Test & Bank Cels

darlingapple · Post by **darlingapple** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 2:48 am

Ok guys,

Since I had been missing in action for so long, I have no idea if anyone had brought up this matter previously. I came accross some cels in some galleries that are known as bank cels and test cels. Can anyone enlighten me on this on that are the differences between them and the normal cels? And whether they are worth collecting? Thanks guys.

cutiebunny · Post by **cutiebunny** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 3:16 am

A bank cel is a cel that was used on more than one ocassion during the production of a movie or TV series. A good example of this would be any cels from openings/endings or special transformation sequences.

Test cels are cels that were used to give animators an idea of how the sequence would look like on acetate. If a sequence was important or an animator was curious as to what the selected colors would look like on acentate, a test cel was created.

Post by **sensei** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:35 am

I'll just add that sometimes "test cel" is used to refer to a cel in a series that was painted and then for some reason rejected by the studio, and a new set ordered with different specifications.

And whether they are worth collecting?

It varies. Obviously OP and ED cels are very actively collected (assuming they are eye-worthy images and not just a stray arm or backside). Banks are very desirable in series when the repeated series was painted once and used multiple times. Sailor Moon banks are a good example. In CCS, by contrast, the banks used were animated once but painted anew for every episode with Sakura's costume of the week. So there are zillions of CCS bank cels out there, and they are not very sought-after except for the ones that the studio painted with Sakura sans clothes to hold in reserve for an emergency.

Test cels vary. I've seen some color tests that were done beautifully, almost hanken-style, that went for good money. But if the term is used to refer to a cel from a rejected scene, then these tests are less desirable than those that actually went under the camera to make the scene. If both sets show up on the market, then collectors need to look closely at the cel and at the DVD to make sure that they are getting the real thing.

As this didn't happen often, you can pretty quickly get a sense of the handful of episodes and scenes in the series that you collect where this is an issue. With CCS, it almost always has to do with Ep. 42 (the Prince Sakura ep.) at the critical moment when she starts glowing and speaks her "Zettai daijoubu da yo!" credo. It seems to have been animated two different ways and painted at least three times, with all the cels eventually ending up on the market.

Krafty · Post by **Krafty** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:34 pm

Personally I prefer Test cels to production cels. They are often beautiful, hanken-like images, (as Sensei describes) and it's nice to know that very few people have seen that piece of artwork before.

I recently obtained a range of Test cels from a CGI anime (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Prequel series). No, they're NOT rilezu images but look like top-quality paintings nonetheless.
It's the first time I've seen test cels for a computer-based series and I don't know why they were made. The test images are all close ups of characters faces as seen in the actual animation.

Don't forget that we may sometimes see cels of characters we recognize but can't place them within the anime. It's possible that they could be from a game based on the anime- so many of these are made in Japan. They can look like 'test cels' too and can be confused as such.

glorff · Post by **glorff** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 2:50 pm

http://glorff.rubberslug.com/gallery/ma ... esID=30403

These are my X test cels. You can see the variety of what there is, from face and body prototypes to scene color tests. Quite interesting and beautiful.

darlingapple · Post by **darlingapple** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:48 pm

Thanks guys for the explanantion. I saw some CCS test cels floating around for sale and I was just wondering if I should get them. I love Clamp's artwork as they are so gorgeous! Maybe I may consider getting some Rilezu cels???

Post by **sensei** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 8:08 am

I've not been tempted by these, but I know that rei the jelly has a nice test of The Arrow from the first movie, and Rallihir has some others in his gallery, including another test of Arrow. The ones Milkacow has up right now are pretty but (IMHO) rather pricy. I used to see color tests pop up on YJ and go for quite a bit less. (Ah, but they haven't appeared in quite a while, so that's neither here nor there.] Keep in mind that they are not unique: Midori has a third Arrow for sale now that is the same image as rei's and Rallihir's, but with the colors slightly darker. (Many of the others she has up are identical to Rallihir's but with slight color differences.)

But it all comes down to collecting tastes. I have a personal fetish thing about wanting "the" cel that went under the camera when the final take was being shot, even if it's less good in execution and condition than a rilezu done by an experienced artist by commission. But other people will look at the two and immediately opt for the test or rilezu simply for its obviously superior artistic quality.

Other people will always think they have better cels than you have. What of it? The main thing, as antique collector Arthur Hayward said eighty years ago, is to "have the satisfaction of acquiring [and] the pleasure of daily enjoyment in the sight of those things in which you delight."

ReiTheJelly · Post by **ReiTheJelly** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:05 am

My CCS TV test cels are actually quite poorly executed, but I love them because of the process they represent.

My X/1999 tests are quite nice.

I've noticed that movie color tests tend to be higher quality, simply because of a higher budget. But as Sensei points out --- sometimes the studio chose to reanimate an entire sequence of a TV series. So while the cels are equal in quality, only some actually went under the camera. He has some excellent examples of Sakura in her Prince costume.

Post by **sensei** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:40 pm

Worth noting: a CCS

"nude bank"

just popped up on YJ:

http://page6.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/f70798263

These are all anatomically inexplicit, and the ones showing Sakura from behind also have a big bald spot on the back of her head where the bonnet for the battle costume would fit. Still, if this item attracts a bid, that would show that these banks are going for about 3x what they sold for when they were more common 5 years ago.

Anyone? I'm happy with the one I've got which is a near sequence-mate to this one.

darlingapple · Post by **darlingapple** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:53 pm

sensei wrote:Worth noting: a CCS "nude bank" just popped up on YJ:

http://page6.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/f70798263

These are all anatomically inexplicit, and the ones showing Sakura from behind also have a big bald spot on the back of her head where the bonnet for the battle costume would fit. Still, if this item attracts a bid, that would show that these banks are going for about 3x what they sold for when they were more common 5 years ago.

Anyone? I'm happy with the one I've got which is a near sequence-mate to this one.

Oh my! 25,000 yen! That's over $400 in my local currency! Wow, I didn't know that they can go for such a high price....

darlingapple · Post by **darlingapple** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:54 pm

ReiTheJelly wrote:My CCS TV test cels are actually quite poorly executed, but I love them because of the process they represent.

My X/1999 tests are quite nice.

I love to collect any CCS cels that have to do with the cards, I love the Arrow and is still considering if I should get it....

darlingapple · Post by **darlingapple** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:57 pm

sensei wrote:
Other people will always think they have better cels than you have. What of it? The main thing, as antique collector Arthur Hayward said eighty years ago, is to "have the satisfaction of acquiring [and] the pleasure of daily enjoyment in the sight of those things in which you delight."

That is true, but collecting cels is burning a really big hole in my pockets.. especially the really nice ones

still I can't stop collecting them, thanks for this piece of advice though