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?

  • YMS@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    17
    ·
    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.

    • bleistift2@feddit.de
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      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.