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SAVE PACKFILM TRAVELOG NO. 20: BACK (FROM THE USA)

JOIN DOC ON AN INSTANT ADVENTURE

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen Analog,

I once again have to apologize for the long silence. The last weeks have been very busy as I dedicated all my time and energy to define the very best strategy for our Analog Product Institute and to search for the perfect partners to right away rocket start our most important first project: The Peel Apart Plan B.

This search also brought me to the USA and I am delighted to say that a wild coast to coast trip - with many flights, many motels and many hours in the car - had an incredible outcome that really healed all my wounds from back in Japan.


My dear friends, believers and supporters: Our Plan B develops much more promising than I ever dared to dream of! I am still in the process of nailing down all the details but very soon I will be in the fortunate position to proudly present you an absolute dream team. That in my understanding has a more than realistic chance to develop and define the future of next generation peel apart instant film products that we all love so much. A team with breathtaking expertise, extensive resources, magic capabilities and most importantly the steely will to make this happen together!!!

So please enjoy your weekend with a happy smile and once again with honest hope in your heart. Like I will, as it finally feels like we are now really on the right rack and positive energies start flowing.

Yours truly,

Doc

 

 

www.savepackfilm.net 

 

 

 

35 comments

  • Skoda

    Sorry, some typos in the last post. The word Aduriz was created by autocorrect – I meant to write Fujifilm. I also mistyped Fuji as ‘Guji’ on a few occasions, so please do pardon me.
    My point was that the Doc is no hero, but an opportunist who only invests in businesses when they are defunct so he could profit from the fan base. With the Impossible Project he never made a decent product before bowing out. He is still lauded as being a a saviour of instant film, and the coverage his antics get in the media have had a detrimental effect on Fuji’s efforts because Impossible and Kaps are often portrayed as being the ones left in the instant photography world. People support Kaps because they think he is saving instant photography but Fuji are making better products and if people want to save instant photography it would be better to buy Fujifilm’s products because they make far superior products that actually work. Polaroid was great but it is no more and this charlatan’s work is not helping the better products get the exposure they require.

  • Skoda

    People hating on Fuji baffle ,e. Analogue film sales have been declining for years. The fact that they continued making packfilm beyond 2000 is commendable and I was amazed to hear a few years ago that the film was available for a very old Polaroid clams camera I had acquired. Using the film and the camera was a fine exeperience but I sensed the party would be over soon so I sold the stuff. Fujifilm is in the business of making products and it would not make any sense for them to discontinue a product that sells. This did not, so are people here really saying that they should have continued regardless? They announced they are discontinuing the product but this may also be due to other factors that people are not aware of. Sometimes the raw materials required to make a product become scarce or more expensive (anyone making chemicals for film must be dealing with a handful of corporations that are shrinking by the day), and the lack of sales do not justify the costs of keeping the machines running, the factories open etc. The profits must outweigh the costs of running something. Hating on Gujifilm is unfair as they kept pack film going for many many years after the format more or less became obsolete. How dedicated is that?

    I also think the Doc’s work has partly harmed Fuji. He is often portrayed as someone who saved instant film, but he was an opportunist who managed to buy Polaroid’s machines to make integral film because he knew being the only one who makes the film will guarantee success because there were plenty of people who owned old Polaroid cameras. He knew he’d be the only one who they will come to for the film and the product doesn’t even have to be good. He probably didn’t intend the film to be as execrable as it is, but his idea was to be the only one who makes products for the cameras.
    A lot of people in the photography community give his poor efforts a lot of coverage. Hardly anybody in the media ever wrote about Fuji’s pack film and how people could use vintage land cameras with it. Instead they gave the coverage to Kaps and his crap and how he saved instant photography when in reality Fuji are making the best products and have done so for a long time. Their pack film was incredible and it produced far superior results to anything Impossible ever made, and sure it may not be a fair comparison, since Aduriz are a big company, but from a consumer perspective the better product is all that matters. If the media paid more attention to other instant photography products and publicised them instead of repeatedly declaring the Doc’s rubbish work as being the only thing that matters, perhaps the film would have survived.

    As for his current efforts, he is desperately trying to capitalise on Guji’s exit by, once again, “saving instant photography” by being the only one who makes this film and exploiting pack film fans by producing another half baked product like the rubbish manufactured by Impossible.

  • V-G

    Does not even bother to answer..

    I guess they dont say that they have given up, because then they would lose lots of followers.

  • Tyler

    Still following and still hoping! Please update!

  • m

    new year and new info updates please???

  • V-G

    So no news for several months? Is packfilm dead? Seems so. Have you given up on packfilm, Doc?

  • Ianalog

    Super project; Dream can become reality. But there is a concern, No one talks about it, nor does it communicate that.
    There is currently a KICKSTARTER campaign set up by the partner and collaborator of florian kaps DOC: NEW 55, which deals with the development of technologies and machines
    To start an industrial production of the support which will serve to perpetuate the 100 packfilm type, abandoned by FUJIFILM.
    If you want the legacy to be perpetuated, it is very important to communicate around you the presence of this project and the link, if you want this to happen.
    Thank you all for sharing and participating in this campaign.
    Here is the link: http://kck.st/2eoPqQf

  • Lars

    Thank you for your efforts. I personally will go out of my way to make sure no fuji products come near me. Feel the same way about kodak. Ilford all the way!!!!!

