Black Smoke: Recently I watched Dancing With The Stars. They shot the couple dancing in front of a white background... but the smoke was black and very wispy like cigarette smoke. Any...

DTCOP Loc: Camarillo, CA

Recently I watched Dancing With The Stars. They shot the couple dancing in front of a white background... but the smoke was black and very wispy like cigarette smoke. Any idea how it was done. Did they use black reflector boards on both side of the smoke? I normally make my smoke using incense sticks.Thanks in advance
Don

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

If you want to have that effect as an overlay or background for a photo you can do white smoke on black back ground and then do a negative image switch.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

DTCOP wrote:

Recently I watched Dancing With The Stars. They shot the couple dancing in front of a white background... but the smoke was black and very wispy like cigarette smoke. Any idea how it was done. Did they use black reflector boards on both side of the smoke? I normally make my smoke using incense sticks.Thanks in advance
Don

The only way you are going to know is to call the producers. I am sure they will help you out. Any thing else is pure speculation.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

billnikon wrote:

The only way you are going to know is to call the producers. I am sure they will help you out.

Definitely! And they'll send a couple of special effects guys to his house.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

jerryc41 wrote:

Definitely! And they'll send a couple of special effects guys to his house.

Yes, why not? It is the least they can do for those that want to know.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

billnikon wrote:

Yes, why not? It is the least they can do for those that want to know.

It would be nice if they were helpful, but that's not why they're on the air. $$$

SS319

I would think that conventional water - glycerin or other vapor with floor or side lighting of blue and green would give a low dark fog and then use extra high intensity lighting for the subjects. I would not rule out in production processing to change the vapor color.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

I did not see the show - was it smoke that you could see as 3-dimensional, or was it perhaps the shadow of smoke on a translucent background upon which a white light was projected?

Big Bill Loc: Phoenix, AZ

Black smoke is easy:

https://www.ansgear.com/Enola_Gaye_Deuce_Smoke_Grenade_Pouch_Black_p/enolapouchdeuceblack.htm

Just one way; special effects people are very good at making what the producer/director wants.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Big Bill wrote:

Black smoke is easy:

https://www.ansgear.com/Enola_Gaye_Deuce_Smoke_Grenade_Pouch_Black_p/enolapouchdeuceblack.htm

Just one way; special effects people are very good at making what the producer/director wants.

Funny! Given the name, is the smoke in the shape of a mushroom cloud?

Szalajj Loc: Salem, NH

After searching for Dancing With The Stars Black Smoke Special Effects, without any answers, I switched to Black Smoke Special Effects.

It turns out that there are different colors available for foggers as pellets or cartridges.

But I did find a comment that the amount of fog used on Dancing With The Stars left the judges caughing, which you didn't see televised.

So a word of caution, "Less is better" for your health!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Szalajj wrote:

But I did find a comment that the amount of fog used on Dancing With The Stars left the judges caughing, which you didn't see televised.

So a word of caution, "Less is better" for your health!

Right. That smoke/fog can be a health hazard.

DTCOP Loc: Camarillo, CA

thanks all