user24627: Simple question, mainly asking for your collective experience.
I am planning a short-film in a post-apocalyptic scenario which is supposed to be very dusty with a thick-looking atmosphere. Part of it is easy to achieve with haze or fog, but I was wondering about those little specks, kind of like ash blowing in the wind.
How would one safely achieve something like this? Is it a good idea to actually just blow around some burnt paper (essentially ashes)?

user26178: I would avoid burning things to make ashes. Not very environment-friendly.
Instead of paying attention to the acting and to the light, and framing you will be worried about the effects. That is not a good idea.
Now days is pretty simple making particles in a 3D program. Try Blender, that can track the footage and have a very robust particle system and render options.
Here is an example of how a normal scene can be transformed into an apocalyptic scene, one typical example is Silent Hill. 



24627: <p>Simple question, mainly asking for your collective experience.</p>

<p>I am planning a short-film in a post-apocalyptic scenario which is supposed to be very dusty with a thick-looking atmosphere. Part of it is easy to achieve with haze or fog, but I was wondering about those little specks, kind of like ash blowing in the wind.</p>

<p>How would one safely achieve something like this? Is it a good idea to actually just blow around some burnt paper (essentially ashes)?</p>
 26178: <p>I would avoid burning things to make ashes. Not very environment-friendly.</p>
<p>Instead of paying attention to the acting and to the light, and framing you will be worried about the effects. That is not a good idea.</p>
<p>Now days is pretty simple making particles in a 3D program. Try Blender, that can track the footage and have a very robust particle system and render options.</p>
<p>Here is an example of how a normal scene can be transformed into an apocalyptic scene, one typical example is Silent Hill. <div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3Kr04ay4rlc?start=76"></iframe>
            </div></div></p>
