Perhaps you have seen the series Star Trek on television? Have you seen a Star Wars picture? Perhaps you have seen a science fiction film or Television show concerned with outer space? Have you thought about how they made the views traveling in outer space? Most of the digital effects for these programs were shot in a white cyclorama facility using infinity cycs. The infinity cyc is curved at the underside in which the walls and floor join together resulting in a graphic effect of limitless space. A white cyc studio is used on stage to create an optical illusion of sky.
Star Trek is a great example displaying the starship Enterprise soaring through unlimited outerspace flanked by stars and asteroids at a long distance and the cameras zooming in on the starship. In the end it could present the starship Enterprise in outer space while the cameras would zoom away from the starship as the program was concluded. These digital effects were executed by using a white cyc studio. The type of the starship Enterprise was suspended from the ceiling in the middle of a white cyclorama stage.
What makes a good white cyc studio? The white cyclorama needs to be well constructed and clear of: visual imperfections, seams, dirt, visual edges, and distinct angles that induce shadows. The white cyc should have: 1) Efficient space for focus images and to prevent crowding, difficult camera angles, and allow for correct lighting preparations. 2) A high roof to counteract complicated camera angles, and lighting problems. 3) Two or more cyc surfaces to film against to avoid filming constraints. 4) Efficient time for installation, shooting and take down if leasing a white cyc facility.
Some film facilities do not have their very own white cyc studio, so if they want to use a white cyclorama studio they go off lot and hire one of several facilities in LA. There are many studios in and around LA. Let’s examine what a few studios feature.
White Cyc facilities in LA need to feature: 1) Whisper quiet ac. 2) Three-thousand square feet of space to work with. 3) Ground level entry. 4) 16 and a half ft to lighting grid. 5) Two white cyclorama surfaces seventy-feet in size. 6) Full lighting and grip. 7) Free V/O booth and makeup room.
Any kind of required production gear.
Some other fantastic facilities that you can rent out includes: 1) Eighty linear ft of shootable white cyc. 2) 20 ton of grip, lighting, stedicam, jibs, dollies. 3) 3 white cyc studio surfaces. 4) Movement control setup. 5) 4 editing bays. 6) 3D animation/compositing. 7) Pre to post production crews.
Film, video, and post production tools. 9) Film, HD, and SD camera packages HD cameras. 10) Mini 35 adapter from P and S Technik thirty-five mm Zeiss PL, F-one point three speed lens eighteen, 25, and 35, fifty, eighty-five. 11) Twenty-five foot Stanton Jimmy Jib with Remote Head and Dollies. 12) Cinema Products Provid Steadicam for 16 mm film, HD, DV-Cam and DV cameras.