Touching the Cyc

[samsathebug]

I would like to know what people think about touching the cyclorama (cyc).
At my old high school, the only time ANYONE touched the cyc was when we were replacing it with the new one. We felt wrong. Soo wrong.

Now I'm in college and according to a friend of mine who is in a technical theatre class, they touch the cyc. They. Touch. It.

Is this normal?

 

[icewolf08]

I can understand why you might not have been allowed to touch the cyc in high school. Big, white, seamless drops that are relatively expensive. Most high schools don't have the money to have them cleaned, repaired or replaced. However, sometimes you have to handle the softgoods. You can't move it from place to place without touching it. As with all softgoods, as long as you treat them kindly they will last a long time and be very versatile. Should you go fondle your cyc or touch it just because? No, but they can be handled as needed.

 

[Kelite]

Should you go fondle your cyc or touch it just because? No, but they can be handled as needed.

Hey now, cycs need lovin' too!



(Looking like their always dressed for a wedding but rarely get out. I mean, really....)

 

[soundman]

touching a cyc is like touching the underside of a CD. Its not a big deal if your hands are clean but it is still not recommended unless necessary.

 

[sk8rsdad]

touching a cyc is like touching the underside of a CD. Its not a big deal if your hands are clean but it is still not recommended unless necessary.

I beg to differ. It doesn't cost $2000 and take several hours of labour to ship a CD off to somebody to clean and retreat with fire retardant.

 

[photoatdv]

Pretty much the only time the senior crew and pros at my high school would touch it is when we needed to do something with it. It was fairly old and the weighted pipes at the bottom would shift to where it didn't hang right and there were a few rips at the bottom that were permanently (yeah right) fixed with gaff tape on the back side. I never really thought much about fixing those things beyond making sure my hands were clean. Did I touch it just to touch it, nope, but you will HAVE to touch any softgood sometimes to work with it. If you have a particularly nice/clean one you could always wear gloves (NOT work gloves, clean cotton ones)

 

[derekleffew]

... If you have a particularly nice/clean one you could always wear gloves (NOT work gloves, clean cotton ones)

I've been on many calls where disposable cotton gloves were given out just prior to installing expensive fabric or projection screens. I've also been on calls where everyone was sent to wash their hands first. Dirty, greasy leather work gloves are the absolute worst.

icewolf08 said it best:

Should you go fondle your cyc or touch it just because? No, but they can be handled as needed.

 

[Clifford]

In high school our cyc was the drywalled upstage wall. After twenty years, it's missing chunks, has big smudges and foot prints, streaks, gouges, paint, glitter, you name it. Most of these were in the first 8 feet, so if there was a set it wasn't the end of the world. It was always one of the few reasons I would liked to have had a fly system or roll drops in high school.

 

[Van]

The cotton glove trick is a good one. We used to buy cases of them for Nike shows, lots of glass plastic and projector screen.
I think this is great post as it reminds me of when I first left Highschool. All Those 'absolutes' I had been taught, and how many of them were sent reeling in that first year of college.

 

[shiben]

Fly systems are not always the answer tho. At my old job, our cyc could fly our, and directly downstage of it there was a truss that was holding up the rear traveller (which didnt move). At one point, me and several other guys had to hang a banner off the truss, and inadvertently our fall protection hit the cyc, leaving some nasty marks. Fortunately for us, our cyc is actually a giant projection screen, so we were able to wash it off without trouble, but if it had been cloth, we would have been screwed. Overall, just be careful to it, and if your nice to it, it ought to serve you well.

 

[kicknargel]

The cotton glove trick is a good one. We used to buy cases of them for Nike shows, lots of glass plastic and projector screen.
I think this is great post as it reminds me of when I first left Highschool. All Those 'absolutes' I had been taught, and how many of them were sent reeling in that first year of college.

And that doesn't compare to getting out of college and into the real world of production, when you realize that there is more than one way to do any task.

 

[Van]

And that doesn't compare to getting out of college and into the real world of production, when you realize that there is more than one way to do any task.

Yeah, My way or the Wrong way!

 

[ship]

More than one show I had to West Coast the cyc and other drops even during scene change. Clean hands and or so old it cannot be cleaned is valid though some fire marshal might have problems with the "so old" problem.

In genereal - don't touch the cyc as espensive to clean and or its pourpose is well founded in concept. Why is someone touching it anyway?

I think keep the money shot cyc pure in no touch as a rule is fine as a norm.

 

[zuixro]

I beg to differ. It doesn't cost $2000 and take several hours of labour to ship a CD off to somebody to clean and retreat with fire retardant.

A CD also doesn't cost $3000+.

I think the CD analogy is pretty good. It won't destroy it if you do touch it, but it's better to not touch it.

 

[Lotos]

Yeah, My way or the Wrong way!

Crap... And I thought it was *MY* way... Guess I've been doing it wrong the whole time.

Personally, I try to avoid touching the Cyc unless absolutely nessecary... But, if you gotta... You gotta...
I'd consider letter the 'good' side touch the floor more of a sin than touching it yourself.

 

[Nate1714]

If you know how to touch it then sure why not, but if its a bunch of intro to theatre kids then NO! haha

 

[cdub260]

I'd consider letter the 'good' side touch the floor more of a sin than touching it yourself.

That's what rolls of plastic sheeting are for. They're a lot cheaper than a new cyc.

 

[masterelectrician2112]

At my high school, touching the cyc is treated like one of the 7 deadly sins. NOBODY and I mean NOBODY touches the cyc! I guess that this is valid though since we have had the entire space for less than 3 years.

At another school in our system, somebody actually peed on the cyc. I mean really people? If I went there and I knew who did it they would probably disappear mysteriously!

 

[snareguy]

i dont see what the deal is... to me it is a huge and extraordinarily large and expensive single piece of fabric that gets more fragile like any other fabric does with age... dont touch it and it will survive better longer. Ive always known the policy of dont touch it for that reason.

 

[snareguy]

as for peeing..... why did he want to get sued so badly