Kodak World Headquarters. Soon to be renting?

Well, those concerned should have thought about it before they picked up a RED camera.  But despite the dire financial news surrounding Kodak, the news is good for the short term future of motion picture film.  Here are some reasons those dreaming of shooting on celluloid can sleep at night.

1.  Kodak is still manufacturing film stock and has no plans to stop.  Kodak has secured a $950 million line of credit to take them through the next 18 months of reorganization (http://reut.rs/y4RwEv)

2.  There is still a good demand for Kodak film stock.  7 of the top 10 highest grossing independent movies from 2011 were shot on film.  http://bit.ly/uEQnbj    Potential Academy Awards contenders were shot on film including “The Tree of Life” and “The Descendants”.   We get film inventories from major features at Comtel Pro Media on a daily basis. 

3.  There is still ongoing R&D on motion picture film.  Kodak just introduced another stock in their Vision 3 line of motion picture films.  Malcolm Spaull, chair of Rochester Institute Technology’s School of Film and Animation (http://bit.ly/yyVktp) noted that Kodak continues research and development in motion picture film and there is sustained demand.  It will eventually suffer the same fate as camera, the still but not for another decade. 

Still from 1922 Kodak Kodachrome Film Test. Movies shot on film have lasted over a century. Will we be able to say the same about films stored on hard drives?

4.  Motion picture film is still the best and cheapest medium for archiving films.   The Academy of Arts and Sciences just released “The Digital Dilemma 2”. It’s the follow up to their 2007 study that showed motion picture film can last for over a century, but digital masters can quickly become unwatchable due to equipment failures and incompatibility with new formats.  In the first study, they determined that to store a feature on film cost around $1,000 a year.  To store a digital master costs from $12,000 to over $200,000 a year.   5 years later and the situation has not improved.

5.  Full digital distribution for all films is still years away.   Malcolm Spaull also points out that the number of screens in the world projecting movies with film projectors is roughly 80 percent and 20 percent digital. Major issues still to be resolved include digital piracy and the expense to convert each 16 screen multiplex to digital.  That means film print stock is still needed.  Figure on 3,000 prints domestically per each major release.   If the demand for motion picture print stock is still there, Kodak will keep making film. 

So don’t worry about missing out on shooting on film.  Besides, as long as there is film anywhere, we will buy back the film stock.  This means that there will still be a source of inexpensive 35mm recans and short ends for independent productions.  This will allow even the lowest budgeted filmmakers to experience film, learn to love it, and keep it alive for generations to come.

Two motion pictures shot on film are racking up awards this year. “The Descendants” and “The Tree of Life” were most recently lauded by the Los Angeles Film Critics ( http://lat.ms/sqXY1u). How do we know they used film?  That information is available on www.imdb.com, but we know because short ends and recans from these movies made its way back through us to independent low budget filmmakers.  

"The Tree of Life" director, Terrence Malick, felt it was essential to shoot on film

 Each movie took a very different approach to their use of film. According to an article in International Cinematography Magazine (http://bit.ly/kCRisY), director Terence Malick and director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki felt is was essential to shoot on 35mm film stock. They ended up exposing over a million feet of Kodak 35mm 5217 and 5218. The Los Angeles Film Critics awarded the prize for best cinematography. 

Using a 3 perf process, "The Descendants" saved 25% on film budget

The filmmakers for “The Descendants” took a more economical approach.  Director Alexander Payne dictated the feature be shot on 35mm motion picture film. To save money, they used a 3 perf process. This shaves 25% off the amount of film needed.

It’s a process that has become very popular with independent filmmakers because of the savings. Combined with low cost short ends, the savings really multiply.  

Eventually, any leftover film from these productions comes back to us in the form of ends and recans. And, while these features may be paying a list price of up to .65 cents per foot, it is available to independent filmmakers everywhere from us as low as .06 cents per foot.  

So, if you want to use the same film these features used to get their fantastic, award winning look, and save a ton of money, give us a call.

The floods in Thailand have shut down 14,000 factories

The cause of the hard drive shortage lies in the historic rainfall in Thailand has caused massive flooding.  It has left hundreds of thousands homeless, over 500 dead, and thrown over 660,000 out of work.  The latter is a result of over 14,000 factories closing.    Among these factories are those of Western Digital.  

