Editing Muslin (section)

=== Set design and photography ===
Muslin is often the cloth of choice for theatre sets. It is used to mask the background of [[set construction|sets]] and to establish the mood or feel of different scenes. It receives paint well and, if treated properly, can be made translucent.

It also holds dyes well. It is often used to create nighttime scenes because when dyed, it often gets a wavy look with the color varying slightly, such that it resembles a night sky. Muslin [[Shrinkage (fabric)|shrinks]] after it is painted or sprayed with water, which is desirable in some common techniques such as [[Flats (theatre)|soft-covered flats]].

In video production, muslin is used as a cheap [[Chroma key|greenscreen or bluescreen]], either pre-colored or painted with latex paint (diluted with water).

Muslin is the most common backdrop material used by photographers for formal portrait backgrounds. These backdrops are usually painted, most often with an abstract mottled pattern.

In the early days of [[silent film]]-making, and until the late 1910s, movie studios did not have the elaborate lights needed to illuminate indoor sets, so most interior scenes were sets built outdoors with large pieces of muslin hanging overhead to diffuse sunlight.

''[[The Wizard of Oz]]'' features a sequence with a [[tornado]] constructed out of muslin, measuring 35-foot-high.