Kodak is not prepared to let analog filmmaking disappear into the digital world.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, the film-stock maker is showing off a prototype for a new camera that will combine time-honored, physical shooting techniques with the latest in digital technology. This powerful combination hopes to capture the best of both traditions, allowing present and future filmmakers to continue to produce their art in whichever way they see fit.
“The Kodak Super 8 Revival Initiative reaches far beyond the introduction of a new camera,” the company said in a press release. “The company has built a roadmap that includes a range of cameras, film development services, post production tools and more.”
What that means is that directors and cinematographers will be able to purchase Super 8 film stock, and that cost will include both processing fees and digital transfer. Customers will receive both the developed film and a password to access scans in the cloud. This added flexibility will let filmmakers decide how they want to cut their projects together, whether in a program like iMovie or by hand on an old-fashioned machine.
The new camera’s design will include the familiar pistol grip, but it will also boast some modern-day features like integrated audio, a digital viewfinder, and ports for SD cards, USB, and HDMI cables. It’s a really cool combination of both old and new tech, and the only thing we’re not sure about right now is the Kodak-style yellow and white color scheme we’re seeing in some of the pictures.
But the unit at CES is just a prototype, and hopefully the final version won’t look so much like “My First Super 8 Camera” by Fisher-Price. Not that we wouldn’t still want the hell out of this thing if it did.