In the late 1990s, while working with Super 8 film, Jean-Pierre Sens – founder of NextArchive – realized that no compact processor existed for artists or independent filmmakers. The only machines available were industrial behemoths: several meters long, consuming vast amounts of chemistry and power, and entirely impractical for the scale of work he envisioned.
Instead of abandoning the idea, JP chose a different path. If no suitable 8mm film processor could be found, he would design and build one himself. That decision marked the beginning of a journey that defined his approach to preservation and innovation, and ultimately set the foundation for NextArchive.