The $68 Million Instant Movie Disaster (Polavision)

Nearly 50 years ago, the Polavision camera blended Polaroid’s revolutionary instant film with on-demand home video – and the result was a landmark advance in analog technology that would become a mystery of science and a winding international journey into vintage tech.

Because now, generations after Edwin Land bet his half-century legacy of innovation and the company he founded on the success of the Polavision, I need to figure out how to get the thing to work… and only one man in the world could help me.

I traveled to Vienna, Austria to meet Florian “Doc” Kaps – the man behind ‘The Impossible Project’ that saved Polaroid from the dustbin of history. With his guidance and his private store of old Polaroid video tapes, perhaps I would be able to record a modern YouTube video with my vintage Polavision camera.

Through it all, Doc immersed me into his world of analog technology and the philosophy behind his mission to re-integrate analog into our daily lives. We cut lacquer records, we felt the fires of an analog restaurant, and we spent too much time trying to resurrect a relic of the past – because technology, vintage and modern, is all about people.

#polaroid #analog #vintagetech #history #cameras #documentary

[popularscience]

Please hit LIKE to support this documentary and thank you so much for watching. This was the biggest project I've ever done in my over 13 years full-time on YouTube and I'm thrilled with how it came together. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to this channel if you haven't already. Your support will help more of these videos get made. Thank you! -Kevin

[smartereveryday]

“Teach me how to dance this” is an epic way to sign an email.

[Yuushiboy]

This is not just a documentary. It's a poetic story and an emotional one at that. Amazing video!

[davep]

Thank you for just letting Florian “Doc” Kaps talk. I mean this is the best way, but you barely said a sentence while he was talking and he was the focus of the camera almost entirely.
It is great to see people recognise a wealth of information and just let them go and get that out into the world. Thank you.

[nickhughes]

This was absolutely incredible. The passion Doc has for his work is infectious. I am so happy there are people around who will continue to inspire the younger generations.
Kevin, the large format Polaroid is beautiful. You are so deserving to have that print!

[jarrettnelson]

This is one of the best documentary style films I’ve seen in a long time. Thanks Kevin. I genuinely feel like I appreciate analog technology more now.

I’m so glad to see people use the things they collect as they were intended to be used and not just kept for the sake of preserving. You both strike a perfect balance

[ДмитрийСилюков-ьч]

It's fascinating that technology that costed 100 million dollars is completely forgotten today. I mean there is even polaroid photo camera Lego set. But video camera is almost unknown by mainstream public.

[londonlore]

Just finished watching this Kevin, and it was absolutely fascinating, intriguing, and mind boggling.
I now want to hunt down my old Polaroid cameras, go and visit Doc’s place in Vienna, and actually BUY that Reel-to-Reel tape machine that I’ve longed for all my life.
I admit it - I’m 60 years young in 🇬🇧, and I love analog things! 🫶🏽

Thank you so very much for creating this and sharing👏🏽I’m going to watch it again now… 🔁😊👍🏽

[SazzyNoodles]

It’s almost poetic how he speaks about physical media and senses, smells etc. I was born in the 90s and during the mid late 00s I learned black and white photography from taking to developing and loved it. I still also think sending cards to loved ones with a lipstick kiss and sprayed in perfume is a beautiful way of telling someone how you feel. What a beautiful man in both mind and spirit!

[MakeSomething]

As a Polaroid collector and junkie I'm so happy you made this an hour long full of history and amazing visuals. What a great story. ❤

[sherbournesubwaymess]

What an amazing story. This was a eulogy of sorts, but also a rebirth of a long dead brand.

This is really a 'once in a lifetime' experience.

[BigTheSmall]

The passion you and Doc have is infectious. There’s nothing better than watching nerds geek out over their specific interests.

[NevsTechBits]

Dude you really put in a lot of effort into this one. As a tech, you are a wizard. I mean, you worked magic here my friend. Good freaking job. You earned a sub.

[bigfrankfraser]

as my grandmother always told me "perfection is in imperfection"

[kronesP]

Thank you Popular Science folks for letting Kevin work his magic. This is the best video yet

[deucedeuce]

Man, what a great guy for saving that factory. I hope he knows he is appreciated.

[orionandersen]

Doc’s company is called supersense, in case anyone else was looking

[briannielsen]

Absolutely brilliant video. In my head I at one point heard "My name is Florian Kaps, but everybody calls me Doc"...

[kcc]

That left me speechless. Fantastic job producing it. I'm sure you feel honored to have been welcomed and received by Doc the way you were. Too cool!

[dupre]

There are few channels that I would be willing to hunker down with for over an hour while talking about a camera that was made around when I was born.