AGO Film Processor

Story

Introducing AGO, the revolutionary film processor that brings professional film development into your hands. Unlock the world of analog photography with ease. AGO simplifies the process for black and white, C-41, and E-6 films – all from the comfort of your own home. Bid farewell to the hassles of manual agitation and temperature control; AGO’s compact motor, advanced temperature sensor together with intelligent time compensation system handles it all, ensuring perfect results every time. Its sleek, travel-friendly design not only saves you money but also reduces chemical waste by up to 60%. Join the analog photography renaissance and elevate your skills effortlessly with AGO.

Your gateway to effortless film development for B&W, C-41, and E-6 films!

Interest in analog photography is on the rise, with both seasoned enthusiasts and a new wave of younger generations embracing it as a means of artistic expression. However, the infrastructure supporting this art form is ageing. That’s why we’ve developed a Paterson tank compatible processor that empowers anyone to effortlessly develop B&W, C-41, or E-6 films in the comfort of their own home.

The Project

AGO embarked on its journey three years ago as a master’s thesis project in design studies. Mission was clear: to contribute to the revival of analog photography and, in particular, to simplify film development for film enthusiasts. Over these three years, our team has expanded to four dedicated members, all working tirelessly to bring this innovation to the market.”

In a time when film prices are on the rise, many have inquired about the feasibility of developing ECN-2 film with AGO. The answer is it is possible, but it does require a bit more research and experimentation to implement ECN-2 chemistries compared to the ones mentioned above.

FUNNEL MODIFICATION

To use AGO with a Paterson tank, you’ll require a modified funnel that allows to flow liquids into the tank when in a vertical position. Funnel holes have to be down when assembling the processor. Each AGO comes with a pre-modified funnel. However, if you plan to use multiple developing tanks, we recommend drilling holes in your own funnel. Your order package includes a drilling template, all you need is a 13mm drill.

P.S. Drilling your funnel won’t compromise light-tightness or the use of the Paterson tank without AGO in any way.

Why Crowdfunding?

Community Collaboration: At Vintage Visual, we believe in community-driven innovation. AGO is still in the final stages of development before production begins, and we value your insights. As a small company, we have the flexibility to adapt and improve based on your feedback. By putting AGO in the hands of our community, we can collectively shape it into an even better product.

Accelerating Innovation: Introducing a new product to the market requires substantial resources. While we have a business in place, the creation of AGO involves significant upfront costs for parts and production. Crowdfunding allows us to offer you an exclusive opportunity – a discounted price in exchange for your support in funding the initial production batch. This not only benefits you but also accelerates innovation within the film photography community. With your backing, we can bring AGO to market faster, fostering a dynamic environment of creativity and progress.

Reaching New Audiences: We believe in the power of crowdfunding not only to raise funds but also to connect with a broader audience. This campaign is a chance for us to extend our reach and introduce AGO to individuals who may not have discovered our products otherwise.

In summary, this crowdfunding journey is about collaboration, innovation, and expansion. Your participation not only helps us bring AGO to life but also contributes to the growth and vitality of the film photography community. Together, we can shape the future of analog photography and continue to make it accessible and enjoyable for everyone.”

Risks and challenges

Further steps after the crowdfunding largely depends on how much funds we collect through the campaign. If the campaign is successful then the ultimate goal is to produce AGO plastic parts with injection molds. However, the production of injection molds takes around half a year and need quite a bit of funds, also there can be always a possibility that something goes wrong. That’s why we will definitely source these locally so we could have a possibility to intervene quickly to the injection mold production process and communicate freely to the provider. Otherwise if the campaign isn’t so popular we will produce AGOs using MJF 3D printing technology.

Luckily, most of the components are readily available from multiple vendors as this minimizes the risk of low- availability of necessary parts. Also, during the initial design phase and beta campaign most critical parts were tested with several vendors’ products to be sure that quality is the best for AGO. However, the risk stays that some parts may occasionally come with bad quality even from the best vendors.

For us probably the biggest challenge will be managing the mass production. Again, as it depends how well the campaign will go but if we are speaking more than 100 units then we will collaborate with a local contracting firm which has experience in assembling such products and can easily produce around 100 units per week. One thing is to get all the parts at the right time to the right place but another thing is to manage the quality. Definitely this needs a lot of attention and procedures we have to develop in collaboration with the assembly contractor.

At a moment we have around 15 beta users who are actively using the device. As we have few things we have to modify for the final product, they will get the latest models first to be sure that everything is working as expected. If any flaws will occur based on the beta users feedback then there is still enough time to make it perfect for the backers.

Unfortunately there can always be other unseen risks that can’t be predicted. However, I am confident that Vintage Visual has already formed quite a lot of expertise around us to overcome even the trickiest challenges in order to deliver the best solutions to our backers.

Thank you for your contribution!

If you’ve already joined our campaign as a backer, we can’t thank you enough for your support! If you’re not able to back us at the moment or simply want to help us, here are some ways you can lend a hand:

Spread the word to your friends or on social media like Twitter or Reddit
Head over to Instagram and follow us at @vintagevisual.eu
Learn more about our other products at www.vintagevisual.eu
Ask questions or give us input, either here in the comments or on info@vintagevisual.eu

Thank you!

Vintage Visual team