Building your own Cyclorama

When you hear the word "cyclorama" or "cyc," you might think of a seamless, rounded wall that eliminates corners and shadows, and can be painted in various colors for different effects. In contrast, in theater, a cyclorama could refer to a white curtain backdrop that you shine colored lights on to create a colored backdrop or a "translight."

If you're interested in building a permanent cyclorama, I stumbled upon a helpful video on YouTube by two Aussies who constructed one in their studio. They share basic carpentry and drywall skills required for building a cyclorama and even provide their plans and templates for free on their website.

However, if you don't have the space or resources for a permanent cyclorama, you can still utilize temporary setups made of roll-up paper backdrops or fabric. Depending on the scale of your project, both temporary and permanent cycloramas can work effectively.

In the real world, a permanent cyclorama provides more freedom and is usually faster to work with since you don't have to set it up for every shoot. Some studios also have pre-rigged lights already illuminating the cyc wall, allowing you to focus more on lighting your subject than the wall.

Furthermore, cycloramas don't have to be 10ft tall; shooting products in mini-cyc setups is also easy. You can purchase mini-cyc photo boxes online or even build your own. Check out the following helpful videos for ideas on building your own mini-cyc setups:

Overall, a cyclorama is a versatile tool that can help you achieve different visual effects for your photography or videography projects.