4
4. Mocking up different backdrop heights with card-
board. Note the ceiling lights visible over the 2’ tall seg-
ment on the right.
help the backdrop stand up straight. That word “should” left me
nervous while the rest of the layout was under construction.
Determining backdrop height
I wanted a to-the-ceiling backdrop, feeling it would give the best
sense of isolation, but I tested some other heights. The height of
the peninsula benchwork meant a full height backdrop would be
from 47” to 48” tall. I mocked up 24”, 36”, and 48” tall backdrops
using cardboard.
A 2’ height would get me twice as much backdrop length from
each 4’x8’ sheet of material, but the mockup showed the ceil-
ing lights visible on the far side of the backdrop were horribly
distracting. The low height also would be a problem for layout