Western Digital supplies 30% of the world’s drives and 60% of their operation is in Thailand is now under water.   Another major drive manufacturer, Toshiba, has 50% of its operation in Thailand.  Nidec, which makes motors for 70% of all hard drives worldwide, has had their factories in Thailand flooded as well.  

For a good overview of the crisis, check out the story on the crisis at http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/storage-sticker-shock-why-thailand-floods-mean-pricier-hard-drives/   They report that “…at a minimum, it would be reasonable to expect hard drive production during the remainder of 2011 — and likely extending into the first quarter of 2012 — will be as much as 25 percent lower than expected.”  

All this terrible news has caused panic buying, manufacturers  increasing prices, and distributors delaying shipments until it can be all sorted out.     

Here are some ways to get through this apocalypse:  

Plan Ahead – There will be drives.  Just how many will be available and when isn’t clear.   If you are at a production company, start analyzing what you will need in the next 6 months.  If you are a production manager, you may have a tougher job predicting what you may need for the next job.  But, any lead time from your DIT would help.  

Lacie tests 30% of all drives before and after manufacture

Be Open To All Hard Drive Options – G-Drives and G-Raids are usually everyone’s first preference. So, naturally, they were the first to vanish.  But, Lacie drives are great and have dramatically improved quality control.  They test 30% of all drives before and after manufacture.  Cal Digit produces excellent drives.  OWC is popular too.  

Contact Your Comtel Pro Media Sales Rep – They will have the best information as to what is on order and what may be arriving.  If you know what drives you will need in the future, you can place an order.  This will get you in line for the drives when they arrive.   

Shoot Film – Yes, shoot film instead of using digital photography which requires a drive for back up and storage.  Film is the ideal storage medium.  It still produces the best images, costs little to store, and is still available.  In fifty years, you can drag it out of your closet, make a print, and still have the best looking images around.   

For more information on the hard drive crisis or to inquire on what is available,  contact Comtel Pro Media at 818-450-1100 or email customerservice@comtelpm.com

Save up to 90% off the cost of new film by using ends.

At Comtel Pro Media, The best image capture medium is now at its most affordable. While the demand for 35mm motion picture film has declined as digital formats gain popularity, the result is that prices for recans, long ends and short ends have never been lower. The savings can be as much as 90% off the cost of new film stock.

So, if you think that the cost of film stock is an obstacle to shooting on film, think again!

I’ve been selling ends and recans for over 20 years to features, shorts, music videos, and commercials. Prices have never been lower. Sadly, since we’ve been in the digital filmmaking age for some time now, many people aren’t familiar with ends and recans. (For that matter, many filmmakers may not be familiar with film!) So, a brief re-education in ends may be necessary.

A recan is a full camera load. It is most typically a 400’ roll of film that was prepped for the camera, but not used. A long end began as a 1,000’ full camera load, but is shorter than its initial length. For example, a production may have loaded a 1,000’ roll and shot just 200’. That remaining 800’ is a long end. A short end began life as a full 400’ load, but like the long end, has been partially used. It is usually between 200’ and 390’ in length.

I could give you some great examples of who is still using ends and recans; but they would then kill me. Why? Because they never let anyone know they shot on ends. The quality is the same as new and only the producers know and they are thrilled with the savings.

I can tell you a VMA award winner playing on MTV around the clock was just shot using ends, a Sundance award winner is now shooting his latest project on ends, and a number of students are now using ends on their projects.

Prices have come down so much on ends and recans that they are very inexpensive option for filming.  A year ago, a 400’ recan of Kodak 5219 Vision 3 500T was going for as much as .42 cents per foot. It is now .26 cents per foot. A 650’ long end of 5207 Vision 3 250D was .32 cents per foot. Now it is .18. A 300’ short end of Kodak 5213 Vision 3 200T was .18 cents per foot. It is now just .08 cents per foot.

Our inventory at Comtel Pro Media is at the mercy of what is available for repurchase from production, but we’ve got a great selection. There are still many major features shooting on film. “The Change-Up”, “The Three Stooges”, “My Mother’s Curse”, are some of the most recent now in release or close to it.

Why shoot on film? Danny Cohen, the director of photography for “The King’s Speech”, explains in an interview http://www.studiodaily.com/main/technique/projects/12926.html why he chose to shoot on film.

