We'll see. Nothing in Sony's two-year contract would prevent EK from attempting to reduce the film production volume envelope while that contract is being serviced. In fact, those two years would be the precise time EK might want to undertake such an R&D effort, if it hasn't already happened. It's when they would have the breathing space to think about and experiment with it using the non-MP stocks.
As I've said in other threads, if I were KA there's absolutely no way I sign an agreement to take over Kodak's consumer film selling business if the only way it can succeed is to sell the same glory years volumes that even EK can no longer sell. That would be a losing proposition from the get-go.
Turning the argument around, there's no way such a deal with me even happens unless EK can demonstrate to my satisfaction that they can consistently supply me with the reduced volumes of consumer film that I can successfully sell into the current reduced markets. No scaling down, no signature on the dotted line. It's a prerequisite. Ya' gotta' convince me it's possible first.
Like any supplier agreement, the deal would be dependent upon the supplier being able to manufacture the required volumes. Except in this case those would be minimum, not maximum, volumes.
I have to assume that the last thing KA wants to do is throw its retirees under the bus by making unworkable and risky deals.
Ken
) contract with EK was for half a BILLION feet of film for 2 years. That's a ton of film (probably many tons). Once movies stop using film next year, then all bets are off. EK will see an even more dramatic free fall in demand. 
