# Production Cel Types A further breakdown of the types of cels you will run into and what people are generally talking about when they are talking about them. # Opening (OP) Cel, Ending Cel (ED) These are the cels that make up the opening of the show. Most shows have 1 opening that is animated per season and then the sequence is reused for every episode. The same applies to End credits. Only one set of cels is made for each opening or ending. These cels are generally the most sought after as most fans of the show find them easily recognizable. They also tend to be super pricey as well so they are often a target for for fakes and reproductions being sold as the real thing, so watch out! This is an example of the SDFM Macross TV series opening credits. Artwork from this sequence is very rare and expensive. # END cels / "A1 END" cels / Tome (止) Cels An END cel (marked with either END/ E/ or the kanji 止) is the last cel in an animation sequence. A1END cel setups are sometimes referred to as Tome/止 cels. When a cel is marked with a letter A/B/C/E..+ 1 + END/E/止 then that means it is the only cel for that particular animation sequence. So an A1END cel setup starts and ends with only that frame. Since there is only a single frame in this type of setup it will generally bring up the value of a cel/setup depending on the quality of the image. In the case of a multiple cel setup, a B1End/止 will increase the value of the setup, because any other setups with the A2 or C3 for example will always be missing that B1End/E. **Below are examples of how an A1 end cel can be labeled** [![A1END_cropjpg.jpg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/scaled-1680-/tVFFWxSIcYATxqHn-a1end-cropjpg.jpg)](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/tVFFWxSIcYATxqHn-a1end-cropjpg.jpg) 1st is "END" [![A1E_crop.jpg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/scaled-1680-/0R2ksH6jZJQtlRMm-a1e-crop.jpg)](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/0R2ksH6jZJQtlRMm-a1e-crop.jpg) 2nd is "E" with a circle around it [![A1_END_Kanji.jpg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/scaled-1680-/SnWGEi8pvvM7cwuL-a1-end-kanji.jpg)](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/SnWGEi8pvvM7cwuL-a1-end-kanji.jpg) 3rd has the kanji "止" # Key Cel # Bank Cel A bank cel refers to a cel that is used/filmed repeatedly rather than remade for every instance that it is needed. A good example is a cel used in a opening or ending sequence. Other notable uses for bank cels are for the transformation or attack sequences in Sailor Moon. Rather than redraw the cel each time they just reuse the same bank cels. # Eyecatch Cel In many anime series', there is a commercial break about halfway through the episode (depending on its length). To demarcate these breaks, sometimes a quick animation will play. These are often repeated throughout a season. In some cases—Sailor Moon is an example—there is an animation both before and after a commercial break. In other shows (Fullmetal Alchemist is one), there is simply an image that flashes, and they are different for every episode. # Book Cel Book cels usually refer to a full setup of multiple layers including backgrounds. The setup will include the main background, the characters or character involved in the scene, and then another layer that is actually part of the background. The example below shows the background including the trees, blue sky, and building, two separate layers of the characters Sakura and Yukito, and finally notice how the bench arm is in front of Sakura's arm that is the top background layer. This setup helps to give 2D animation the illusion of depth. **Weird JD Note:** I never thought book made much sense I always personally called them sandwich cels cause you have two layers of background around a nice cel center. ^\_^;;
[![book.jpeg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2020-03/scaled-1680-/xmHv6ZmbcpteXelA-book.jpeg)](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2020-03/xmHv6ZmbcpteXelA-book.jpeg)
Book Cel from *Cardcaptor Sakura the Movie 2* - Sakura and Yukito
# Backlit Cel A backlit cel is a type of special effects cel. The typical way to figure out if your cel is backlit, is, when you look at the back of your cel the paint on the back has been covered with another layer of black acrylic paint. This was done so that when they shine a light from the back of the cel causing a bright effect when filming, i.e. power ups and attacks are typical examples of this, there are no points of light coming through that break up the character image. [![ep9_asuka.jpeg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2019-10/scaled-1680-/vAWmw2KYaCarCNE7-ep9_asuka.jpeg)](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2019-10/vAWmw2KYaCarCNE7-ep9_asuka.jpeg) *A backlit cel of Asuka from episode 9 of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Note that the white areas are paper leftovers from the douga being torn off.* # Kabuse Cel (Correction Layer) Kabuse cels (also known as correction layers) are layers added to fix mistakes in the original cel painting. These mistakes can be anything from using the wrong color to messing up the painted cel itself. Depending on the scene, budget, and animation procedures, it can be more effective to add a corrected layer on top instead of completely repainting the cel. In this case, the tracing lines are Xerox'd onto a new cel and the relevant area is repainted. Correction cels can be labeled in many different ways, even within the same series: - Sometimes it is labeled with かぶせ, the Japanese writing for "kabuse" - Sometimes it is labeled with the same frame information as the cel the it is correcting - Even yet, sometimes it has no label at all [![eoe_unit02_pieces.jpeg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2019-10/scaled-1680-/PYkNCFGPwVDVN8tz-eoe_unit02_pieces.jpeg)](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2019-10/PYkNCFGPwVDVN8tz-eoe_unit02_pieces.jpeg) *A correction cel (right) that is fixing a painting mistake (left). In this case, the kabuse cel is labeled with the same frame information as the original layer.