Fake Blood
Theatrical blood or stage blood is anything used as a substitute for blood in a theatrical or cinematic performance. For example, in the special effects industry, when a director needs to simulate an actor being shot or cut, a wide variety of chemicals and natural products can be used. The most common is red food coloring, often inside small balloons coupled with explosive devices called squibs. Alfred Hitchcock famously used Bosco Chocolate Syrup as fake blood in his 1960 thriller Psycho – since the film was in black-and-white, the color was less important than the consistency. There are many reasons for substituting for real blood, such as ethical and sanitary concerns, and concerns for the emotional well being of the actors.
Kensington Gore
“Kensington Gore” (a pun on the London street) was a trademark for fake blood used in films and in theatre. It was manufactured by a retired British pharmacist, John Tynegate, during the 1960s and 1970s, in the village of Abbotsbury, Dorset. Many varieties of blood, having various degrees of viscosity, shades and textures were available. Since Tynegate’s death, the name “Kensington Gore” has become a generic term for stage blood. Kensington Gore was used in the film The Shining. Director Stanley Kubrick had two or three thousand gallons of it and it can be seen in use during the elevator door scene.
Bodily mutilation in film
Bodily mutilation in film is something that has shocked and fascinated movie goers over the years. Whether it is a person being torn in half by a monster, a person being cut to pieces by another person, or a monster coming to its gruesome end at the hands of the macho good looking hero, the audience is looking to be surprised. As people saw more movies, taking the bad guy off screen to dispose of him was no longer enough nor was cutting to a silhouette as the antagonist committed his dastardly deed. People wanted to see how the victims died and what happens to the bad guy. And film makers obliged. With increasingly advanced technology and special effects, movie makers have been able to show many new and, to some, exciting things. Although considered to be in bad taste early on, bodily mutilation has come to be something of a norm in modern films be they shocker films like Saw, war movies like Black Hawk Down, or hospital shows like ER.
Techniques
Obviously, the tricks of the trade are what make these effects convincing. The following are a few basic techniques or tricks that have been used to create the image of mutilation.
Blood
Fake blood can be made in many different ways. One of the cheapest and easiest can be made with varying recipes including corn syrup and food dye. For example, in the movie The Evil Dead the makers used a mixture consisting of corn syrup, food coloring, and instant coffee.[9] Fake blood is used in nearly every, if not every single, movie that has shown bodily mutilation, be it human or otherwise. Some effective uses of fake blood include use of a squib, or small explosive device, with a metal plate between the actor and the squib and a packet of fake blood to simulate the blood splatter that would accompany a gunshot for example. Another used for fake blood is seen in the movie Martin when the main character cuts the wrist of a girl. This trick is accomplished by hiding a syringe or bulb behind the fake weapon and squeezing out the fake blood as the weapon is drawn across the victim.
Scar effects
Fake scars can be made in many different ways. Actor Lon Chaney used collodian. In more recent years, with the advent of latex and plastics there are many ways to make fake flesh and scarring.
Burns
Burns are used in many films and correct technique can create a more effective visual. For first degree burns, merely put down a red foundation with a little purple on top. Use skin colored powder to prevent the “burn” from shining. For a second degree burn create fake blistering surrounded by the standard first degree reddening. To create the blistering, you can use petroleum jelly in saran wrap, or using pure gum latex and lifting the center after drying. Third degree burns are severe and should reflect that in the effect. The skin is charred and broken. This effect can be achieved with the latex, plastic wax material, or other plastic appliance. Be sure to color the burned flesh convincingly, then gradient from third degree burn, to second degree to first.
Latex
Latex is a synthetic rubber often used in special effects. Foamed latex is sometimes considered the “ultimate in prosthetic appliance.” It can be used in an inflatable bladder effect to make it seem like the actor’s skin is moving or rippling like Rick Baker’s werewolf change effect An American Werewolf in London. This is accomplished by covering an inflatable balloon of some type underneath a covering made of latex, urethane, or plastic molding. Latex can also be used to make scar effects or other more blatant mutilation. For example, with latex prosthetics, movie makers can make an actor appear to have more or less limbs than he should. They can also make the actor appear to be horribly wounded with flesh hanging and large gashes. To accomplish these tricks, the actor must first have a mold made of the part of him that will be replicated using latex. Take, as an example, one of the zombies in Dawn of the Dead. To make this actor seem to be rotting, they need to make a cast. The technicians prep the area of the body, say the face, to be cast. They must cover the hair and coat the eyebrows, eyelashes, and any other hair that can’t be covered with petroleum jelly. Then they must apply the alginate or other comparable substance, completely covering the molding area, keeping the mouth, nose, or both open for breathing. When that is finished, they layer the area with plaster bandages to create the cast. When all of it has dried and settled, they remove the cast from the actor and put it together again to create the mold. After this, they pour plaster of Paris into the mold to create a cast that is exactly like the actors face. From the cast they can get another mold which they then can use to sculpt any prosthetic attachments they need. This can include fake limbs, fake skin, or growths. It is important to use the a good adhesive to apply the prosthetic. In his book Vincent Kehoe recommends one that is “easy to apply, set[s] rapidly, be dilutable for use, and be removable with a solvent that is not harmful to the skin
