Ever wondered how they do cold breath in films?

[stevecairney]

I was watching John Carpenters The Thing the other day and he was saying that in order to make it look cold aside from lighting, all they did was to raise the humidity (not the lower the temperature) Considering it was filmed in the middle of an LA summer, I'm sure the cast wouldn't have minded the temp lowering a bit!

Thought I'd post this little rubbish fact since I've been reading a few posts about humidity...

[Robusto]

I like posts like yours.
I really do.

[stevecairney]

Argh! I can't detect sarcasm in text form!

[Stevieboy]

Argh! I can't detect sarcasm in text form!

Not from Robusto you don't...a better mannered gent I've yet to meet

[Habana-Habanos]

Oh that is actually quite an interesting fact there.

[stevecairney]

Ah, well thank you Robusto, I'm glad you liked it.

I experienced something similar at the beginning of summer when I shared a house with a large conservatory. People used to dry their washing in it, and I walked in one afternoon and could see my breath as if it was winter.

Quite freaked me at the time...

I'm not sure WHY it happens, do we know any rocket scientists that could shed light..?

[cohibaIV]

I'm not sure WHY it happens, do we know any rocket scientists that could shed light..?

Well, we do have our own Rocket Scientist resident here....

Well Rokkitski???

[Ryan]

Edit. Sorry, I should have prefaced this with "I'm not Rokkitski but.."

It has to do with dew point, when it's cold outside the water vapour in your breath turns to tiny droplets and you see the effect.
When you are in warmer but humid environment, the humid air conducts heat away from your breath more efiiciently, cooling the vapour in the breath down and causing it to reach dew point, thus turning into a cloud of droplets and becoming visible.

[cohibaIV]

[Robusto]

Argh! I can't detect sarcasm in text form!

I was being serious, Sir.
Thanks, SBoy, for saying a lovely thing there.

I post random things myself, SCairney.
It helps keep things ticking along.

Well, that's what I think, anyway!

[cohibaIV]

I was being serious, Sir.
Thanks, SBoy, for saying a lovely thing there.

I post random things myself, SCairney.
It helps keep things ticking along.

Well, that's what I think, anyway!

[Stevieboy]

All I can say is it was a bloody effective method mate. I'd honestly no idea such a thing happened. I was convinced it was either filmed in some frozen hell or on a cold set a la Exorcist

The Thing is a total masterpiece and I've not watched it for yonks.....time to haul out the DVD I think....

I was watching John Carpenters The Thing the other day and he was saying that in order to make it look cold aside from lighting, all they did was to raise the humidity (not the lower the temperature) Considering it was filmed in the middle of an LA summer, I'm sure the cast wouldn't have minded the temp lowering a bit!

Thought I'd post this little rubbish fact since I've been reading a few posts about humidity...

[rokkitsci]

I am an actual rokkit scientist

Not just a bloke who plays one on the telly.

Now, to get a bit scientifcal about the mist looking like frost...

What happens is that the warm air sets up a fluctuating ventrix wherein the particulate sembolates act as teensy, tiny, little magnets which attract the electomers in the moisture. Well, as we all know, once them little chaps get excited, there's no stopping them and before you can say "Bugger, mate, not up my bleeding arse!" they've completely phyroxized into distembulate morphicals.

hth

Well, we do have our own Rocket Scientist resident here....

Well Rokkitski???