Ribbons on vents. Why?
Ribbons on vents. Why?
Why is it in Hollywood movies every time there is a vent or AC unit someone has fixed little ribbons on it? Is that a thing americans do? Why? The vent in this movie is close to the floor in the toilets of a train. This implies someone got on all fours ON THE FLOOR OF A TRAIN'S BATHROOM to stick those ribbons there for a reason i can't even begin to comprehend.
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The only places I've seen that IRL, are stores or commercials. The ribbons help you see how much wind it pushes out, and make it look more desirable.
I'm guessing we only see it in movies as a hack to help us visualize a breeze.
And usually only in movies where airflow later stops for a plot-related reason. (e.g. the life support has shut off on a space station)
Alao if the airflow atarts because it it bringing in toxic gas, or oxygen that instantly fills a room that was without enough.
Somehow I associate airflow being shut off with a turbine fan slowing and stopping. I guess due to Total Recall and OG Half Life?
Actually in this movie it doesn't matter. Something has been hidden behind that vent which the protagonist is about to findbout in a second.We will never come back to that bathroom.
So I'll add my list of reasons: just to visually draw attention to the vent in a neutral way. For example, to make it seem like the temperature is uncomfortably warm, or to make the audience notice something that the characters missed.
Basically vents are invisible to us cognitively speaking, so if you want people to think about them, you have to make them stand out.
I understand why they are used in movies. My question was where that came from, whether this was a thing Americans actually do irl and if that is the case why they do it.
I often see them in offices. People who are working 8 hours in an environment where thy don't control the AC will often want proof that it is or is not working effectively. As there are potentially multiple vents along a duct these ribbons are a handy way to see how much the duct pressure varies across the room.
They had these on the vents at my university, I think it's just so they know they're working