At least in the United States, smoking is something fewer and fewer people take up these days. This obviously wasn’t the case back in the 50’s through the 80’s, where cigarettes were commonly smoked out in public.

So whenever I see a period movie or show, filmed in the 2020’s but taking place in the 60’s, there’s frequent scenes where characters are smoking cigarettes in a bar or stress-smoking to the filter after a stressful conversation. And I think to myself, “are these actors all smokers? In this day and age? Or is that an unlit prop ciggy with VFX smoke done in post?”

Are fake cigarettes common in film production now, or are these still typically the real deal?

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      3911 months ago

      So you still have to take smoke into your lungs, but it’s not forcing a tobacco craving to start.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        4911 months ago

        You can just keep the smoke in your mouth, no need to inhale it if it’s just for show.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          1611 months ago

          It looks kind of dumb though if I’m being honest. You can easily tell if someone didn’t inhale and instead just kept it in their mouth. Doesn’t look as complete. For acting, I’d consider this an issue.

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            English
            3511 months ago

            Almost everything looks dumb on tv if you know what to look for. Almost everything related to guns, computers, or driving looks ridiculous and fake. It doesn’t stop them from doing it, nor does it stop people from enjoying the entertainment.

            • iNeedScissors67
              link
              fedilink
              2111 months ago

              I still remember watching the OC back in high school and seeing them play a Playstation game with an Xbox controller. I think about it sometimes.

            • CosmicApe
              link
              fedilink
              8
              edit-2
              11 months ago

              After reading about how Tarantino actually strangled Kruger for Inglorious Basterds, I can’t help but notice how fake it looks in other films.

            • @[email protected]
              link
              fedilink
              English
              2
              edit-2
              11 months ago

              No idea what you’re talking about, I just picked up a new Charger with the F&F package (25 speed manual, factory installed 5000 shot of nitrous) and it seems perfectly realistic

          • operator
            link
            fedilink
            411 months ago

            Agree. I can always tell if an actor is inhaling or puffing. And (I wish everyone the best in health) this looks just weird.

      • Calvin
        link
        fedilink
        English
        17
        edit-2
        11 months ago

        I don’t even think it’s going into the lungs especially with non smokers. If you try to inhale smoke as a non smoker you’ll most likely cough your lungs out. I assume they suck the smoke into their cheeks and blow it out from there.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      3411 months ago

      Cool to know. But that website you liked to is cancer. I’ve never seen so many obnoxious ads covering up the text lol

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        3911 months ago

        Well, if the fake cigarettes aren’t going to give you cancer, the website needs to pick up the slack!

    • Brody 🚀 BrooksOP
      link
      English
      1111 months ago

      Oh, that’s really neat! Prop cigarettes that look and burn like the genuine article, but just have herbs stuffed in it! Thanks!

  • Lem Jukes
    link
    fedilink
    English
    116
    edit-2
    11 months ago

    Theatre Worker Here:

    Most prop masters I’ve worked with use either this brand or something very similar. From that page the ingredients listed are: Marshmallow Leaves, Red Clover Flowers, Rose Petals, Fruit Juices, Honey. You can also buy packs that are designed to look like real brands(yellow american spirits, the famous “Marlboro Red”, and white for marb lights.)

    Fake cigarettes have been pretty common props for a while now. Obviously there used to be a lot more actual tobacco use on sets but nowadays, especially with a lot of municipalities outlawing tobacco smoking indoors in public spaces, its almost always all fake/herbal. There are also nicotine free vaporizers that are styled to look like real cigarettes.

    • クーイフ
      link
      fedilink
      English
      2311 months ago

      I remember reading Cillian Murphy went through some silly number of those herbal cigs filming the first season of Peaky Blinders alone.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        111 months ago

        they taste like a bouquet of flowers its like smoking your mums garden. the smoke is so light that you think its not lit but then u breathe out smoke. looks real, tastes like rolled up roses. bought 2 packs when I was trying to quit, had 2 and never touched them again

    • Brody 🚀 BrooksOP
      link
      English
      1211 months ago

      Wow, that’s really good insight! Thank you!

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    7311 months ago

    They’re herb cigarettes. Think about how long scenes take to shoot, it could be days for a single scene. They’d be smoking multiple packs in a day of nonstop smoking. Even actual smokers wouldn’t enjoy it.

    • eltimablo
      link
      fedilink
      1611 months ago

      I dunno, if I got paid to smoke 3 packs a day I think I’d be pretty happy. I also hate my lungs more than most people though.

      • Lem Jukes
        link
        fedilink
        611 months ago

        Sure, if you’re an A-lister making millions. But as a day player doing background work for <$200/day? Nah…

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      111 months ago

      I remember hearing that’s what they used in filming Peaky Blinders when they smoke all the time.

  • visnudeva
    link
    fedilink
    English
    2711 months ago

    I have a question of the same kind, how do they do when they clearly sniff coke ? What kind of white powder isn’t harmful to the nose is used in cinema ?

    • fearout
      link
      fedilink
      3311 months ago

      As far as I know, it’s usually crushed vitamin B. Shouldn’t feel like much unless you do dozens of takes.

      At least that’s what they used in Mr. Robot.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    12
    edit-2
    11 months ago

    Just in case someone important reads this:

    I really wish movie makers would drop the ‘smoking is {cool,badass,…whatever} trope.’ I’m happy whenever I find that a whole cast never touches a cigarett on camera (think, How I Met Your Mother or The Big Bang Theory)

    • YMS
      link
      fedilink
      1711 months ago

      How I Met Your Mother literally had an episode only about smoking, revealing that everybody in the main group has smoked at one point, and they all do in that episode.

      Besides that, isn’t the “smoking is cool” phase in movies a thing of the past already? Most movies don’t show anyone smoking, and if, I would say it’s most often not the hero, but often some shady guys.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        211 months ago

        I know that episode. And the message, in red bold face across the screen for the entire episode is “Don’t smoke.” That’s different from the on-screen smoking I’m talking about.

        Characters can be shady without smoking. Just because they’re not the hero, the appeal of ‘being shady’ and the incentive to look to them as a role model doesn’t vanish.

    • ReCursing
      link
      fedilink
      1011 months ago

      In my experience it usually means “this is the bad guy” nowadays, rather than “this guy is cool”

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        -311 months ago

        Characters can be ‘the bad guy’ without smoking. Associating ‘being the bad guy’ with smoking is even worse, IMHO than a smoking hero.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    711 months ago

    They don’t inhale. You can usually tell the real smokers from the ones who don’t smoke if you watch the exhale.

    If it all comes out in one puff, they aren’t smoking, just holding it in their mouth.

    If it comes out in a long stream or through thier nose, then they are likely a real smoker.