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.
Wow, that’s really good insight! Thank you!
I remember reading Cillian Murphy went through some silly number of those herbal cigs filming the first season of Peaky Blinders alone.
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…
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.
Thank you for your answers !
You can get fake cigarettes at party stores or costume shops
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.
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.