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A Smoker

T

Tankdaddy

Hello everyone =)

I was about to write a new short script for my first movie. One of my characters is a heavy smoker was just wondering how I would write a person who is chain smoking during a conversation. Though this is probably a dumb question and all I just wanted it to be perfect :P

Thank you for reading and any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
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'BLANK takes a few short drags of her cigarette, her exhale lingering, reminiscent of the bistros of the underground Italia'

Just follow something atmospheric like 'Smoke churns from the organ of her cigarette', with her actions of repeatedly taking a drag, relighting another cigarette.

Tell us she's a chain-smoker, taking a drag in every breath she can amidst conversation.
 
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Yeah, simply introduce her as a chain smoker...In ""Good Night and Good Luck" David Strathairn, who hates smoking, played Edward R. Murrow with a constant cigarette going. During the interviews, he explained that all the cigarettes actually had cigar tobacco, so he didn't have to worry about inhaling or becoming nicotine addled. Also, for what it's worth, the smoke from cigar tobacco is heavier and thicker and films better.

Midnite
 
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You might wish to use her actions with the tone of the conversation.


MARY
Class? Pft!
Let me tell you something..


She stabs out her cigarette, lights another then exhales.


MARY
You’re about as classy as cheap wine
sipped through a used douche bag Tony!


Does she cough?



MARY
I don’t owe-


She is racked by a fit of coughs. She raises a finger in the “one sec” gesture.
The coughs subside.


MARY
I don’t owe him shit!


She taps a smoke out of the pack and fires it up.


MARY
If anything, that SOB owes me!


How would she smoke when the conversation is sad, funny, nervous, scared?


-Thanks-
 
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Buddy,
Your smoker is a bit of a cliche, hype it up and have her attached to an O2 bottle with the hose going around her face up her nose.. thats my grandma right there! (huh, shes dead, wonder why?)
 
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Yes, a smoker can be a cliche, but so is everything else.

You should make your character a Paradox. Have a cig in one hand, and a vitamin water in the other.
BAM, a relfection of society! Genius!
 
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If the character as presented smokes. It’s no more cliché than if the character as presented doesn’t smoke.

The character could reflect society (yes), but at the same time doesn’t need to reflect society, or anything else. If one wanted to sure, but one could easily say their addiction to nicotine is a reflection shown through actions that already exist in the very nature of them being a Smoker as presented in the 1st place.

You could create paradox (yes), but perching a parrot of overt prop on the character’s shoulder might also be seen as contrived. In short order, the Preacher given a 357 to show what he isn’t, could be seen as The Smoker given a vitamin water to show what he is.

But there are no rights or wrongs, just considerations.


-Thanks-
 
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What I meant by a reflection is; People smoke, yet buy vitamin waters because they're worried about their weight and health. It's funny to me how people are these days. The world's gone crazy lol
 
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Slugwriter said:
What I meant by a reflection is; People smoke, yet buy vitamin waters because they're worried about their weight and health. It's funny to me how people are these days. The world's gone crazy lol
Click to expand...

What's crazy are those folks to come up to me on my break, holding a bag of mcdonalds, and tell me that smoking is bad for you and that I'm killing myself. Not only is it information I already have, I don't need to be lectured by a severely overweight person to whom health is not a top personal priority.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I don't see the irony in a smoker drinking a vitamin water, but there is a logic (not to vitamin water, that stuff is stupid, get your vitamins and minerals from your diet, stop messing with your body's delicate balance).

For example, I am a smoker but I don't eat meat/dairy/processed foods and I exercise most days.

Just because someone smokes, doesn't mean they are going for the 'unhealthiest person in the world' award.

I find it a lot more ironic when I see someone order a burger with a diet coke.

Sorry for the rant, but this is a pet peeve of mine.
 
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Slugwriter said:
What I meant by a reflection is; People smoke, yet buy vitamin waters because they're worried about their weight and health. It's funny to me how people are these days. The world's gone crazy lol
Click to expand...

That's like the mom who feeds her kids doughnuts and twinkies and cookie crisp for breakfast and wonders why the school wants to drug them to death.
 
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The first time you show the character with a cigarette have them lighting it off of another cigarette they're finishing. Nothing says chain smoking like lighting one off of your last one.

Bear in mind chain smokers smoke constantly, not quickly. Don't try to have them constantly dragging or blowing smoke. Then use the drags and exhales for dramatic pauses. Watch how George Burns used his cigar.
 
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