Film is alive and well at least on TV and in Ads

Ira Rush · Aug 14, 2009

Now I know I may get some flack for this the moderators may delete this, or move it to another sub area.. but as film choices dwindle, I have to get this off my chest

First there was this guy with a Hassy; you know, that med commercial.

Then on Americas Got Talent (yes, yes I know I am a total dweeb for watching) about two weeks ago, when Mariah Carey was singing, there right behind her was a huge backdrop of a 35mm proof sheet, depicting some shots of her B&W Ilford Delta 3200 if I recall

Now, my teenage daughter gets an advert mailer from a very trendy store, that decides to depict the new fall styles with once again a 35mm B&W proof sheet. Ooh B&W how trendy.

So we have all this FILM being seen by the masses. Do you think, just maybe, just maybe, someone should tell the boys up in Rochester, that the whole world hasn't gone digital before they kill off some more film stock due to lack of demand or "lack of interest"

Just my 2¢

Sirius Glass · Aug 14, 2009

Thanks, Ira. Now I know that I am not hallucinating when I am watching television! It is the weekend of the fortieth anniversary of Woodstock.

May film rise again!

Steve

Ira Rush · Aug 14, 2009

Sirius Glass said:
Thanks, Ira. Now I know that I am not hallucinating when I am watching television! It is the weekend of the fortieth anniversary of Woodstock.

May film rise again!

Steve

Don't know about you, but I am old enough to have been there... in fact you know that iconic picture of the guy and girl with the blanket at dawn.... well guess what... I am the one ....

.............that is about the 535,689th person behind them... I was wearing denim jeans and a red bandana around my head... along with the other 678,000 other people....

Wonder what FILM stock the photog used for that iconic picture... or do you think he shot digital

Yup... may film rise again!

eddym · Aug 14, 2009

Ira Rush said:
So we have all this FILM being seen by the masses. Do you think, just maybe, just maybe, someone should tell the boys up in Rochester, that the whole world hasn't gone digital before they kill off some more film stock due to lack of demand or "lack of interest"

Just my 2¢

What will impress "the boys in Rochester" will be when all those masses of people who see those ads showing contact sheets jump up from their sofas, run to the corner drugstore, and purchase a few rolls of Kodak film. Unfortunately, the vast majority of them will not even notice the contact sheet, not know what it is, or not know that it has anything to do with film... or all the above.

Krzys · Aug 14, 2009

There was some fashion advertising shots outside a store near me that had a black border with 4x5 Kodak written on it to look like a negative...or positive. Either way the aspect ratio was far from 4x5.

aldevo · Aug 14, 2009

eddym said:
What will impress "the boys in Rochester" will be when all those masses of people who see those ads showing contact sheets jump up from their sofas, run to the corner drugstore, and purchase a few rolls of Kodak film. Unfortunately, the vast majority of them will not even notice the contact sheet, not know what it is, or not know that it has anything to do with film... or all the above.

Sadly, true.

If you ask anybody under 30 what Tri-X is, they'll probably assume it has to do with porn (i.e. XXX).

2F/2F · Aug 14, 2009

I think that it's hip on TV because it is now considered "retro", not because more people are using it. "Retro" is always "hip", and this has been so for all of history. What do you think the Renaissance ("rebirth") was, basically speaking? Especially when the present day is failing us, we turn to the past for help.

If anything, this is more insulting and ignorant to me than it is good for the state of film today. It is like making the declaration "film is dead", or declaring it the medium of young hipsters. "Aw, how quaint. They're using a film camera! remember ours, honey? Back in the good-ol' days when times weren't so tough?"

aldevo · Aug 14, 2009

2F/2F said:
I think that it's hip on TV because it is now considered "retro", not because more people are using it. "Retro" is always "hip", and this has been so for all of history. What do you think the Renaissance ("rebirth") was, basically speaking? Especially when the present day is failing us, we turn to the past for help.

If anything, this is more insulting and ignorant to me than it is good for the state of film today. It is like making the declaration "film is dead", or declaring it the medium of young hipsters. "Aw, how quaint. They're using a film camera! remember ours, honey? Back in the good-ol' days when times weren't so tough?"

Well I don't know. I think anything that reminds even a handful of people that film is still relevant isn't a bad thing. No such thing as bad publicity...

2F/2F · Aug 14, 2009

aldevo said:
Well I don't know. I think anything that reminds even a handful of people that film is still relevant isn't a bad thing. No such thing as bad publicity...

How does using something as a retro prop remind people that film is still relevant?

Prest_400 · Aug 14, 2009

aldevo said:
Sadly, true.

If you ask anybody under 30 what Tri-X is, they'll probably assume it has to do with porn (i.e. XXX).