“I just think you have a lot more flexibility when you shoot on film. HD is good for certain things, but there’s a simplicity and texture you get when you shoot on film. Money plays a huge part in what you shoot on these days. Everybody approaches the question of what format to shoot in with a completely different point of view. As a cinematographer, I think you still get the best images from film.”

So, with the price of ends and recans lower than ever, shouldn’t you be considering shooting on film too?

For more information on the savings on film stock Comtel Pro Media has to offer, call me at 818-450-1122 or email me at richard@comtelpm.com

Avastor, an industry leading supplier of digital storage products, recognized the need for improved RAID based solutions that simplify an on-location workflow.  Their answer?  XMR mobile RAID drive.

We’ll give you 3 reasons to consider the XMR for your next RED project, or on-location shoot.

1. Design.  The XMR is the most portable RAID drive in the market and the thinnest – this allows the drive to be positioned side by side rather than stacked.  Jahret Sylvester, Avastor’s Director of Sales and Marketing tells us that the design “allows for cooler operation since the drives are not on top of each other.  Heat dissipates more efficiently than the stacked design.”
2. Capacity.  XMR’s are available in 1TB, 1.5TB, and 2TB capacities.  That’s right…2TB! XMR is the only professional portable RAID drive that allows up to a 2TB capacity (when formatted RAID 0.)  You’re probably thinking “2TB on a portable drive?! How?”  The enclosure contains two 1TB 2.5″ SATA disks with a thickness of up to 12mm. The XMR also boasts 4 RAID levels (JBOD, SPAN, RAID 0, RAID 1) which make the XMR that much more versatile and practical.
3. Warranty. There’s nothing worse than investing in a product and getting the runaround from tech support when trying to get a troubled product repaired or replaced. Avastor guarantees their products with an industry best Comprehensive 3 Year Advanced Replacement Warranty. Their no-nonsense approach to technical support ensures that clients take on file-based projects with confidence. Click here to read the information – we read it, it’s impressive. AVASTOR INDUSTRY BEST WARRANTY

Here are some other fun facts about XMR…

• XMR is bus powered via FireWire 800 connection.                                             
• XMR is triple interfaced (eSATA, FireWire800 (2) ports, USB 2.0 (1) port.)
• Operating system compatible with: Windows 2000/XP/VISTA/7 and Mac 10.4 or higher.
• XMR is equipped with the latest generation bridge chipset.
• XMR is outfitted with a protective neoprene PortaSleeve.
• XMR fit perfectly atop a Mac Mini.

You can score a 7200 RPM “Enterprise Edition*” 2TB XMR by calling your Comtel Sales Representative or e-mailing us at customerservice@comtelpm.com … you’re welcome.

*Highest Performance, Best Reliability

The evening began with news media outlets covering the details of the new concept store, to inquire about the impact to Sony’s production in Japan, and to learn about the immediate relief efforts that Sony has launched to facilitate a speedy recovery. The results of Sony’s efforts are impressive and impacting; as of Friday March 25^th an approximate 12.2 million dollars was raised by Sony Group companies and employees around the world. “With the support of the global community, I am confident that Japan will continue to navigate this very difficult time with determination, perseverance and success.” said Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and President of Sony Corporation.  

The damage to Sony’s broadcast media production factory is extensive as seen in this exclusive video of the aftermath and recovery operations at Sony’s Tagajo plant. Click Here for Sony’s latest press release.  

Jorge Antonio Jimenez, Comtel Pro Media’s Operations Manager was in attendance at the concept store pre-opening event “to support and contribute to Sony’s recovery efforts.” He said, “When an opportunity presents itself to help a cause it’s important to rise to the challenge and help in any way possible, when the help benefits something or someone you directly know – the help means that much more. Sony is our long time partner and I am here to represent the solidarity of our organizations.” The celebratory and fund raising ambiance was shared amongst many of the attendees that included popular celebrities like Anthony Anderson (Scream 4, Law & Order), Adrian Grenier (Entourage, The Devil Wears Prada), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family, CSI), Marlon Wayans (G.I. Joe, White Chicks), and Jose “The Latino Cyberguy” Ulloa (KTTV Fox 11,Univision) to name a few that were also in attendance to show support.     

The healing process is ongoing and the recovery efforts a non-stop evolution; many industries in the United States and abroad remain hopeful for a swift recovery because the initial impact has lasting effects that can pose negative economic consequences if damage-affected production is unable to resume anytime soon and product shortages become greater. Sony’s introduction of the new concept store in Century City is considered to be a step in the right direction and many are paying close attention – anxiously looking for encouraging details or affirmative news.        

