Stage blood effects are a common requirement in theatrical productions, but they are often approached with unnecessary complexity. In most cases the most effective solutions are also the simplest. This section explains practical methods for creating stage blood effects, including blood packs, palmed blood packs, homemade stage blood recipes, lighting considerations, and techniques for cleaning stage blood from costumes and scenery. The emphasis throughout is on reliable effects that can be safely repeated throughout a production run.
Easy Blood Effects
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Blood Effects
Easy Blood Effects
The easiest blood effect is to not use any at all.
No, really.
If the actors convincingly “see” blood, so will the audience. They know perfectly well that any blood they see on stage is fake anyway, so they are generally content not seeing any at all. I realize that this answer is deeply unsatisfying for actors and many directors, but it remains true: audiences believe what the actor believes.
Next on the short list of easy blood effects is pre-set blood. The fake blood is left in a small container hidden somewhere on the set, ready for the actor to dip a finger into or scoop up with the back of the thumb and apply to the “cut”. When doing something like a throat slitting, or in the middle of a very physical scene, this can be the safest way of controlling the blood effect because you are not dealing with a messy liquid until the exact moment it is needed.
The blood might be kept in an open container or in a small blood pack.
Blood packs are a reasonably reliable way of getting larger amounts of blood onto the actor, but the risk is that the pack may not open on cue — or worse still, open too early, especially when it is taped to the actor’s body. That is why I generally prefer to have the packs preset on the stage. The actor simply scoops one up just before the moment of injury and pops it where it is needed.
Blood packs are easy enough to make. All you need are plastic sandwich bags, your fake blood, scissors, and a bit of thread. You are essentially making tiny water balloons. Pour the blood into one corner of the bag, twist it several times, tie off the twisted section, and cut away the excess plastic.
Do not use tape to close the bag or it will leak.
Remember that air compresses but liquids do not, so leave a small bubble of air in the pack. As you twist the bag you are putting the liquid under pressure, which will make the pack much easier to pop when the moment arrives.
Plastic wrap can be used instead of sandwich bags, but it stretches more, which means you must put the contents under greater pressure if you want it to burst reliably.
Palmed Blood Packs
My favorite way of getting blood onto an actor is the palmed blood pack. It is simple, cheap, reliable, and places the timing of the effect entirely in the actor’s control. These are small version of the ones described above that are carried by the actor rather than taped to the body or built into a prop. The actor can keep one palmed in the hand, slip it into a pocket before her entrance, or hide it somewhere on the set and pick it up just before the moment of injury.
We used to make these by pouring a small amount of blood into the corner of a plastic sandwich bag. Leave a small bubble of air inside, twist the bag several times so the air compresses the liquid, tie off the twist, and cut away the extra plastic. What you are left with is a tiny balloon of blood.
At the appropriate moment the actor palms the pack and presses it against the place where the wound has supposedly occurred. The pressure bursts the pack and releases the blood exactly when it is needed.
One of the nice things about this method is that the blood ends up not only on the wound but also on the actor’s hand — which is precisely what would happen if someone instinctively grabbed a fresh injury.
The empty plastic bag almost never causes a problem. Once the pack bursts it collapses into a small, blood-covered scrap that under stage lighting simply reads as part of the spilled blood. No one in the audience ever notices it.
Because the actor controls the moment of the burst, palmed packs are usually far more dependable than packs taped to the body or mechanical blood devices built into weapons. They do not leak, they do not fire early, and they rarely fail to open when the actor needs them.
Blood FX Weapons
Oozing knives, bleeding razors — I know that these things exist and that some of them are wonderful, but in my experience they tend to raise the anxiety level of the actors without adding very much to the story.
Most of these devices hide a small latex bladder in the handle of the weapon. The bladder is invisible to the audience but can be squeezed by the actor’s fingers. When pressure is applied, blood squirts out of the blade.
The biggest problem with these knives is that they are unreliable. They have an annoying habit of starting to bleed long before contact is made with the victim.
