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?
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)
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.
