Duratrans

A duratrans is an element used in some television news sets and theater designs. Duratrans are most often used to create the backgrounds that appear behind news presenters or anchors. If it is used in a theatre the backgrounds would appear behind the actors, actresses, and other talent respectively. Duratrans is short for Durable Transparency.

Installation

Duratrans is a brand name of Kodak. Very often it is used as a generic term for backlit display prints. The generic term that for movie and TV backdrops that are lit from behind is translites. Translites are normally from 15 to more than a hundred feet long and 12 -40 feet high. In most cases, translites are wider than they are tall. The translite image is printed or painted on a semi-transparent material such as polyester or a plastic sheet. This is then stretched perpendicular to the floor over an opening in the set's wall designed for this purpose. This would typically be a door, a window, or a series of windows. Duratrans are always lit from behind using lights mounted perpendicular to the floor in the space between the set and studio wall, making the background well-lit and with the appearance of depth.