Test film

Test film are rolls or loops or slides of photographic film used for testing the quality of equipment. Equipment to be tested could include: telecine, motion picture film scanner, Movie projectors, Image scanners, film-out gear, Film recorders and Film scanners.

Test films comes in all film formats: 16mm, 35mm, Super 8, 8mm, 65mm, 70mm and IMAX, both motion pictures and still photography.

China girl
China girl, leader ladies, LAD girl or laboratory aim density (LAD) test film, is common name for a color chart test film with a color or black-and-white set up chart and a woman. This would be used stand alone or placed on a film leader, that is at the start of the first roll of film. An 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 chips are used to check for neutral color balance and correct contrast. While the face 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.

Types

 * Resolution – focus
 * Registration and geometry
 * Framing and aspect ratio
 * Negative pulldown – 2, 3 or 4 perforation
 * Color grading
 * TAF – Telecine Analysis film (Kodak Telecine tool kit)
 * Steadiness – film perforations test
 * Streaking or after glow
 * Keykode – film frame number test
 * Optical sound focus
 * Optical sound buzz (centered audio pick)
 * Magnetic sound
 * Dolby tone sound

Manufactures
(past and current):
 * SMPTE -Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
 * Kodak
 * Fujifilm
 * D.E.L. test film
 * BBC and Channel 4 UK
 * European Broadcasting Union – EBU
 * International Electrotechnical Commission – IEC
 * ARRI
 * Fernseh – Broadcast Television Systems Inc.
 * Dolby (Audio only)