the cost of film by either 15% or 20%, pending the type of film each respective cinematographer chooses.
Specifically, Kodak says it will match 20% of the first $100,000 raised by the filmmakers on Kickstarter if using 35mm film and 15% of the first $100,000 if they’re opting to shoot on Super 16mm film.
This effectively means each filmmaker could receive upwards of $20,000 in free film from Kodak to shoot their next film.
As to why Kodak and Kickstarter are working together on this initiative, Kodak’s Vice President of Motion Picture, Anne Hubbell, said ‘Kodak understands that artists working at all budget levels strive to tell their stories with the unique quality and emotion that film provides […] We are dedicated to ensuring that film remains available and viable for established and emerging filmmakers alike.’
Kodak asks that any filmmaker interested in joining the next round of initiatives reach out to them via email using the address below:
This might not entirely bring analogue filmmaking back from the dead, but it’s nice to see Kodak put their money where their mouth is and offer up a neat set of initiatives to help keep filmmakers shooting on film.
We’ll be sure to update you when the Kickstarters go live.
[via No Film School]
Image credits: 16mm film reel by DRs Kulturarvsprojekt used under CC BY-SA 2.0
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