Brian Clark of Film Sales Ltd directs our attention to a basic material many of us take for granted.
Animators are only too familiar with cel even if, in common with learned reference books, some know it as cell. It is an interesting reflection on this raw material that whilst the animation industry has grown, the number of cel manufacturers around the world has declined from about eighteen – when Film Sales was established 21 years ago – to a present world total of four or five.
There is some difficulty in being really specific – because countries use what has been traditionally available, and quite frankly it is amazing how standards of acceptance vary! In that respect and doubtless at the risk of cries of protest, I make the charge that British Animators are among the most privileged, having two of the residual film manufacturers and arguably enjoying the highest world quality standards.
The translation of cel (or cell) into Italian ‘cellula’, French ‘cellulo’ and German ‘zelluloid-montagcmaske’ gives away its derivation from that good old 1869 English invention celluloid, then called Parkesine after its inventor, based on the original highly involved method of making the first thermoplastic sheet products.
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