Cyclorama wall has many uses for both videographers and photographers. It is used as a seamless background that gives the impression of infinite space. Due to the lack of discernible corners, cyclorama allows creatives to isolate their subjects easily. You can learn about the benefits of using a cyclorama wall here. In this article we will be sharing some useful tips on how to use the cyc wall.

Lighting

Since cyclorama provides a very smooth background, it is very easy to set up lighting. As to the lightness or the darkness of the background you can control it with the lighting. To change the background colour you can use some coloured LED lights or gelled tungsten lights on the cyc wall.

White balance 

Make sure to manually set the white balance on your camera instead of using your camera’s auto white balancing. Digital cameras aren’t always able to determine the white balance accurately. This may cause some shots to appear more blue or orange. 

Distance from the wall

Make sure there is enough space between your subject and the wall. First, you never know what the curved part is made of, so keep the distance so as not to break it. Also keeping distance will help to better isolate your subject from the background. If your subject is positioned too close to the wall the shadows will ruin the illusion of infinite space.

Easy post-production

What is important to know is that in order to avoid reflections cyc walls are usually painted either with matte or semi-gloss paints. Therefore, the dirt easily sticks to it. If you don’t want to spend too much time later in post-production to remove footsteps in photoshop, ask the studio representative if the cyclorama wall can be freshly painted before the shoot. 

Now that you have a freshly painted cyclorama wall, make sure you don’t make it dirty even before you start the shoot. Here are some tips to keep it clean. 

• Before you step on the cyc wall, clean the shoes’ soles or try taping them. Best option is to have a separate pair of clean shoes for only walking on a cyclorama. 
• Make sure the model’s shoes are cleaned/taped too. 
• Be aware that bare feet can leave marks.
• Avoid eating or drinking near the cyc wall to avoid food stains. 

Some important rules to keep in mind when using the cyclorama.

1. Don’t step on the curved part as it might be easily broken. 
2. Don’t drag furniture, stands, tripods, or other heavy equipment. Instead, lift and carry over not to scratch the cyc wall. You can ask the studio representative for help if needed.
3. Glitter, confetti, feathers or fake snow are very sticky. So if you are planning to use them during your shoot, book off an additional hour so that you have sufficient time to clean after yourself. 

Here at Lenz Studio, we have a 25×15ft white cyclorama wall. Come and try it out! Click here to learn more about our studio rules. 

Follow us on instagram to see how other creatives have used our cyclorama wall.