Why Film and Photography Look Better on a White Sweep

by Brian Oster

It goes by many names and depends on your industry, but it is always better to film video – and often shoot corporate photography – on a CYC, cyclorama, white sweep, or infinity wall.

First off, a CYC (pronounced either C-Y-C or “syke”) is a curved wall used as the background of a set or studio. It’s not just curved where the walls come together; it curves smoothly at the bottom to meet the studio floor. When lit properly, the cornerless joint provides the illusion of a studio floor that continues infinitely. With a seamless background, the sharp angles are gone, and thus, so are the hard shadows and dark corners.

In still photography, the greatest advantage of taking photos on a CYC is the ability to make your background virtually disappear. So whatever you are photographing, whether people or products, takes center stage. In video, inifinity walls can be used to generate all sorts of backdrops and possibilities in post-production. More importantly, the curved wall allows you and your subject to have multiple camera angles filmed at once, with the flexibility to move around while still staying within the infinite background.

Creative projects on a CYC are now only limited by your imagination and the talent working on the finished product. Imagine, create, grow.