# What's the ideal distance to light a cyc from?



## Pynspot (Jul 9, 2009)

I've just been given an opportunity to influence a local high school theatre's remodel plans, despite the fact that I'll only be working there through August, before the renovation even begins. I just happen to be the one lighting a show there now. 

The architects just decided to add a fourth electric to the new fly system, with the goal of lighting a cyc and possibly backlighting or special effects. However, they asked where to put the electric to best light the cyc. It's about 20'H x 35'W before the ends disappear offstage.

I have a feeling fixture type may come into play in this answer, an issue for which there is now answer. They will not be purchasing fixtures until well into the year-long remodel. But is there any general ideal distance for cyc lights? 
The electric will be able to be moved up and down on the fly system.


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## gafftaper (Jul 9, 2009)

Pynspot said:


> I have a feeling fixture type may come into play in this answer, an issue for which there is now answer. They will not be purchasing fixtures until well into the year-long remodel.



Bingo. Diferent cyc lights have different ideal throw distances. 

I would spend some time on the phone talking to the sales people at Altman and at L&E (both makers of very good cyc lights). Talk to their sales people about which products make sense for your budget and needs. Then try to find a mounting distance that would work for both products. This way you have some options when the fixture package goes to bid.


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## derekleffew (Jul 9, 2009)

Rarely, if ever, have I seen a proscenium stage with four electrics where there's been *too much* distance from the upstage cyclight batten to the cyc. In an ideal world, I would say six to eight feet, but much is dependent on the total depth of the stage, as well as the fixtures.

Besides the above, Selecon (now part of Strand Lighting) is another major player in cyc light fixtures. From the Aurora site:

> The Aurora Cyc luminaire will smoothly and evenly illuminate a 9.0m high cyclorama, scrim or back cloth from a throw distance of 3m when cycs are spaced at 2.5m centres; ideal for permanent installations or temporary rental/production requirements.


 The manufacturers' sites, for the most part, contain great information. (I would add that the more photometric information the manufacturer provides, the better the fixture, and this applies to lensed fixtures as well.) 

See also these threads: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting/9831-cyc-light-recommendations.html, http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting/2844-best-cyc-light.html, and http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting/12137-cyc-light-product-development-2.html. Many more can be found by typing "cyc light" into the search box.


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## icewolf08 (Jul 9, 2009)

The general rule of thumb for sky/far cycs is that you want to place your units on centers whose distance for center to center is equal to the distance from the cyc. This means that if your cyc batten is 8' from your cyc then you should place your units on a maximum of 8' centers. If the batten is 5' from the cyc, then 5' centers. So, by this rule, you need to know how wide your cyc is and the distance your electric is from the cyc. then divide the width by the distance and that should give you the minimum number of units required.


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## Pynspot (Jul 9, 2009)

Thank you very much. It will probably come closer to 6 feet, because I'll need to avoid the fly bars that are already assigned positions.

Regarding fixture spacing, would it be even better to line them up one after another, or would that create hot spots where the light overlapped?


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## Grog12 (Jul 9, 2009)

Pynspot said:


> Thank you very much. It will probably come closer to 6 feet, because I'll need to avoid the fly bars that are already assigned positions.
> 
> Regarding fixture spacing, would it be even better to line them up one after another, or would that create hot spots where the light overlapped?



Depends on the fixture....why don't you let us know what type of cyc lights you're using.


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## gafftaper (Jul 9, 2009)

Grog12 said:


> Depends on the fixture....why don't you let us know what type of cyc lights you're using.



He said in the OP that they won't be choosing fixtures until later on in the process. Thus the problem.


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## Grog12 (Jul 9, 2009)

gafftaper said:


> He said in the OP that they won't be choosing fixtures until later on in the process. Thus the problem.



Bah...I read that..and it didn't register....I should sleep more.


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## Pynspot (Jul 10, 2009)

Hah I know the feeling. No worries. And like I said, I won't be working at this venue past August, so I'm not terribly worried if it's not _perfect_. I would just like to try and leave them with the most accurate advice I can.


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## Footer (Jul 10, 2009)

Another thing to keep in mind... 

Usually, in a perfect world, you want a scrim just DS of your cyc electric. With a scrim, you can "get rid" of the cyc when you don't want it. Therefore, I would lean on the side of about 5', most people won't want to chew up 8' or more just to use a scrim.


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## derekleffew (Jul 10, 2009)

Good point, Kyle. It is amazing how much better a black scrim can make a cyc look. In addition to catching undesirable reflections, the scrim also adds a sense of depth. Of course, it also eliminates any possibility of backlight from the 4th electric, and as you said, most stages can ill afford to give up that kind of depth. In a high school situation, I'd rather have 8' from electric to cyc, than 5' with a scrim. Actual mileage may vary.  No user adjustments inside.


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