For the first time in over a decade, a brand new motion picture hits the market. But it is not a competitor of Kodak.
Visit the about page on the ORWO website and you will get a long history that covers World War II and the Cold War. It feels more like a spy thriller than the evolution of a stills film company.
Although you may not have heard of the name, the ORWO brand is alive and thriving after nearly 114 years. Best known for his black and white archival filmthe current company supplies the United States Library of Congress with industrial black-and-white films and companies like the Smithsonian and MOMA.
So what does a company do after such success? They’re going back to show business, baby!
A whole new stock of color films
ORWO NC500 Color Cine Film is the first new color negative introduced in over a decade, which is great news for celluloid heads And directors of photography allergic to digital.
As Kodak continues to create its own popular VISION3 series, the NC500 is not meant to be a competitor but an alternative.
Rated at ASA 400, new film stock is available at a time 35mm And 16mmand is designed without Remject layer. This allows it to be processed in either the traditional ECN2 process (for motion pictures) or the photographic C41 process.
The C41 process can be found at any photo developer, while the ECN2 process is reserved for motion pictures and can end up being expensive.
The look
With the goal of creating an alternative movie for creatives, the folks behind ORWO said they wanted to “create a versatile range of looks and provide a clear blank canvas on which anyone can build any story.”
By using the C41 process, productions can run faster, more reliably and more environmentally friendly. But how will the lack of a Remjet layer affect the stock and what does ORWO’s new palette look like? Here is a video of ORWO testing their new stock against Kodak 250D:
What differences did you spot?
From what we can tell, the NC400 offers a low contrast look with a thick grain, and the NC500 adds a bit of warmth on top of that.
Admittedly, most (if not all) of these settings can be changed in post, so comparing those low-res images on YouTube really isn’t a good point of reference. However, thanks to the good folks at Old Fast Glass, we’ll have another comparison in the near future.
The OFG team recently performed their own test using two AATON Penelope cameras with matching primes and using Kodak’s 5219 500T for comparison. The results are still a few days away, but we can’t wait to see what they find.
The Importance of NC500 Color Motion Picture Film Stock
Cinema is going nowhere. No matter how good digital cameras are, the celluloid shooting process will never go out of style.
Even with the introduction of digital painting, artists still choose to use oils. But why? Is it nostalgia? Maybe.
There is something to be said for shooting on a tangible medium. Something that isn’t just a collection of ones and zeros stored as electricity. I chose to film because it slows me down and forces me to think about the shot I’m going to take.
However, if you want to watch it, having the tools to make movies is paramount. With ORWO’s new film stock, we have another tool we can keep in our belt for when the time comes. Although the stock is still in its infancy, it is rising rapidly. If you want to know more, visit ORWO website.
What do you think of shooting on film? Are you surprised to see new film stock hitting the market? Let us know in the comments!
