Hello APUG from FILM Ferrania (PART 2)

[fdonadio]

I thought they had a perforator all working, ive seen their video of it that was posted some time earlier, i think the issue is with finishing the rolls and packaging them into 135 canisters, which was done by a third party.

That’s exactly what I thought, too.

 

[cmacd123]

I thought they had a perforator all working, ive seen their video of it that was posted some time earlier, i think the issue is with finishing the rolls and packaging them into 135 canisters, which was done by a third party.

the unit in their video was for 35mm movie print film. Same size holes but no frame numbers , just (probably still would say 3M) brand ID every 18 inches or so.

 

[Born2Late]

I wouldn't care about frame numbers and would be happy with 100 foot rolls!

Go for it.

 

[FILM Ferrania]

Happy New Year APUGgers!

To answer the recent burst of posts...

1) When we can safely produce and sell bulk rolls, we most certainly will do so. By "safely" I mean:
a) When we are producing more than enough finished rolls - in both B&W and color - to fulfill basic market demand for both direct and wholesale.
b) When we have sufficient cash flow from single rolls that selling bulk rolls doesn't negatively affect us due to the infrequency of bulk purchases.

2) Regarding perforation, we have a number of solutions in-house. Our 35mm cinema perforator works because our founder Marco Pagni restored it years ago - but most of our perforators need a little work before they are "sales-ready". Right now, it's better to perforate and sign as part of the overall finishing process. When our automated 35mm line is up and running, we will of course perforate and sign in-house. Until then, it is done by our finishing partner.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Just out of curiosity, who is your finishing partner?

 

[cmacd123]

Happy New Year APUGgers!

b) When we have sufficient cash flow from single rolls that selling bulk rolls doesn't negatively affect us due to the infrequency of bulk purchases..

Which of course brings up the question, besides the initial orders and the small quantity of film that was apparently supplied to some camera stores when can be help your cash flow by ordering a brick of film. I have 4 of my five rolls of the initial batch sitting here as 4 rolls is not enough to do the testing and fiddling needed to trust the film for serious photos. The one I did shoot just to the published specs did look extremely intriguing.

"shop" page still says opening soon.

GEE, we WANT to buy stuff! Any 620 or 127 spools in the warehouse? Any memorabilia? Key-chains?

 

[FILM Ferrania]

Which of course brings up the question, besides the initial orders and the small quantity of film that was apparently supplied to some camera stores when can be help your cash flow by ordering a brick of film. I have 4 of my five rolls of the initial batch sitting here as 4 rolls is not enough to do the testing and fiddling needed to trust the film for serious photos. The one I did shoot just to the published specs did look extremely intriguing.

"shop" page still says opening soon.

GEE, we WANT to buy stuff! Any 620 or 127 spools in the warehouse? Any memorabilia? Key-chains?

The only way anyone can help our cash flow for the near future is by actually shooting the film they buy and then buying more as it is available.
Perhaps when I post the next version of the Best Practices, with some newly verified processing techniques, this will be enough for you to use those other four rolls so that you're ready to buy more soon?
Our Instagram stream would suggest that plenty of people have made "serious" photos without the need to wait.

Of course we WANT to sell stuff, but we can't sell what we don't have.
We're building up our 35mm stock as best we can and working on installing our 120 finishing line.
620 isn't coming any time soon, but we do hope to make a small batch of 127 later this year (assuming we can clear enough profit to get our antique 127 finishing machine installed).

As far as other stuff, we still have totes and postcards that we made in 2014 - but that's it for now, and they will be sold only in our US shop (because that's where they are located and it makes no financial sense to import them to the EU).
We simply cannot justify the cost to make other stuff right now. Every euro we have now and will make in the coming months must be invested in raw materials, our factory staff, and getting that 120 machine online.

 

[FILM Ferrania]

Just out of curiosity, who is your finishing partner?

I have been told that they do not wish to be identified. I think it's silly, but them's the rules...

 

[cmacd123]

Of course we WANT to sell stuff, but we can't sell what we don't have.
We're building up our 35mm stock as best we can and working on installing our 120 finishing line.

As far as other stuff, we still have totes and postcards that we made in 2014 - but that's it for now, and they will be sold only in our US shop (because that's where they are located and it makes no financial sense to import them to the EU)..

Some more 35mm would be lovely.

I am unable to locate your US shop anymore. Dead Link Removed does not respond. netcraft does show it as being owned by "Dott. Ing. Nicola Baldini" and the DNS from Amazon web services.

