new55 kickstarter has begun

[djhopscotch]

Also, there's no quantity discount: 10 boxes costs 10 times one box. Even with a (re-)pioneering project like this one would expect some discount to encourage you to spend more.

Kickstarter doesn't allow for quantity discounts.it's not a store and this isn't a pre-order. This is to fund the start up of a new product.

[cabbiinc]

I will buy the product if and when it gets to market. But I am not a kickstarter backer. I still have significant doubts in their ability to come up with a suitable receiver sheet.

Are you saying that you don't think that they already have all of the plans in place? Or that the plans they have are unfeasable? From what I've seen on their blog they have everything thought out, including a receiver sheet.

By the way, the way Kickstarter works is it's all or nothing with the funding part of it. If there's not enough pledges to meet the $400k goal then nobody pays.

[DennisD]

IMHO when you volunteer to fund this project you are simply saying "yes" to a dream !

Polaroid died and with it went 55P/N. Those who used the original 55 know what a marvelous film/negative it produced.

This is about your faith and belief that 55 should be brought back to life.... And it is really the one (and only) opportunity photographers have to support such a project. If new55 fails to reach its goal, there will be NO follow up project.

The people behind the new55 have devoted substantial amounts of time and effort to get to where they are today. We must believe their intentions are good and that a product will result if the project is funded. Remember, there us no guaranty (even if the goal is reached) that a product will be forthcoming.

The new55 kickstarter project is really not, with all due respect, about your getting a quantity discount on the film reward or whether you are skeptical about the project's ability to find an appropriate receiver sheet. If someone wants to pick at the reward structure or cast doubt on aspects of the product design, you could probably go on for days.

It's easy to have doubts about the project success. However, we must value the time and effort Crowley, Hiser and others have devoted to getting to this point. They certainly have reached a point of confidence that this is the right time to "call the question" and allow the larger community to show it's support.

I'm willing to support the project simply on the HOPE it will succeed. I believe the project team is competent and that others must have similar feelings based on the strength shown so far. However, nobody should give more than they can afford to lose. But if you believe in this project, this is the time to show support.. Remember, you are also casting a vote for continuation of a traditional film process.

If you don't show support for new55 now, do not expect another opportunity after May 5th.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Have the New55 people said which film they'll be using? I remember reading once on their blog that Efke 25, tri-x, HP5+, and others, were good candidates, but did they actually say which film?

[Brian C. Miller]

They've made some strange choices with the rewards and marketing. T-shirts cost money, which is out of the development budget. I have a feeling that the target audience isn't exactly the type to get excited about t-shirts. And making, packing and sending hundreds of t-shirts all around the world will take days on end.

The t-shirt option is $50, which should be fairly profitable for just a t-shirt. I have no idea of what the wholesale price on them is, though.

Have the New55 people said which film they'll be using? I remember reading once on their blog that Efke 25, tri-x, HP5+, and others, were good candidates, but did they actually say which film?

Perhaps Foma 200. (blog link, Feb 10, 2014) Efke was their primary choice, but then they died. Tri-X was very high in contrast. Foma might work. It's only been a couple of months since that post, and no update on the film.

[adelorenzo]

It is common on Kickstarter for people to offer lower-tier rewards that don't include the actual product. T-shirts, sticker packs, postcards... A lot of people will back a project just to be part of it and show support or even back it for $1 just to get backer updates. If I was not someone who would shoot this film I'd back it for a T-shirt or something just in support.

I just bumped my pledge up to 8 boxes, they are getting really close to 50% funded.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Thank you, Brian.

[feppe]

For those on the fence, I'd like to re-iterate: if the project doesn't reach the goal of $400k, they don't get any money, and the project will likely die for eternity. If you ever want to shoot with this film, now is the time to pledge; there will be no other opportunity.

Kickstarter doesn't allow for quantity discounts.it's not a store and this isn't a pre-order. This is to fund the start up of a new product.

Having backed 10+ projects, I know how KS works. The project creator can create reward levels which amount to quantity discount. Possibly there's a KS policy proscribing such activity, though.

[Brian C. Miller]

The project is now 60% funded.

Only 40% more to go.

[Witold Grabiec]

I have placed my own pledge, but have to say that curators of this project do not come through as having complete confidence in reaching the final goal. I am certain that compassion was far more of the factor in their involvement than any eventual commercial success, but why in the world would anyone want to scare people off with the "we probably won't make it" feed? This may be seen as a honest estimate of the outcome, but to me it is a sign of significant weakness, which does not bode well for the future of this project. Given that, it should not be hard to understand those who see the tunnel, perhaps a light, but not the direction required to reach that light.

It is true that market is no longer supportive enough of a larger scale production of New55 type product, but this was not the time to remind everyone of it. Unless, there is no more gas in the tank irrespective of the funding success. The message feels like the people driving it have not only lost confidence in the kickstarter campaign, but also in the viability of the product involved. I hope New55 will have to come existence, even if I myself will not be a significant user (based on price projections).