Eastman Kodak, headquartered in Rochchester, N.Y., expanded its palette with the introduction of Kodak Vision2 50D 5201/7201 color negative film, an ultra-fine grain film rated for an exposure index of 50 in daylight and now available in all formats from 16 to 65mm.
“This new emulsion is designed to give cinematographers more creative latitude while filming high-contrast exterior scenes in bright daylight as well as shots in mixed color temperatures,” explained Robert Mayson, general manager and VP of image capture for Kodak’s Entertainment Imaging Division. “Advances in film science and emulsion technology ensure that nuances recorded on the negative are retained through both digital and optical postproduction all the way through to cinema and television screens.” The introduction of the stock–held earlier this week at the Kodak screening room at Eastman Kodak’s Hollywood office–included the screening of a short demo film of exteriors shot on the new film by the company’s Chris Hart and designed to demonstrate these characteristics.
Afterwards, cinematographers in attendance shared their thoughts with SHOOT. “My first impression is very positive,” said Stephen Lighthill, ASC. “I was mainly looking to see improved contrast, and this looks like enormous improvement. [The handling of grain] also showed great improvement. I look forward to testing it.”
“It did have improvements,” related Bill Bennett, ASC, citing specifically an enhancement in tracking, which he explained is the film’s ability to maintain color consistency when under and over exposed. “That saves a lot of time in telecine.”
The new emulsion is the sixth member of the Kodak Vision2 family of color negative films, which was introduced in November 2002. The new films offer a wide range of imaging characteristics designed to enable cinematographers to create compelling pictures in virtually any lighting environment.