 

[Prof_Pixel]

Some more 35mm would be lovely.

I am unable to locate your US shop anymore. Dead Link Removed does not respond. netcraft does show it as being owned by "Dott. Ing. Nicola Baldini" and the DNS from Amazon web services.

Dead Link Removed

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I have been told that they do not wish to be identified. I think it's silly, but them's the rules...

Rules is rules. Thanks, Dave.

 

[twelvetone12]

Can't wait to get my hands on more P30. Hope in volume discounts

 

[cmacd123]

Dead Link Removed

Yes, but the shop link there says "the shop will reopen soon" Mr. Bias said that they still had non film related items available for sale in their US shop. perhaps it only works if one is useing a US based IP address.

 

[Prof_Pixel]

Yes, but the shop link there says "the shop will reopen soon" Mr. Bias said that they still had non film related items available for sale in their US shop. perhaps it only works if one is useing a US based IP address.

I'm in the US and if I select 'SHOP", I see the following:


THE SHOP WILL REOPEN SOON!
We are in the process of stocking our warehouses and building an entirely new shop.

To be alerted, please Dead Link Removed, if you are not already subscribed.

 

[RattyMouse]

The shop is still closed.

 

[faberryman]

I think I remember them saying they were shooting for February. I'd check back on 2/28.

 

[DaveTheWalker]

I think I remember them saying they were shooting for February. I'd check back on 2/28.

...February 2028 is a little pessimistic ;o)

 

[faberryman]

...February 2028 is a little pessimistic ;o)

In the US "2/28" means February 28th. I should have included the year so there was no confusion. 02/28/2018.

 

[DaveTheWalker]

In the US "2/28" means February 28th. I should have included the year so there was no confusion. 02/28/2018.

I know, I was trying to be witty

 

[faberryman]

I know, I was trying to be witty

I thought that might be the case, but some people are really touchy about Film Ferrania, so you never know.

 

[FILM Ferrania]

Some more 35mm would be lovely.

I am unable to locate your US shop anymore. Dead Link Removed does not respond. netcraft does show it as being owned by "Dott. Ing. Nicola Baldini" and the DNS from Amazon web services.

As anyone who used the pre-sale shop would tell you, it was a mess. It was also a huge waste of money for us.

The new shop will be shops - plural. One for North America, one for Europe and a few other countries, and one for Asia. We will be making an announcement about this within the next two weeks.

 

[FILM Ferrania]

I think I remember them saying they were shooting for February. I'd check back on 2/28.

We're actually shooting for the week of Jan 15th (next week) for the US shop only. We're not sure yet about the date for the EU shop, but we should be ok if we stagger them 2 or 3 weeks apart.

That said, we will continue to have serious supply issues with 135 film. At best, our partner can make 1000/week, no matter how much coated film we pile on them.

We will do our best to inform everyone on social media when film arrives in stock (until such a time as we're not running out as soon as it arrives.)

 

[Nzoomed]

We're actually shooting for the week of Jan 15th (next week) for the US shop only. We're not sure yet about the date for the EU shop, but we should be ok if we stagger them 2 or 3 weeks apart.

That said, we will continue to have serious supply issues with 135 film. At best, our partner can make 1000/week, no matter how much coated film we pile on them.

We will do our best to inform everyone on social media when film arrives in stock (until such a time as we're not running out as soon as it arrives.)

Have you contacted Wittner-cinetec? These guys have all the gear to perforate and package 35mm into canisters, they may be able to help you, that is unless you are already using them

 

[DaveTheWalker]

It shouldn't be too difficult to find another partner that exceeds the 1000 film /week.
Ask Fotoimpex...

I'm going to go out on a limb and hazard a guess that, if t were easy, Ferrania would have found another partner by now This is clearly a pain point, and I bet they've explored all the options... I've been wrong before, though...

 

[cmacd123]

I'm going to go out on a limb and hazard a guess that, if t were easy, Ferrania would have found another partner by now This is clearly a pain point, and I bet they've explored all the options..

Most of the known firms who will do converting in Europe, are also in the B&W film business. SO while the FeraniaChrome would not be a competitive product, P30 is.

A bit of a rock/hard place also is that 3M/Imation was a high volume supplier of 35mm private label film, so any packing/converting/ set-ups salvaged from the old plant probably need to be downsized to even be practical. I would guess that 3-5 thousand rolls a day may have been the capacity of a typical 3M packaging - converting line MINIMUM.