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submitted 1 year ago by Brody@programming.dev to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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?

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[-] Lemjukes@lemm.ee 91 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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.

[-] oppai420@lemmy.fmhy.ml 21 points 1 year ago

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

[-] DrCatface@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year 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@programming.dev 10 points 1 year ago

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

[-] Nightmaru@lemmy.ml 61 points 1 year 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@kbin.social 15 points 1 year 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.

[-] Lemjukes@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

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

[-] eltimablo@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

That all depends on who's paying for the cigarettes

[-] visnudeva@lemmy.ml 22 points 1 year 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@kbin.social 30 points 1 year 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.

[-] fahfahfahfah@lemmy.billiam.net 19 points 1 year ago

Wasn’t Jonah hill hospitalized from snorting so much vitamin B in wolf of wallstreet?

[-] Thassar@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 1 year ago

Tbf, that was wolf of wall street, it's basically a three hour long line of cocaine.

[-] Discostjonn@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah I read that too.

[-] merfolk@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I believe they use inositol powder.

[-] visnudeva@lemmy.ml 0 points 1 year ago

Thank you for your answers !

[-] reddig33@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago
[-] intensely_human@lemm.ee 9 points 1 year ago

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

[-] AntY@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

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

[-] EeeDawg101@lemm.ee 9 points 1 year 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.

[-] Atiran@lemm.ee 17 points 1 year 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@kbin.social 8 points 1 year 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.

[-] jscummy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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

[-] CosmicApe@kbin.social 1 points 1 year 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.

[-] EeeDawg101@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago

That is a fair point.

[-] operator@kbin.social 1 points 1 year 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.

[-] calvinklein97@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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.

[-] acunasdaddy@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year 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

[-] NABDad@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

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

[-] bleistift2@feddit.de 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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@kbin.social 13 points 1 year 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.

[-] silentdon@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

IIRC they weren't smoking, they were "eating sandwiches"

[-] YMS@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago

They are eating sandwiches when they are smoking weed. They are smoking actual cigarettes when they are smoking cigarettes. Ted's kids are shocked when they learn this, I don't remember them reacting to the sandwich stories.

[-] silentdon@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Ah I only remember the weed episode

[-] YMS@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

According to https://how-i-met-your-mother.fandom.com/wiki/Eating_a_Sandwich they are eating sandwiches in 14 episodes (mostly in flashbacks, though).

[-] silentdon@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah it's been a while since I watched that series.

[-] bleistift2@feddit.de 1 points 1 year 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@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago

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

[-] bleistift2@feddit.de -2 points 1 year ago

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

[-] ReCursing@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Oh I agree people can be a bad guy without smoking

[-] HamSwagwich@showeq.com 6 points 1 year 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.

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this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2023
166 points (97.2% liked)

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