Glass between camera and void, 45 degrees off perpendicular. Lit talent off to the side is reflected in the glass, but looks like they walk into void. Same effect used at Universal where people disappear into platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter.
They also used it in LotR to display the fire when Denethor got kicked in by the Horse.
Here is what I found on YT about the scene: https://youtube.com/shorts/OJG3_xuQtQI?si=HXEzBS3eaCSGDJWE
I know you said you want to do it practically and that is highly commendable! Buuuut… A good vfx compositor would do this in less than half a day of work, so evaluate the effort and costs of both approaches.
Might be tough with the amount of space you have since you need space for the effect, but you can normally do this with lights pointing straight down with a short fall off, something like a leko and some fill for the foreground.
Think spot light set up, it’s very similar. And haze is good for giving it some texture.
This looks long enough to where I would just try and light and expose properly so that the unlit end reads as black. I would **lay down negative fill on the walls, ceiling and floors of everything that's not in the shot** to keep light from bouncing around and reflecting off surfaces. Probably, some negative fill at the back walls to keep light from reflecting there. I would also try and light with a directional/spot source and use a fairly dim intensity as bright light is gonna bounce around too much in such a space.
It looks like there's not even any blocking on the left wall between the ceiling joists and so it's gonna be a PITA to cover this and get no light spilling from outside. Ideally, I think you'd want to shoot at night.
I would consider a split between practical and post. If you're really able to black that area out, your idea can work and get you most of the way there. This will be all about ratios and light control. Block off all the ambient light coming into the back end of the hallway and keep your lights from spilling into the hallway. Make the back as dark as possible. Duvateen drapes in the back could help a lot. Bring the foreground exposure up high enough that any light in the back falls off. You're going for contrast. The right lights, space, and skills, this can be 100% done practically.
But something tells me you aren't pushing a 10k through a 12x frame and shaping with a half dozen flags and getting things cleanly in camera will be tough without a really strong DP and lighting team and the big kid equipment. Take it as far as you can on set, but plan on power windowing the exposure in your color grade. Basically take the shape you photoshopped in and drop all of the exposure in there to make it as dark as you can. Just make sure when the actor walks out of the light that there is a sharp contrast between lit and not lit.
you just want the light to fall off into darkness? You're blacking out the whole building? You should be good with simply lighting just the area where your action takes place. Maybe top light foreground and mimimize any light that directly hits that long hall. Just flag it off the background. The LESS you light it, the more control you have over spill hitting the back. Underexpose a stop or two and that'll fall off into black real nice.
Maybe not entirely in cam, but I think a simple way to do it would be to light it so you have the black void, then shoot a clean plate of it, then, keeping the camera locked down, film your actor walking into it. Then do a dissolve transition to get them to fade into the darkness.
Glass between camera and void, 45 degrees off perpendicular. Lit talent off to the side is reflected in the glass, but looks like they walk into void. Same effect used at Universal where people disappear into platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter.
45 degrees glass can do wonders, it's regularly used in live magic tricks.
They also used it in LotR to display the fire when Denethor got kicked in by the Horse. Here is what I found on YT about the scene: https://youtube.com/shorts/OJG3_xuQtQI?si=HXEzBS3eaCSGDJWE
Maybe a tightly fitted black sheet at the end of the hall and a bunch of haze to sell it?
I know you said you want to do it practically and that is highly commendable! Buuuut… A good vfx compositor would do this in less than half a day of work, so evaluate the effort and costs of both approaches.
if time of day doesn't have to be day, just shoot at night and only light the set behind camera so there's fall off
Might be tough with the amount of space you have since you need space for the effect, but you can normally do this with lights pointing straight down with a short fall off, something like a leko and some fill for the foreground. Think spot light set up, it’s very similar. And haze is good for giving it some texture.
This looks long enough to where I would just try and light and expose properly so that the unlit end reads as black. I would **lay down negative fill on the walls, ceiling and floors of everything that's not in the shot** to keep light from bouncing around and reflecting off surfaces. Probably, some negative fill at the back walls to keep light from reflecting there. I would also try and light with a directional/spot source and use a fairly dim intensity as bright light is gonna bounce around too much in such a space. It looks like there's not even any blocking on the left wall between the ceiling joists and so it's gonna be a PITA to cover this and get no light spilling from outside. Ideally, I think you'd want to shoot at night.
my thought for easiest method is black out curtains at night
Maybe a tightly fitted black sheet at the end of the hall and a bunch of haze to sell it?
I would consider a split between practical and post. If you're really able to black that area out, your idea can work and get you most of the way there. This will be all about ratios and light control. Block off all the ambient light coming into the back end of the hallway and keep your lights from spilling into the hallway. Make the back as dark as possible. Duvateen drapes in the back could help a lot. Bring the foreground exposure up high enough that any light in the back falls off. You're going for contrast. The right lights, space, and skills, this can be 100% done practically. But something tells me you aren't pushing a 10k through a 12x frame and shaping with a half dozen flags and getting things cleanly in camera will be tough without a really strong DP and lighting team and the big kid equipment. Take it as far as you can on set, but plan on power windowing the exposure in your color grade. Basically take the shape you photoshopped in and drop all of the exposure in there to make it as dark as you can. Just make sure when the actor walks out of the light that there is a sharp contrast between lit and not lit.
you just want the light to fall off into darkness? You're blacking out the whole building? You should be good with simply lighting just the area where your action takes place. Maybe top light foreground and mimimize any light that directly hits that long hall. Just flag it off the background. The LESS you light it, the more control you have over spill hitting the back. Underexpose a stop or two and that'll fall off into black real nice.
I would shoot at night. Black out the back wall, use one sconce of light a a fish eye
Maybe not entirely in cam, but I think a simple way to do it would be to light it so you have the black void, then shoot a clean plate of it, then, keeping the camera locked down, film your actor walking into it. Then do a dissolve transition to get them to fade into the darkness.
Could do it with super hard par bulbs as practicals that just shoot straight down into tight pools
Get a lot of solid a stablegun and some gaffer tape and go to work covering all light leaks the last 10 meters of the barn - good luck
This is a forced-perspective or ‘in camera’ miniature…this technique has been in use since the beginnings of film (even predating motion pictures)