Fujifilm sees which way wind is blowing, ends production of cinema film
Since your average talkie is now recorded onto SD card and SSDs, companies that produce old-timey film are feeling the squeeze. As such, and despite its own efforts, Fujifilm is shuttering a large part of its cinema business by March 2013. While it'll continue to produce stills film (for the time being, at least) and archival material similar to Kodak's Asset Protection film, moves are under way to redirect its focus toward digital tools that won't be left behind as people start to make movies on their smartphones.
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Announcement on Motion Picture Film Business of Fujifilm
September 13, 2012 Fujifilm has mainly provided negative films for shooting and positive films for projection in its motion picture film business operations. However, in order to adapt to the recent rapid transition of digitalization in the shooting, producing, projecting and archiving processes of motion pictures Fujifilm has decided to shift its business operations to provide products and services designed for digital workflow of motion picture production and projection.
Digital cinema camera shooting has been gaining momentum, and digital editing that heavily uses CG composition and VFX processing has now become common in motion picture production. There is also an increase in the number of movie theaters that converted to digital projection, following the increase of 3D motion pictures, implying the dramatically advancing digitalization in the motion picture industry. In such trend, Fujifilm has strived to reduce the costs of the production process for its existing negative films and positive films and continued to supply such films. However, the dramatic decrease of demand in the last few years has become far too great a burden to be covered by corporate efforts. Therefore, it has been decided to discontinue the sales of negative films, positive films, and some other products of motion picture in a prospect of March 2013.
Fujifilm will continue to provide films suitable for long-term archiving, high-performance lens for motion pictures, and other products and services designed for digital workflow of motion picture production and exhibition. Fujifilm will strive harder than ever to provide such products and services in its continuous contribution to the motion picture industry.
However, professional and amateur photographic still film will continue to be manufactured.
Products and services focused on
(1) Lineup of lenses for digital motion picture cameras and projectors
Enhance the lineup of Fujinon lenses which are highly acclaimed for its quality in the motion picture and broadcasting industry for many years.
HK series for PL mounts which are favored by many motion picture productions, the new FUJINON ZK4.7 x 19 cine-lens that offers high optical performance despite its compact size and light weight, etc.
For the screening of digital motion pictures, Fujinon lenses for 4K digital cinema projectors and lenses for super high-definition images
(2) Color management system
On-set color management system, Image Processing System IS-100, for digital shooting (motion pictures, television, and commercials) in a high degree of precision, enabled by Fujifilm's proprietary technologies for color reproduction and color management nurtured in the fields of photography and printing.
(3) Systems for archiving of digital images
Data media for long-term data storage of ultrahigh capacity that utilizes Fujifilm's proprietary BaFe (barium ferrite) magnetic material
Motion picture recording film (ETERNA-RDS) for long-term archival preservation of 500 years with silver halide technology
Digital data archive service as a data storage service that allows users to manage valuable data in an integrated manner (Promoting mainly in Europe and the USA and preparing for the deployment in Japan)
Products ending its sales
Color Positive Film
Color Negative Film
B&W Positive/Negative Film
Intermediate Film
Sound Recording Film
High Contrast Panchromatic Films
Chemicals (Japan only)
