Chart of film sales 1980-2012?

[ezwriter]

I hear film sales is going up, some say its dead. Is there an EZ chart online somewhere
showing the big makers film sales for the last 20 years or so?

 

[AgX]

Film sales are going down. That's why plants are closed.

Over the last years there was a mean worldwide decline of about 30% per year.

On some segments the decline was less worse than on others, but the former were often segments that were already low in sales.

People who speak about uprise, have it about a niche within a niche. Or the cancelling of production at a competitor will bring short time relief for the other.


A further problem here at Apug is that constantly apples are compared to oranges. The photochemical industry is more than Agfapan or T-max.


Concerning Charts:

Even those companies who are obliged to publish figures can hide segments of their revenues within other segments. So be careful with these.
The most known charts are those of consumer film. But these only apply to certain major markets, do not take into all materials and all supply routes. So these have to be taken with care.

But you could still use your eyes: what do you see on street, in the hospital, in the print shop...?


But to my mind more important than charts is the current situation. Or with other words, what do manufacturers out of the situation? Try to consolidate the markets, or with written off plants fight for the lowest price?

 

[perkeleellinen]

I think Simon wrote here once that actual film sale numbers are closely guarded secrets in the industry.

 

[jun]

Haven't you seen the line graph in the following link?:

http://www.buaiso.net/interview/buaisointerview/16165/

"Total" Color film demand in the "whole world"; Year 2000 as 100.
The graph shows demand change from year 1993 to 2010.
Here is the reality and this is the truth (less then 1/10 @2010 compared to Y2000).
I bet B&W films demands are almost insignificant (1%? may be more today??) compared to color films.
Included in the article of an interview with the Fujifilm CEO.

jun

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

I hear film sales is going up, some say its dead. Is there an EZ chart online somewhere
showing the big makers film sales for the last 20 years or so?

I think all that matters is the last 3 or so years....

 

[MartinP]

As we are in the black-and-white sub-forum I'd just like to point out that the graph in the article linked above is for the industry as a whole - so happy-snaps colour film and prints are a large part of the reductions.

The follow-up questions are whether the sales of b+w materials (which were already low of course) are stable and whether current niche producers can continue without the global 'cushion' of large volumes of colour raw-materials to reduce production costs. Remember also that, for example, IlfordPhoto and Foma did not have any colour product sales to lose during the change to digital, and so the net sales reduction for them may be less huge than it was for Kodak or Fuji.

 

[Jeff Searust]

US dept of Commerce publishes all that information-- this is specific info for the photographic film:

http://www.census.gov/econ/industry/current/c325992.htm

You will need to however also look at imports and worldwide production of photographic film. I haven't bought film made in the US for more than 20 years.

 

[thegman]

I think all that matters is the last 3 or so years....

I agree, it's obvious that since, say 1995, the decline of film has been incredible. But that does not matter any more than the decline of vinyl matters. What will matter for the long term is how well film can do now that digital is established as the de facto choice.