If the effect is needed but you are wary of the bladder variety, a sponged blade can often work just as well. A thin strip of sponge is glued along one side of the blade and saturated with stage blood. When the sponge is pressed against the victim, the blood drips nicely onto the skin or clothing.
As long as the sponged edge remains hidden from the audience, the effect can be quite convincing.
Squibs
Many people in theatre dream of recreating the bloody effects they see in the movies. These people are especially fond of squibs.
Squibs are small explosive charges wired to a battery and preset on the actor’s body beneath a blood pack. When the electrical circuit is completed, the charge explodes, bursting the blood pack and spraying blood outward. It looks wonderful in films. There are several reasons why you should not allow anyone to talk you into using squibs in a stage production.
• Squibs are explosives. When handled by experts they are relatively safe. When handled by almost-experts they can cause serious burns or blast injuries.
• Squibs can fail. Connections loosen, batteries weaken, and sweat can dampen the charge.
• Squibs can fire unexpectedly. Actor sweat contains salt water and under the wrong circumstances can complete an electrical circuit. Static electricity can do the same thing. If the system uses wireless signals, stray radio interference can trigger the effect.
• Squibs are expensive. The cost of a reliable system can easily consume a large portion of a show’s budget — all for an effect the audience does not actually need in order to understand the scene.
Blood Mixtures and In-House Recipes
Commercial stage blood sold by theatrical suppliers is generally reliable and convenient. If a production needs only a small quantity, buying it is usually the simplest option.
Many theatres prefer to make their own mixtures. This allows the production to control the color, thickness, safety, and washability of the blood while also saving a considerable amount of money. Most homemade blood mixtures begin with a viscous base and a color component.
Corn syrup is commonly used for the base. Food coloring provides the color. A good starting mixture is about five drops of red food coloring and two drops of blue. Water can then be added until the desired thickness is reached. If the blood must be used near the mouth or nose, food-grade ingredients should always be used. Outdoor venues sometimes avoid corn syrup because it attracts insects. In those cases hot water thickened with arrowroot or cornstarch can work well.
Older-looking blood can be created by adding chocolate syrup to darken the color. Battlefield wounds can be given a rough texture by adding small amounts of crumbled shredded wheat.
If the blood will mostly land on costumes rather than faces, liquid dishwashing detergent can be included in the mixture to make laundering easier afterward. Some wardrobe departments add a few drops of Photo-Flo®, a film developing chemical that helps stains release from fabric during washing. Because Photo-Flo is toxic it should never be used in mixtures that might come near the face.
Specialty Blood Recipes
Different scenes require different types of blood.
Mouth-safe blood is usually made from corn syrup diluted slightly with water and colored with food coloring. A little chocolate syrup or vanilla extract can make it more tolerable for actors who must hold it in their mouths. For wounds that must drip slowly, a thicker syrup mixture works best so that the blood clings to the blade or skin before falling. Blood packs generally work better with thinner mixtures that spread quickly across clothing when the pack bursts. For repeated costume effects, detergent-based mixtures are often preferred because they wash out more easily. Older wounds can be darkened with chocolate syrup or a trace of black coloring. If a scene requires visible texture, small pieces of oatmeal or shredded wheat can be mixed in to simulate clotting.
Blood Under Stage Lighting
Stage lighting can dramatically change the appearance of blood.
A mixture that looks perfect under rehearsal lighting may appear almost black once it is placed under warm theatrical lights. Because stage lighting emphasizes the red end of the spectrum, the color of the blood often needs to be mixed slightly brighter than real blood in order to read properly from the audience. The only reliable solution is to test the mixture on stage under the actual lighting cues and view it from the auditorium.
Blood and Audience Distance
Distance also affects how blood reads. In a small theatre a thin streak of blood may be perfectly visible. In a large theatre the same streak may disappear entirely. Often the solution is not more blood but better placement — across the palm, spreading along a sleeve, or visible on the blade of the weapon. Testing the effect from the back of the house is always wise.
