Test film are rolls or loops or slides of

photographic Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...

film used for testing the

quality Quality may refer to: Concepts *Quality (business), the ''non-inferiority'' or ''superiority'' of something *Quality (philosophy), an attribute or a property * Quality (physics), in response theory *Energy quality, used in various science discipl ...

of equipment. Equipment to be tested could include:

telecine Telecine ( or ) is the process of transferring film into video and is performed in a color suite. The term is also used to refer to the equipment used in the post-production process. Telecine enables a motion picture, captured originally on ...

, motion picture film scanner,

Movie projector A movie projector is an opto- mechanical device for displaying motion picture film by projecting it onto a screen. Most of the optical and mechanical elements, except for the illumination and sound devices, are present in movie cameras. Mo ...

Image scanner An image scanner—often abbreviated to just scanner—is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting or an object and converts it to a digital image. Commonly used in offices are variations of the desktop ''flatbed scanner'' ...

s, film-out gear, Film recorders and

Film scanner A film scanner is a device made for scanning photographic film directly into a computer without the use of any intermediate printmaking. It provides several benefits over using a flatbed scanner to scan in a print of any size: the photograph ...

Test films comes in all film formats: 16mm, 35mm,

Super 8 Super 8 or Super Eight may refer to: Film * Super 8 film, a motion picture film format released in 1965 * Super 8 film camera, a motion picture camera used to film Super 8mm motion picture format * ''Super 8'' (2011 film), a science-fiction fi ...

8mm 8 mm or 8mm may refer to: ;Film technology *8 mm film, a photographic cine film format principally intended for domestic use. The term may also refer to later variants: ** Super 8 mm film ** Single-8 film ** 8 mm video format, a type of video record ...

, 65mm, 70mm and

IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating. Graem ...

, both

motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

s and still

photography Photography is the visual art, art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It i ...

China girl

China girl or leader ladies or LAD girl or laboratory aim density (LAD) test film, is common name for a

color chart A color chart or color reference card is a flat, physical object that has many different color samples present. They can be available as a single-page chart, or in the form of swatchbooks or color-matching fans. Typically there are two diffe ...

test film with a color or

black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

set up chart and a

woman A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regard ...

. This would be used stand alone or placed on a

film leader A film leader is a length of film attached to the head or tail of a film to assist in threading a projector or telecine. A leader attached to the beginning of a reel is sometimes known as a head leader, or simply head, and a leader attached to the ...

, that is at the start of the first roll of film. LAD patch is neutral gray, with visual density of 1.0. With the LAD patch is usually a white and black patch for white balancing FILMS. Color patches of blue, green, and red are used to check saturated colors.

Grayscale In digital photography, computer-generated imagery, and colorimetry, a grayscale image is one in which the value of each pixel is a single sample representing only an ''amount'' of light; that is, it carries only intensity information. Graysc ...

chips are used to check for neutral color balance and correct contrast. While the

face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...

is used for color correct flesh tones, LAD film is a few frames or a loop of correctly exposed and processed negative film that is used by a film laboratory to set-up their analyzers. This is to ensure that the duplication and printing processes of the film is correct. northwestchicagofilmsociety.org leaderladies
/ref>

Types

* Resolution –

Focus Focus, or its plural form foci may refer to: Arts * Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in South Australia Film *''Focus'', a 1962 TV film starring James Whitmore * ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based ...

* Registration and

Geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...

* Framing and Aspect ratio *

Negative pulldown Negative pulldown is the manner in which an image is exposed on a film stock, described in the number of film perforations spanned by an individual frame. It can also describe the orientation of the image on the negative, whether it is captured ho ...

– 2, 3 or 4 perforation *

Color grading Color grading is a post-production process common to filmmaking and video editing of altering the appearance of an image for presentation in different environments on different devices. Various attributes of an image such as contrast, color, ...

*TAF – Telecine Analysis Film (Kodak Telecine tool kit) * Steadiness –

Film perforations Film perforations, also known as perfs and sprocket holes, are the holes placed in the film stock during manufacturing and used for transporting (by sprockets and claws) and steadying (by pin registration) the film. Films may have different types ...

test *

Streaking Streaking is the act of running, often naked, through a public area for publicity, as a prank, a dare, or a form of protest. Streaking is often associated with sporting events, but can occur in more secluded areas. Streakers are often pursued b ...

or after glow * Keykode – film frame number test * Optical sound focus *

Optical sound Optical sound is a means of storing sound recordings on transparent film. Originally developed for military purposes, the technology first saw widespread use in the 1920s as a sound-on-film format for motion pictures. Optical sound eventually ...

buzz ( centered audio pick) *

Magnetic sound A movie projector is an opto-mechanical device for displaying motion picture film by projecting it onto a screen. Most of the optical and mechanical elements, except for the illumination and sound devices, are present in movie cameras. Mode ...

* Dolby tone sound

Manufactures

(past and current): *SMPTE -

Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) (, rarely ), founded in 1916 as the Society of Motion Picture Engineers or SMPE, is a global professional association of engineers, technologists, and executives working in the m ...

Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...

Fujifilm , trading as Fujifilm, or simply Fuji, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, operating in the realms of photography, optics, office and medical electronics, biotechnology, and chemicals. The offerings from ...

*D.E.L. test film * BBC and Channel 4 UK *

European Broadcasting Union The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; french: Union européenne de radio-télévision, links=no, UER) is an alliance of public service media organisations whose countries are within the European Broadcasting Area or who are members of the Co ...

– EBU *

International Electrotechnical Commission The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC; in French: ''Commission électrotechnique internationale'') is an international standards organization that prepares and publishes international standards for all electrical, electronic and ...

– IEC *

ARRI The Arri Group () is a German manufacturer of motion picture film equipment. Based in Munich, the company was founded in 1917. It produces professional motion picture cameras, lenses, lighting and post-production equipment. Hermann Simon menti ...

* Fernseh – Broadcast Television Systems Inc. *

Dolby Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (often shortened to Dolby Labs and known simply as Dolby) is an American company specializing in audio noise reduction, audio encoding/compression, spatial audio, and HDR imaging. Dolby licenses its technologies to ...

(Audio only)

Images

File:EIA Resolution Chart 1956.svg, EIA 1956 resolution chart File:SilverFast Resolution Target USAF 1951.png, SilverFast USAF 1951Resolution Target by LaserSoft Imaging File:35mm_film_audio_macro.jpg , 35mm film sound File:Anamorphic-digital sound+cue.jpg , Anamorphic Film with Stereo sound File:8mm_and_super8.png , 8mm and Super 8 film faming File:35mm_film_common_formats.svg , 35mm film common formats File:16mm and super16.png , 16mm film common formats File:Keykode-edgecode.jpg , Keykode-edgecode File:35mm blank film (6498625859) (cropped version).jpg, 35mm motion picture film roll on bobbin core File:Bobina Super 8 abierta.jpg, A spool of developed Super 8 Film, with a protective white leader. File:16-mm b&w reversal footage.jpg , B&W 16mm film, on bobbin core (not a reel) File:Imax_format_srov_35mm_70mm.png, IMAX to 35mm and 35mm film File:4_perf_3_perf_and_2_perf_35_mm_film_compared.png , 2, 3 and 4 perf film File:Indian head test pattern labeled.png, Indian Head pattern with its elements labeled

References

smpte.org Test Materialsaig-imaging.com, Resolution, Digital Science TL5003 Scanner Test Chart, QA-60 engineering.de Test Film by number Feminism, Issues, Movies, China Girls, January 30th, 2009, By Chelsea Spear

External links