American Cinematographer - September 2000 - 77

ON THE

FUTURE OF FILM
By Joerg D. Agin
President
Entertainment

Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company

also driving research that will significantly improve the
presentation of motion pictures in cinemas. On the average,
audiences see about half of the image quality captured on the
negative. We believe we can close that gap considerably.
Kodak is working with the industry to make film projectors
sharper, brighter and steadier. We are also working with
exhibitors to certify theater screens that satisfy industry stan¬
dards. And we are playing an active role in designing stan¬
dards for digital projection that will be an improvement rather
than a compromise.
We have also set the standards for high-quality digital
film scanning and recording technologies. In addition, Kodak is
pioneering the use of digital intermediate technology at our
Cinesite facilities in Los Angeles and London. We recently
completed a project with Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC and Joel
and Ethan Coen. Deakins filmed 0 Brother, Where Art Thou?,

This special insert focuses on the art and

future of
cinematography. Many cinematographers and other filmmakers
from a broad spectrum of the industry share their visions of
the future. They express many eloquent ideas and a shared
passion for advancing this art form.
When Bill Fraker, ASC accepted the American Society of
Cinematographers Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this
year, he quoted the 19th-century English poet Robert
Browning: "A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what is
heaven for?" Bill advised aspiring filmmakers, "You have got to
go for it... you have to reach beyond your grasp each time
you shoot. If you sit on your laurels, you'll only have one laurel."
That sentiment embodies the spirit of this special issue. Our
purpose is to provide a platform where some of the world's
current and future great cinematographers and their colleagues
from allied disciplines can talk about their dreams and the

are

future of this art form.

which

Cinematographers tend to get overlooked when
laurels are being handed out for artistry. One reason is that
cinematographers are perceived as being below-the-line.
They work with cameras, lights and lenses, so they are
categorized as craftspeople. The reality is that cinematographers
need to master a complex craft in order to express themselves

conformed

as

artists. Their best work is transparent.
At Kodak, our

job is to provide the tools they need to
that meets their

scripted and directed by the Coen brothers. The
negative was converted to digital format and the
entire movie was given a unique, hand-painted look that
captured the mood of the era in which the story was set.
Again, technology is a tool and in the hands of a
creative filmmaker it's a tool to tell great stories. Today
film provides levels of color and flexibility, quality and
longevity that no other media can match. Our challenge as
members of this great entertainment community is to help
was

do that and to evolve those tools at a pace

each other make informed choices

creative needs.

capabilities of the media we choose and to select the right
media to let us all work without creative compromise.
I want to close by thanking everyone who participated in
this project for their thoughtful contributions. Our intention is
to make this discussion an ongoing dialogue that provides a
platform for filmmakers to share their visions, their experiences
and their insights.

our

Today, we are accelerating that pace. Since we introduced
new Kodak Vision family of films just five years ago, we've

brought to market nearly a dozen new film products under the
Kodak name. And there are more in various stages of develop¬
ment in our research labs.

We believe film has unlimited

possibilities as a tool for

image capture. We are continuously improving negative, inter¬
mediate and print film technologies throughout the chain. We

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to understand the

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American Cinematographer - September 2000

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