Kodak VISION3 Film Stock Enhanced – New AHU Design

Movie shouldn’t be one thing we cowl typically on CineD, however Kodak has introduced a change to their VISION3 Shade Adverse movies value noting. After greater than eight years of growth in Rochester, the corporate is changing the lengthy used remjet backing with a brand new Anti Halation Undercoat (AHU). It’s the first main structural change to VISION3 in a long time.For context on Kodak’s greater image struggles, see our earlier piece: Kodak Faces the Fade Out – Is This the Last Name?From Remjet to AHURemjet has been a part of Kodak shares for practically a century, defending towards halation, scratches, and static. However it additionally attracted dust and required additional water and power to take away throughout processing. Kodak’s reply is the brand new AHU design: a everlasting anti static and scratch resistant bottom layer plus a protecting undercoat beneath the emulsion that washes away throughout growth.Unprocessed AHU inventory seems completely different, shiny darkish brown as a substitute of remjet’s matte black, however as soon as processed, efficiency is similar. The replace will roll out throughout all VISION3 staples: 500T, 200T, 250D, and 50D, in codecs from Tremendous 8 to 65mm.Behind the scenes within the movie processing lab at Fotocinema, Rome | Picture supply: KodakKodak VISION3: what filmmakers and labs gainFor filmmakers, the transition is seamless. The look of VISION3 stays the identical, however outcomes are cleaner, with higher safety towards mud and halation. Labs in the meantime save water and power, since remjet removing is now not a part of the bathtub sequence.Particular person holding digital camera movie | Picture credit score: Luriko Yamaguchi PexelsFilm vs digitalDigital retains climbing with new sensors and codecs, whereas Kodak’s replace is about refining movie for in the present day’s workflows. Efficiency and sensitometry are unchanged, AHU and remjet shares might be combined, and the brand new anti static layer ought to result in cleaner scans.Display screen seize of Kodak’s “Shot on Movie” PageThe effort would possibly look like overkill. David Lynch as soon as known as movie “a dinosaur” and urged that digital was simpler and superior. However typically that very complexity is what delivers a glance individuals nonetheless chase. If you wish to see what’s being made on movie in the present day, Kodak retains an inventory right here: Shot on Movie. For extra on how movie compares with digital proper now, try Movie vs Digital in 2025.Backside lineKodak has simplified their movie construction, minimize down on lab complexity, and saved the VISION3 look intact. It’s a small however significant replace, proof that movie remains to be evolving whilst digital dominates many of the dialog.Do you suppose films look higher when they’re shot on movie inventory, or do you favor the digital look? Depart your ideas within the feedback under.