Protecting the Stage
Blood effects should always be rehearsed on the same surface used in performance. Liquids behave very differently on painted wood, vinyl flooring, or concrete. Blood can also create slippery conditions. If actors must move quickly after the effect occurs, the choreography should account for the presence of liquid on the floor.
Resetting the Effect Between Performances
Productions often underestimate how much work is required to reset blood effects between performances.
Someone must prepare new blood packs, re-saturate props, clean the stage, and launder costumes. Assigning specific crew members to these tasks keeps the effect reliable throughout the run.
Storage and Shelf Life of Stage Blood
Corn syrup mixtures will generally keep for several weeks if stored in sealed containers. They should always be shaken before use. Starch-based mixtures break down more quickly and are best prepared fresh. Mixtures containing food ingredients such as chocolate syrup or cereal should be treated as perishable and mixed in small quantities. Stage blood should always be stored in clearly labeled containers and checked before each performance for separation, odor, or mold. It is also wise to record the recipe that worked best under the show’s lighting so that it can be recreated consistently throughout the run.
Cleaning blood from costumes.
Real blood and stage blood behave very differently, and the cleaning will reflect that. In practice, wardrobe departments treat them as two separate problems:
Real blood is a protein stain.
Stage blood is usually sugar-based, dye-based, detergent-based, or glycerin-based depending on the recipe.
Cleaning Real Blood from Costumes
If someone cuts themselves and real blood gets on a costume, the first priority is to prevent the stain from setting. Blood stains set when they dry and bond to the fibers of the fabric. As soon as possible, rinse the garment with cold water. Never use hot water, as heat cooks the proteins in the blood and permanently fixes the stain into the cloth.
If the stain cannot be cleaned immediately, at least wet the fabric thoroughly so that the blood does not dry in place.
When there is time to treat the stain properly, hydrogen peroxide is extremely effective. Pour a small amount directly onto the stain and blot gently. The peroxide reacts with the iron in the blood and rapidly breaks apart the red blood cells, causing the stain to foam and lift from the fabric. Apply, blot, rinse with cold water, and repeat until the stain disappears. Hydrogen peroxide is generally color-safe for most fabrics, though delicate dyed materials should always be tested first.
Another reliable treatment—especially for heavier stains—is Fels-Naptha laundry soap, a traditional wardrobe department staple. Wet the stained fabric with cold water and rub the Fels-Naptha bar directly onto the stain to create a lather. Let it sit for several minutes, then rinse or wash normally. Stubborn stains may require a second application.
When rinsing, try to run the water through the back of the fabric, pushing the blood out of the fibers rather than deeper into them. Do not place the garment in a dryer until the stain is completely gone, as heat will permanently set any remaining discoloration.
Cleaning Stage Blood from Costumes
Stage blood is usually much easier to remove than real blood because it is normally made from corn syrup, food coloring, glycerin, detergent, or other water-soluble ingredients.
Most stage blood can be removed simply by rinsing with warm water and ordinary laundry detergent. Corn-syrup based mixtures dissolve quickly once the sugar loosens in water. In many cases the costume can be restored by a normal wash cycle.
However, the dyes used in stage blood can occasionally leave a faint tint on light fabrics. If this happens, treat the area with Fels-Naptha or liquid laundry detergent, gently working the soap into the stain before washing again.
Costume shops often add a few drops of Photo-Flo or dishwashing detergent to stage blood mixtures precisely because it helps the stain release from fabric during washing.
Cleaning Blood from Other Surfaces
Blood—real or artificial—on hard surfaces such as props, floors, or set pieces can be removed with a 20% bleach solution in water. This both removes the stain and disinfects the area.
If sterilization is required for real blood contamination, items may be soaked in a 5% bleach solution for about one hour, but no longer than two hours, since even diluted bleach will corrode many metals and damage some finishes.
A Final Note on Moderation
Blood effects can be visually striking, but they should always serve the story rather than compete with it. Theatre is an art form built on suggestion. A well-acted reaction to an unseen wound can be more disturbing than any amount of artificial blood.
When the audience believes the actors, they will believe the violence as well — whether a single drop of blood appears or none at all.