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?
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.
I remember reading Cillian Murphy went through some silly number of those herbal cigs filming the first season of Peaky Blinders alone.
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
Wow, that’s really good insight! Thank you!
It’s usually what’s called a “lettuce cigarette”. No tobacco in it.
So you still have to take smoke into your lungs, but it’s not forcing a tobacco craving to start.
You can just keep the smoke in your mouth, no need to inhale it if it’s just for show.
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.
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.
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.
After reading about how Tarantino actually strangled Kruger for Inglorious Basterds, I can’t help but notice how fake it looks in other films.
That is a fair point.
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
Agree. I can always tell if an actor is inhaling or puffing. And (I wish everyone the best in health) this looks just weird.
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.
Cool to know. But that website you liked to is cancer. I’ve never seen so many obnoxious ads covering up the text lol
Well, if the fake cigarettes aren’t going to give you cancer, the website needs to pick up the slack!
Oh, that’s really neat! Prop cigarettes that look and burn like the genuine article, but just have herbs stuffed in it! Thanks!
I prefer the balsamic and oregano flavour myself.
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.
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.
Sure, if you’re an A-lister making millions. But as a day player doing background work for <$200/day? Nah…
That all depends on who’s paying for the cigarettes
I remember hearing that’s what they used in filming Peaky Blinders when they smoke all the time.
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 ?
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.
Wasn’t Jonah hill hospitalized from snorting so much vitamin B in wolf of wallstreet?
Tbf, that was wolf of wall street, it’s basically a three hour long line of cocaine.
Yeah I read that too.
I believe they use inositol powder.
Thank you for your answers !
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)
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.
IIRC they weren’t smoking, they were “eating sandwiches”
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.
Ah I only remember the weed episode
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).
Yeah it’s been a while since I watched that series.
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.
In my experience it usually means “this is the bad guy” nowadays, rather than “this guy is cool”
Characters can be ‘the bad guy’ without smoking. Associating ‘being the bad guy’ with smoking is even worse, IMHO than a smoking hero.
Oh I agree people can be a bad guy without smoking
I’ve read that they’re almost all fake… But I really have no idea 😅
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.
