Kodak Canada has unveiled Vision2, its latest high-speed color negative film stock, which stands to be a boon for TV series and low-budget feature production as well as low-light shooting in general.

The photochemical giant acknowledges the advances of digital imaging and believes the Vision2 Super 16mm film will provide a strong alternative to the growing 24p high-definition format. The high-speed film’s advertised reduction in grain could allow low-budget productions to rely on less involved lighting setups, thereby saving time and money.

Kodak cites Vision2’s superior image structure, allowing for greater image detail. Kodak enlisted the help of directors of photography including Thom Best (Men with Brooms), Thomas Burstyn (Within These Walls) and Allen Daviau (Bugsy, E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial) to test its latest offering.

Best tested 7218, the 16mm version of Vision2 500T. He reported that it was an improvement over the previous 7279 stock, pointing to more naturalistic skin tones and greater detail in shadowy areas. Burstyn, shooting the 35mm 5218, noted clean white values that didn’t wash out in high-contrast situations, finding the reduction in grain to be the biggest asset overall. Five-time Oscar nominee Daviau reaffirmed these benefits.

Kodak has also designed the new stock for greater image structure retention during telecine and digital film scanning as well as optical transfers.

Kodak Vision2 is available in all 16mm, 35mm and 65mm formats. Eric Rodli, president of Kodak’s Entertainment Imaging division, says the company plans to add a series of new motion picture films to the Vision2 family in coming months.

-www.kodak.ca