* [![eoe_unit02_whole.jpeg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2019-10/scaled-1680-/Aimyuj5EpkeXljvX-eoe_unit02_whole.jpeg)](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2019-10/Aimyuj5EpkeXljvX-eoe_unit02_whole.jpeg) *The final product that the audience sees.* # SFX Cel (Special Effects Cel) Special Effects cels refers any cels made to create special effects. This includes airbrushing and other methods like backlighting/masking. # Pan / Oversized Cel (大判 セル画) Pan or oversized cels are larger-than-normal cels which are used for a panning effect. "Pan" is short for "panoramic" and refers to how the camera has to pan/travel across the frame to reveal more of the image. Pan cels can be horizontally, vertically, and sometimes even diagonally long. The camera can also do a zoom-in or zoom-out of an oversized cel. The sizes of a pan cel vary greatly, but are all larger than a normal cel. # Pan Cel - Horizontal Horizontal pan cels refer to cels where the camera moves right to left or left to right. These cels are wider than they are tall. [![2018-09-13-0011_ceres_pan.jpg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2018-12-Dec/scaled-840-0/lYOBfPJHcP5YMG1u-2018-09-13-0011_ceres_pan.jpg)](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2018-12-Dec/lYOBfPJHcP5YMG1u-2018-09-13-0011_ceres_pan.jpg) Horizontal Pan Cel from Ayashi No Ceres # Pan Cel - Vertical With Vertical Pan Cels, the camera takes a picture using the same cel (or multiple pan cels) while moving up or down after each shot. When each of these shots is combined, it creates a panning motion in one direction. *A pan cel of Misato from End of Evangelion. In this shot, several pan cels are used to create a breathing effect during the pan. The right-hand side shows the section of each shot that is in frame.* ## Pan Cel - Diagonal [![Metal Armor Dragonar - Diagonal Pan cel.jpg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/scaled-1680-/r4ag6cbpl7RPZL0a-metal-armor-dragonar-diagonal-pan-cel.jpg)](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/r4ag6cbpl7RPZL0a-metal-armor-dragonar-diagonal-pan-cel.jpg) Diagonal pan cel from Metal Armor Dragonar ( image taken from Yahoo Japan Auctions) # Harmony Harmonies are traditionally highly sought after cels, as they area made differently from the traditional cel. In the case of a harmony there is little to no paint on the cel and only lines on the acetate, and the colors are traditionally only painted on the background. Giving the piece an overall water color effect. Harmonies are generally done as A1Ends and are usually stills that are either panned, zoomed in on, or will just serve as a freeze frame to the end of an episode. They are typically pivotal scenes of said episode or anime to deserve the harmony treatment. # Hanken Cel (版権セル) / Hanken sketch (版権原動画) Hanken cels are super rare one of kind cels made for use in for in promotional items like magazines, cards, merchandise, posters, calendars, etc. They are usually made by an animation director, character designer, or senior animator. Hanken cels are usually hand inked and hand-painted. Because hankens are generally very recognizable, high quality, and one of kind they are usually very pricey and can be very hard to get as most studios do not sell them to art dealers for sale. In some cases studios produced copy Hankens in numbered editions of around 100 specifically for collectors to buy. Hanken drawings also come up for sale. The rough (genga) and finished ( douga) sketches used to make the final Hanken cels are generally a bit easily to find and more affordable. [![Sailor Moon -Poster Hanken.jpg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/scaled-1680-/fsKhi0GACb9e9TYw-sailor-moon-poster-hanken.jpg)](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/fsKhi0GACb9e9TYw-sailor-moon-poster-hanken.jpg) Sailor Moon Hanken (image taken from Mandarake Auctions) [![Sailor Mars Hanken.jpg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/scaled-1680-/u1kQe0aTAasNBXY3-sailor-mars-hanken.jpg)](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/u1kQe0aTAasNBXY3-sailor-mars-hanken.jpg) Sailor Mars / Rei Hanken (image taken from Mandarake Auctions) [![CCS - Hanken Douga.jpg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/scaled-1680-/f4u3Yiv4kyuhJ6rW-ccs-hanken-douga.jpg)](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/f4u3Yiv4kyuhJ6rW-ccs-hanken-douga.jpg) Card Captor Sakura Hanken Douga (image taken from Mandarake Auctions) [![CCS - Hanken Douga Shadow designation.jpg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/scaled-1680-/GpbIUQogEE7Lm1Rg-ccs-hanken-douga-shadow-designation.jpg)](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2021-07/GpbIUQogEE7Lm1Rg-ccs-hanken-douga-shadow-designation.jpg) Card Captor Sakura Hanken Douga Copy with Shadow Designation (image taken from Mandarake Auctions) # Color Test/Model Cels Like [settei/character models](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/books/animation-art-terminology/page/settei-setsmodel-sheets "Settei Sets/Model Sheets"), model cels are references that help a film/series remain consistent. While character models define how a character should look, model cels define what color(s) they should be. These cels are often simple and may feature one or several characters. Model cels are far more common in pre-2001 animation, having fallen out of use as digital coloring became common practice. As a replacement for model cels, modern character models will often include a color guide that references the digital colors. **Collector's Note:** The rarity and value of a model cel will vary from series to series and character to character. See some examples of model cels below:
![cel_models_mr0ln5.jpg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2018-11-Nov/scaled-840-0/cel_models_mr0ln5.jpg)
*The main character model cel for The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley.* ![028s.jpg](https://wiki.cartoonedin.com/uploads/images/gallery/2018-12-Dec/scaled-840-0/WagYVLWSVo2AhXYr-028s.jpg) *Model Cel of Tsukishiro Yukito from Card Captor Sakura the Movie in a traditional Chinese outfit. This movie had a complete set of model cels made for each outfit used in the movie.*