shadows of smoke

[igor]

I am wondering if it is possible to throw a shadow of smoke on a white wall. I got the idea from movie lights on sets, their heat creates a shadow on walls and I thought it was very beautiful. I tried it with just putting a light behind water vapor but it didn't work. Does anyone have experience with this or suggestions?

 

[Sad Max]

You might try a fog machine. Or cigarette/cigar smoke, if you don't mind exposing yourself to that.

It sounds as though the effect you're describing is caused not by smoke, but by the variations in air density (heat shimmer) caused by hot air rising off the instruments themselves. If the lights on set are heating up to the point of actual smoking, something's gone wrong.

 

[igor]

You might try a fog machine. Or cigarette/cigar smoke, if you don't mind exposing yourself to that.

It sounds as though the effect you're describing is caused not by smoke, but by the variations in air density (heat shimmer) caused by hot air rising off the instruments themselves. If the lights on set are heating up to the point of actual smoking, something's gone wrong.

so vapor wouldn't do the trick whereas actual smoke might?

 

[Sad Max]

The smoke particles ought to be more opaque, so yes.

But this is really one of the experiment-and-see sorts of things.