Last Updated on 08/26/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
It’s been more than two years since his “ultimate attempt” to save packfilm started, but Florian “Doc” Kaps isn’t showing any sign of slowing down.
Florian “Doc” Kaps’ dream to save peel-apart instant film, also known as packfilm, is a massive one. That’s why in true comic book superhero fashion, he has been spending the last two years following a carefully planned strategy.
First, Florian handpicked his very own league of “Superheroes” – a team of, so far, four men with different lines of expertise and resources. Next, he set up a headquarters at the heart of Vienna, Austria. Finally, he came up with a two-prong plan to finance his goal; a Kickstarter campaign set to launch on September 20, and the Packfilm Project Supporter Shop.
The Packfilm Project Supporter Shop, where supporters of the project can purchase from “Superhero” Sir Uwe Schneider’s packfilm stock archive of the last production run of Fuji FP-100C as well as Save Packfilm vouchers in lieu of a monetary donation, plays a particularly crucial role in ensuring the success of the Kickstarter campaign.
Florian knows very well that he only has one shot to pull this off without a hitch. In his latest blog post, he wrote:
“The real beauty and at the same time ‘the challenging beast’ of such a campaign is the fact that it combines the possibility of a pre-sale based pre-financing of a production with the character of the hardest and most authentic market research mankind ever invented. Because each and every campaign asks a very precise question: DO YOU BUY THIS PRODUCT / SUPPORT THIS PROJECT? There is no ‘maybe’ and no ‘eventually.’
“If you fail – and not enough people are interested in what you have to offer right away – the chance is over and your dream ends.”
And so to assure their supporters, and in the spirit of transparency, Florian laid out their plans of intending to use the proceeds from the Shop for the pre-financing of “a perfectly working prototype and real proof of concept,” among other things.
But of course, it’s not just all about the money. Florian also asks the community to help build a network and lend their expertise and energy to the project.
With the Kickstarter campaign just a little over a month away, Florian and his team continues to do final tests and negotiations with key partners, produce and collect all components needed to build a working prototype, and assemble a lean team of designers to make the packfilm a reality.
“Because honestly we know that most likely this is our ultimate chance to save this wonderful material and therefore this Kickstarter Campaign has to be based on a simply 120% IRRESISTABLE PRODUCT,” Florian wrote.
For more information and to find out how you can show your support, visit Save Packfilm on Supersense.
Photo of Kickstarter’s office door by Florian “Doc” Kaps