You too can help Japan’s earthquake and tsunami relief efforts by making a monetary donation to the Red Cross.

Burbank, Calif., March 28, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – The television production and filmmaking community is suspicious and anxious for some legitimacy amidst mixed reports of a pro tape stock shortage in the wake of Japan’s disaster. Stock scarcity is evident and as a result price-gouging incidents have been reported; legitimate pro tape dealers have reacted and are offering cost-saving alternatives that are keeping TV productions on schedule.           

Comtel Pro Media, a Sony Authorized Dealer in Burbank California, has responded to stock shortage worries by expanding their media certification operations. The re-using of tape or ‘tape evaluation’ as it is called in the industry is not a new process – Networks and TV production entities looking to ‘green’ their operations and cut costs have used this service successfully for many years. The probability of a quick operational recovery for Sony’s Tagajyo plant is unlikely, leaving many production managers in a position to follow suit.            

David Cohen, CEO of Comtel Pro Media states that ” professional media tapes are tested to withstand more than just one use by the tape manufacturers, by evaluating and re-certifying the tape with this process, you are not taking the same chance as you would, by simply degaussing the tape.” David Cohen purchased all new RTI TAPEChek Evaluators (equipment that cleans and evaluates the popular HDCAM SR format) available and said that he is “optimistic because of the positive response to the program.” When asked about the difference between the older models of RTI equipment versus the new RTI his response was “LaserSCAN”, a technological improvement that allows the equipment to identify excessive dropouts known as “hits” at the exact length of time in a tape. “These are significant and reassuring features to post production facilities, studios, and TV networks that deliver “True HD” programs and rely on this information to guarantee the content in their work.”          

New stock is said to be slowly trickling in, and while that may seem as a positive sign, it’s not the answer that most consumers of this product want to hear. Skeptic clients are asked to accept the evident information provided by the top manufacturers of these products, and encouraged to create an immediate plan of action to prevent project setbacks. Archival of “master” recordings onto an LTO tape format is a practice commonly used in TV and Filmmaking production and is also a sensible way to free up tape that can be certified for re-use. When asked about price increases, Cohen replied, “It’s difficult to inform clients of price increases, but through honest conversations our customers understood the message that our principal goal is to continue to secure products that will keep their productions going.” He added “this is what we prepare for on a routine basis; things are never certain in Hollywood – we pride ourselves in being the go-to place for reliability and consistency, our customers appreciate that.”            

About Comtel Pro Media:      

Comtel Pro Media, a subsidiary of Edgewise Media, has been the leading supplier of recordable media to the entertainment industry for more than 23 years. Founded in 1987, Comtel Pro Media is headquartered in Burbank, California and has offices in Orange, New York, and Salt Lake City. CEO David Cohen was recognized for having one of the 500 fastest growing companies in the United States according to Inc. Magazine in 2000, and was also named the United States Young Entrepreneur that same year.      

For more information, please contact Comtel Pro Media at (800) 446-9612. Visit Comtel Pro Media online at www.comtelpm.com      

This information was brought to you by Cision http://www.cisionwire.com

Sony, one of our long time media partners, faced the power of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami head on. The Miyagi Prefecture Tagajyo Plant that produces professional magnetic tape products, Blu-ray and DVD discs sustained extensive earthquake damage and flooding. Seven Sony plants in total have suspended operations in Japan as recovery efforts take place. Thankfully, Sony reports that no significant injuries have been reported to employees working at any of these sites when the earthquake or tsunami occured. Sony Group Operations Press Release 

It didn’t take long for the wave of undesirable effects to reach our shores. Our industry has already been affected by a halt in media manufacturing operations – professional media supply shortages are evident, namely HDCAM SR.  Worldwide stock shortages present a realistic threat to our industry and the immediate needs of television and motion picture production. Careful planning and resource management will play a key factor in preventing production delays.

As a long standing partner of the media content producing community, trust that Comtel Pro Media - the nation’s largest authorized recordable media provider – has products and programs in place to help you during this recovery period.

Call us today and let us help you create a media management plan that works for you.

