Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Color Test frames

This is topic Color Test frames in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=005453

Posted by Jonathan Ralston (Member # 1775) on 10-13-2003, 10:11 PM:

Everyone's seen the pictures of one of two or three women at the end of trailers and sometimes the tails of prints. Any clue who that person is. Does anybody else wonder about that?

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 10-13-2003, 10:39 PM:

She is called the LAD (Laboratory Aim Density) Girl .

Do a search for 'LAD Girl' here on Film-Tech and several threads about the subject come up.

John Pytlak also knows quite a bit about her, I believe he was instrumental in her 'creation' ... [Smile]

-Aaron

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 10-13-2003, 10:50 PM:

Developing the Laboratory Aim Density (LAD) control method was one of my first projects at Kodak. It simplifies the control of color and density during film duplication by laboratories, allowing more consistent prints. Working with my long-time technician Al Fleischer, I presented the first technical paper at the SMPTE Conference in Toronto in November 1974. The first paper was published in the October 1976 SMPTE Journal. In 1982, LAD Girl added additional gray and color patches, as well as a photo of a pretty Kodak model to aid labs in setup of the color analyzer.

I recently was honored to receive an Academy Scientific and Technical Award for the development of LAD:

http://www.film-tech.com/trailers/filmtechpytlak.html

Posted by Dominic Case (Member # 1830) on 10-13-2003, 11:08 PM:

John's correct in claiming the LAD system as his: but the girl has been around longer than the LAD. She is traditionally called the "Chinagirl", and has always used a grey patch (which the LAD system standardised) and a model. Originally I believe Kodak supplied this, but they used a mannequin instead of a real person - a "china doll". I think it started in black and white days, maybe they could get away with the lack of real skin-tone. We used to joke to the model for the Australian version a few years ago that she had been on more films than any Hollywood star.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 10-14-2003, 05:51 AM:

Yes, Kodak supplied a "China Girl" for many years. Originally a china mannequin, later a real girl. The original LAD was based only on a gray patch, but many still wanted a "real" scene to aid in setup and control, so the two ideas were combined.

Only 800 feet of negative was shot for the original LAD Girl in 1982. Labs are supplied duplicate negatives made from this 20+ year old original negative. The duplicate negatives are now made from a digital master of the original negative. "LAD Girl" is likely now a grandmother. [Cool]

Posted by Matthew Peters (Member # 1495) on 10-14-2003, 06:56 AM:

An Australian Version

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 10-14-2003, 03:34 PM:

Matthew Peters provided:

quote:
An Australian Version

I notice that the fairly washed out image you provided was of a print that was not made on Kodak print film. [thumbsdown]

And from Mr. Case's lab, no less. [Wink]

(No hard feelings.)

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 10-14-2003, 04:28 PM:

quote:
I notice that the fairly washed out image you provided was of a print that was not made on Kodak print film.

Either the print or neg was Agfa, from the 'A G' (Agfa-Gevaert) I see on the top left of the strip.

-Aaron

Posted by Dominic Case (Member # 1830) on 10-15-2003, 03:04 AM:

YEs it's true! The edge markings are on the print (they would be white if from the neg). So this print was indeed on Agfa stock. Sorry John. [Wink]

I updated that particular chinagirl some years ago, but I can't identify the girl. For a previous chinagirl we shot a still and copied it on an animation stand (now it's done digitally): that way the flesh tones remain perfectly constant. The trouble with live shooting even the 800 feet John mentioned - about 9 minutes of running time - is that there is plenty of time for the model to blush or go pale, making colour matching a little harder.