Clamp X Cel - What is a TEST cel ?

[siusiu]

Sure the title gives it off, what exactly are X test cels ?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[ReiTheJelly]

Madhouse is well-known for their dedication to detail. For X-Squared and X/1999 the movie, they remade many of the sequences before they got them the way they liked. So the cels that were not used for filming are "test" cels.

Here are some example that I found on Rubberslug:
http://rheytarian.rubberslug.com/galler ... emID=84482
http://glorff.rubberslug.com/gallery/ma ... esID=30403


Test cels can also refer to Color Tests. These were to help the animators choose appropriate coloring for the characters.

I own two of the color tests. They made multiple copies of each, so many people own similar cels.

http://stemcels.rubberslug.com/gallery/ ... mID=113339
http://stemcels.rubberslug.com/gallery/ ... mID=177864

Glorff also has one of the Subaru color tests:
http://glorff.rubberslug.com/gallery/in ... emID=55547

[sensei]

Madhouse also did quite a few test cels for Cardcaptor Sakura as well.

Here's a test cel of Sakura using The Sword.
And here's the cel that actually went under the camera.

Also one of many tests made for the climax of the "Sleeping Beauty" episode.
And one that was actually used.

[glorff]

You can see something similar here in Satsuki's death scene

First the test
http://glorff.rubberslug.com/gallery/in ... emID=53409

Then the final
http://glorff.rubberslug.com/gallery/in ... emID=52683

Not the exact image like Sensei's, but you can see the large changes in lighting that they made before they were done.

[syan]

Another series/movie they did test cels for is Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust. From what I've seen it was just Color Tests, like what rei exampled above.

http://syan.rubberslug.com/gallery/inv_ ... mID=101297

http://felicitychan.rubberslug.com/gall ... mID=114018

[siusiu]

wow thats some great information given, I never figured out what a test cel really was, thanks so much for the comparison Ive finally clicked on.

[Nat.R]

I have too a Madhouse X1999 movie test cel from Kanoe

http://natcels.rubberslug.com/gallery/i ... emID=94294

[meewchan]

You can see something similar here in Satsuki's death scene

First the test
http://glorff.rubberslug.com/gallery/in ... emID=53409

Then the final
http://glorff.rubberslug.com/gallery/in ... emID=52683

Not the exact image like Sensei's, but you can see the large changes in lighting that they made before they were done.

The first is so lovely! But isn't it from the X2/Double XX video?

[pixie_princess]

I was curious, how can a person actually tell its a real 'test cel' as opposed to a rather well-made fancel?

[sensei]

All of what I call "test" cels are different from what appeared in the final broadcast, not just in detail, but in immediately recognizable color choices. Also, my "tests" are identical in the way they were painted on photocopied trace lines. Fan cels tend to have inked trace lines and in generally are more carefully executed than production cels, even what I'm calling test cels. And, I'd imagine, the fan artist would take care to choose colors that would closely match the production image, rather than differ so dramatically.

Kinda like the principle I've heard among autograph collectors: if a suspected signature exactly matches an attested genuine signature, then you've proved the suspect a forgery, since no one signs his or her name twice in exactly identical ways. The only way you could have two identical autographs is if one was forged using the other as a model. That's not what we see in test cels.

Interesting question.

[pixie_princess]

Thank you very much Sensei. It helps