Have you watched the series Star Trek on TV? Have you seen a Star Wars movie? Have you seen a science Fiction flick or TV series involving outer space? Have you wondered how they created the scenes flying in outer space? Most of the visible effects for these programs were filmed in a white cyc studio using infinity cycs. The infinity cyc is curved at the bottom where the wall and floor join together making a visual effect of limitless space. A white cyclorama is use on stage to form an illusion of sky.
Star Trek is a good example showing the starship Enterprise flying through limitless outer space encircled by stars from a distance and the cameras zooming in on the starship. At the end it would show the starship Enterprise in space and the cameras would zoom away from the starship as the show finished. These visible effects were done using a white cyc studio. The model of the starship company was suspended from the ceiling in the middle of a white cyclorama stage.
What makes a good white cyc studio? The white cyclorama desires to be well constructed and free from : visible flaws, seams, mud, visual corners, and sharp angles that cause shadows. The white cyclorama should have : one ) Efficient space for zoom shots and to avoid crowding, complicated camera angles, and allow for correct lighting arrangements. Two ) A high ceiling to prevent tough camera angles, and lighting issues. 3 ) two or more cyc walls to film to record against to avoid filming restrictions. Four ) Efficient time for setup, filming and take down if hiring a white cyc studio.
Some film studios don’t have their own white cyc studio, so when they need to use a white cyc studio they are going off lot and lease one of many studios in LA. There are a number of studios in and around LA let’s take a look at what two studios feature. White cyc studios in LA should feature : 1 ) whisper quiet air-con. Two ) Three-thousand square feet. 3 ) Ground level access. Four ) Sixteen and a half feet to lighting grid. Five ) two white cyclorama walls seventy-feet in size. Six ) Complete lighting and grip. Seven ) Free V / O booth and makeup room. 8 ) The studio will supply any needed production gear.
Other great studios that you can lease out features : 1 ) eighty linear feet of shoot able white cyclorama. 2 ) twenty ton of grip, lighting, stedicam, jibs, dollies. Three ) 3 white cyclorama walls. 4 ) Motion control setup. 5 ) four editing bays. Six ) 3D animation / compositing. 7 ) Pre to post production crews. 8 ) Film, video, and post production equipment. 9 ) Film, HD, and SD camera packages HD cameras. Ten ) Mini thirty-five adapter from P and S Technik thirty-five mm Zeiss PL, F-one point three speed lens eighteen, twenty-five, and thirty-five, 50, eighty-five. Eleven ) twenty five foot Stanton Jimmy Jib with Remote Head and Dollies. Twelve ) cinema Products Provid Steadicam for sixteen mm film, HD, DV-Cam and DV cameras.