And if you tell them it's a film... :rolleyes:

Ask what HP5 is, and they'll tell you it's the Harry Potter film that came to the cinemas in '07.
A bit worse in spain, france, canada and latin america among others:
HP could be the initials of "son of a...." in spanish. (i suppose the B of the third word is not needed to know what)
FP it's the same but with french!

I wonder why there are lots of products with X's. APX, Microdol-X, PLus-X...

I remember walking in Barcelona and seeing a shop that announced a famous express cofee machine. Near the machine, there was a square B&W photo related to coffee stuff. In the top of the photo "TX400". An enlarged 6x6 Tri-X proof!
I drew a nice smile in my face.

Paul VanAudenhove · Aug 14, 2009

Ira Rush said:
Don't know about you, but I am old enough to have been there... in fact you know that iconic picture of the guy and girl with the blanket at dawn.... well guess what... I am the one ....

.............that is about the 535,689th person behind them... I was wearing denim jeans and a red bandana around my head... along with the other 678,000 other people....

Wonder what FILM stock the photog used for that iconic picture... or do you think he shot digital

Yup... may film rise again!

Recently, I read an article about that picture, or the couple at least. It seems that they got married and are still together. When the posters came out for the movie or soundtrack, the girl had to admit to her mom that she was there.

Vaughn · Aug 14, 2009

A newspaper article about the TV series, Mad Men, had a series of 4x5 contact-printed images of the cast (semi-Avedon style).

Vaughn

leftfield · Aug 14, 2009

that iconic picture of the guy and girl with the blanket at dawn . . . photog: Burk Uzzle
http://burkuzzle.com

clayne · Aug 14, 2009

I have zero faith in this next generation, sadly. On top of that, I'm not even old enough to start asking them to get off my lawn.

BetterSense · Aug 14, 2009

If anything, this is more insulting and ignorant to me than it is good for the state of film today.

Thanks; I thought I was going to have to be the one to walk in and burst the bubble. I don't see these symptoms as good things. I don't think this is a good thing at all considering the attitudes surrounding it.

I don't shoot film because it's all retro and looks old-school. I don't think there's anything old-school or retro about film photography. Unfortunately a lot of people are starting to think differently than I.

Cropline · Aug 14, 2009

clayne said:
I have zero faith in this next generation, sadly.....

Oh,come on now.They are a somewhat deprived generation!
Certainly you,me and the rest of the gang can show'em what they've missed out on.

Cropline · Aug 14, 2009

leftfield said:
that iconic picture of the guy and girl with the blanket at dawn . . . photog: Burk Uzzle
http://burkuzzle.com

Welcome to APUG,leftfield.

thisismyname09 · Aug 15, 2009

clayne said:
I have zero faith in this next generation

I am part of this "next generation" and I agree completely.

Removed Account · Aug 15, 2009

Browsing through Transworld Skateboard magazine a month or two ago there were at least 2 ads or articles with photos shot on 4x5 Velvia and including the rebate in the ad! There were also more than a few square photos with the little Hassy notches, and V series camera also appear quite often in skateboard videos. At least as far as pro skateboard photographers are concerned film is very much alive and well! These are definitely things that the aspiring skate photographers of my generation (mid 20's) take notice of.

tony lockerbie · Aug 15, 2009

Hey Leftfield, thanks for the Burk Uzzle link, I'd forgotten how good he is!

Alex Bishop-Thorpe · Aug 15, 2009

Usually when I see stuff like that I just assume it's been done digitally for the vintage/retro appeal, or for some sort of style reasons. But I'm cynical I guess.

kevs · Aug 15, 2009

I doubt that those marketing images we see in mags, ads etc with film rebates have been anywhere near a grain of silver halide. Not that I'm cynical, of course...

Q.G. · Aug 15, 2009

I don't think it is a "retro" thing.
It's more to give an air of professonalism. The mysterious world of goings on no mere mortal has a clue about. The mystique of things of which people don't say "Hey, i can do that!"

That film (or rather prints sugesting film was involved) is used to create such a caricature of photography is not a good sign.
It means that even once very familiar film has now achieved that "Ooh! What is that?! How do they do that? Is it expensive? Must be!" status.

Solarize · Aug 15, 2009

kevs said:
I doubt that those marketing images we see in mags, ads etc with film rebates have been anywhere near a grain of silver halide. Not that I'm cynical, of course...

I don't think that's being cynical. You just have to look at the photographers selling off PS actions that mimick polaroid borders, lith prints, film rebates etc. Film might be cool or trendy, but it doesn't mean that people are buying it.

Sirius Glass · Aug 15, 2009

Solarize, I agree with you.

Steve

Film is alive and well at least on TV and in Ads

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