(800) 446-9612

LaCie has introduced the ultimate in protective gear for your drives – a soft Coat and a sturdy Cozy both designed by the London-born industrial design mastermind Sam Hecht.  Sam’s minimalist and practical approach has crossed over into LaCie’s line of accessories with the Coat and Cozy; think Muji in Technicolor!

The LaCie Coat is reversible, one side is bubbled for protection and the other has a sueded fabric – two bags in one! The cool thing about the coat is that it has a hidden pocket that allows you to store cables or small Bond-like gadgets for that 00 agent in all of us.

 The LaCie Cozy is an EVA protected case with a memory foam lining that allows you to store a drive and protect it from life’s daily bumps. The inside and outside pockets allow you to store cables and larger Bond-like gadgets…you guessed it! For that 00 agent in all of us.

Fact. You don’t have to own a LaCie to use this cool gear, they are compatible with most Hard Drives. Look for the drive you own on this compatibility chart to choose the right fit and style for your drive.

Fact. You can get any of this gear for under $20 bucks!

Spring is right around the corner, so don’t forget to pair your nubucks, Vans, or white 501′s with a Cozy or a Coat! I hear there’s rain in the forecast – protect your drives, you don’t want them to catch a cold.

Order them today by calling us at (800) 446-9612 or send an e-mail to customerservice@comtelpm.com

Here are some important things to know when considering which drive to use…

Editing = RAID. We recommend RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) external hard drives such as G-Technology’s G-RAID, and LaCie’s 2Big Quadra for any applications that will require editing for one simple reason: 1) On RAID drives information is mirrored to two disks within the enclosure which speeds up the transfer rate. The added benefit being that faster transfer rate handling = cooler drive (not cool as in chic but cool as in a drive that won’t overheat and fail due to overload of transfer information.) 

Need for Speed. If you’re working in production, it is recommended to use hard drives that are equipped with FireWire 400, FireWire 800, and eSATA interfaces. A FW400 provides 400mbps (Megabits Per Seconds) transfer rate, FW800 provides 800mbps, and eSATA provides 3Gbps(Gigabits Per Seconds). USB3.0 was recently introduced and it boasts a fast 4.8Gbps. Disk plate spinning is also important, most desktop drives spin at 7200rpm which is necessary for editing applications. Portable drives spin at 5400rpm but 7200rpm drives are available. Drives that spin at 7200rpm give you speed in transfer of information but drives that spin at 5400rpm give you more data storage capacity and do less wear and tear on the drive.

“Backup the backup”. It is always recommended on set to backup whatever information is being placed on a drive that will be used for editing with a single-disk hard drive such as a LaCie d2 Quadra, a G-tech G-Drive, or an Avastor HDX drive – all desktop drives. Why? Unfortunately, drive-based solutions aren’t fail safe and recovering data from a failed drive can be very time consuming and expensive to recover. The cost of desktop drives are very affordable nowadays, quadruple interface 500gb drives sell in the $129 price range vs. data recovery which can cost in the thousands of dollars, so in terms of dollars and sense it’s best to be safe and “backup the backup.”

“But I’m a jetsetting movie maker on the go, what are my options?” Portability is everything, protecting your work while on location is a necessity. LaCie was ahead of the game when they created the Rugged bus-powered hard drive (bus-powered means the drive is powered by connecting it to your laptop or computer.) The Rugged is built to withstand the elements, it’s equipped with a shock-resistant neoprene sleeve that protects the drive from water damage, the drive also has anti-shock rubber bumpers drop-tested at 2 feet to protect the drives from skipping while spinning in use, available in 5400rpm and 7200rpm, FireWire and eSata. If your plan is to edit on the portable hard drive, then the G-Tech G-RAID Mini is the hard drive of choice. The G-RAID Mini is also bus-powered, built for speed with a standard 7200rpm, and remember that RAID equals faster transfer rate handling, 2 disks are better than 1.

Useful Nuggets of Information. Every 1TB holds up to:

- 84 Hours of HDV 1080i

- 17 Hours of DVCPRO HD1080/60i

- 13 Hours of 8 bit SD

- 10 Hours of ProRes 422 HQ

- 10 Hours of 10 bit SD

- 2.25 Hours of HD 1080/60i

- 500,000 2MB Digital Photos

- 250,000 4MB MP3′s

If you’d like additional information or would like to receive the best pricing on Hard Drives, e-mail us at customerservice@comtelpm.com