  • Herrel

    Being 18, just realizing about this form of film and wanting to try shooting with it, only to be greeted by a big “your outta luck, should of been born sooner” was disheartening. But your efforts to keep this art form alive has really moved me. Thank you for taking the initiative.
    best of fortune, Herrel

  • Mina

    I’m still pretty green behind the ears, and only recently discovered pack films and the polaroid land cameras and fell in love with them.
    I’m really grateful for all your hard work and hope for a positive outcome ‘cuz I’d love to capture priceless moments with it.

  • AMW

    I read the news today, oh boy! Though I am more angry than ever, at Fuji, because it’s quite obvious they’ve washed their hands of this film. This update is the final nail in the coffin for any hope that Fuji would reconsider. I would like to see some dollar backlash against them for how they chose to handle the discontinuation of the FP-100c and the FB-3000 two years ago. With one single stroke of a pen, they killed a format that they alone held the keys to and blamed it on us, the consumer. I am certain they weren’t losing money by making the film. They just weren’t making enough. They also did nothing to help it survive. No marketing, no new products, not even a price increase of a dollar or two to offset the lower profits. I am of the belief that a company should have a soul, and a nonverbal deal with their customers that says we won’t screw you over or embarrass you for supporting us. Especially those companies who profit from Artistic expression. Fuji is not that company. I will forever boycott their products, be they new or old and I wish there were others who will or are doing the same. Docs the only game in town now folks, Fuji has left the building. Save your Fuji bound money and put it where it will have the most benefit while we await Docs next update. Ffuji

  • Tyler

    Any new progress? Keeping fingers crossed for some good news!

  • Pons Stéphane

    Hello, thank’s very much for your efforts to save the 100 Pack Films. Please, please, we’re waiting for some good and fresh news !!! can we hope a solution for the next years ?

  • Sharon

    Hey Doc, how goes it? So where are you? Still full steam ahead? Throw us

  • Tom Garrity

    Thanks Doc!
    Looking forward to seeing this happen!

  • Cássia

    Hallo Florian, have somedoby ever told you that you are the best? You gave me so much inspiration with your stories. After 15 years waiting, I could finally buy my first Polaroid and das macht so viel Spaß :) I hope to visit Supersense as soon as possible and maybe take a pic with you (I am your fan!).

  • Mathis

    I have just recently decided to try out packfilm for the first time. I have been reluctant though, since no one makes it anymore. This gives me hope that I will be able to do it sometime in the not so distant future!

  • Ethan Bruce

    YES! THANK YOU SO MUCH DOC!
    You guys are the best damn people on the planet. I’m so excited to see what you guys have in store.
    And hopefully, whatever it is, it won’t be TOO pricey. If it’s around the $14-18 i paid for FP100C before they discontinued it, that would be amazing. But if it’s around the same price as the Impossible Project film… well, that’s ok too. I’ll still buy it.

  • Eric T. WHite

    Very much looking forward to whatever you’ve got on the horizon!

  • Michael

    Thank you so much for your efforts to keep our wonderful cameras supplied with film. Our hopes are riding high!

  • JAY

    Thanks for all the hard work. Very excited to hear next phase!! :-)

  • sph

    Promising news on pack film! Would love to hear some details of your project and how this might actually materialize into an available product again!

  • JeremySz

    Thank you so much Doc!
    Keep up the good work!
    I believe in you and I’m ready to help whenever you want.

  • Russ

    Ace, Fantastic and Top!

  • Helene

    so excited for this! thank you!

  • Sascha

    Thank You so much for your effort! Photolove from Berlin

  • fastcat99

    Thank you for the update, Doc, and for your continued energy to reinvent pack film.

    I noticed a pack film update from Catlabs JP on June 24th, as well. They wrote about funding resources, low volumes, high prices, etc. I am now wondering if you are working together or if there might be two parallel efforts underway to bring new analog instant film to market. Exciting times, indeed!!!.

  • Gus

    Very exciting and good news. I hope you know that the New type 55 pack film is also available!

  • Greg

    Thank you so much for all that you are doing in this effort. So many are hoping for the best!

  • Daniel VanDurmen

    Excellent news! I was a Kodak field tech for many years, with lots of warehouse and distribution experience, plus I live in the middle of the US, so if you need any help in the future, keep me in mind. I’d love to be a part of this!

  • Alejandro

    Keep it up Doc,. You have many people behind your project!!!

  • Francis Van Maele / Polamad

    glad to hear this great new development, Doc. I’m eager to hear more details about what and who and where.

  • Aaron

    I eagerly await every post on this! I cannot tell you how relieved and thrilled I am that you are continuing to fight the good fight for us!! Thanks for your vision and all your hard work!

  • Ursula

    Great! Even that I´m hording quite a stack of packfilm I´m counting on you the develop an amazing new one. Have a great trip!

  • Nick

    Yes Doc!!!! So so eager to hear to future of pack film. Glad it’s in your hopeful and dedicated hands!!!

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