An agreement announced this week between Kodak and some of the big Hollywood studios should ensure the future of that business for some time.
That according to a top Kodak official who spoke with WXXI News.
Star Wars Episode VII- The Force Awakens, is one of several well-known films out this year being shot on Kodak film. That's even with the increasing shift by both movie and television studios to using digital photography.
It's that commitment to using film by some Hollywood production companies that will keep Kodak's motion picture film business going for a while.
Andrew Evenski is president of entertainment and commercial films for Kodak. He wouldn't divulge just how much film these Hollywood studios have said they will buy , but he does say it's a long-term deal.
“I will say to you that the agreement goes for years, the issue is, they’re committing to say they want to use film, and you see all major six studios did that, so it wasn’t that anyone said, 'no I’m not going to be there,' all major six studios are there, “Evenski told WXXI News.
Evenski says Kodak's motion picture film division, which is based in Rochester, employs between 550 and 600 people. Besides providing film for some movies, Kodak is also using film technology as part of the development of some smartphones, and it also supplies film to its spinoff company, Kodak Alaris.
