First time Blood rig! Neck Bite

BathoryfxBathoryfx ✭
in Makeup Effects
Hi all!
I've recently got a job for a short movie, and the director asked me a blood effect. A person with a lion mask (with sharp teeth) bite a girl between her neck and her shoulder. The director wants a very gushing blood, like kill bill style, but the budget is low and I don't have a pressure system to use. Can I use a big syringe? or maybe a garden sprayer?? We will shot this scene with the male actor on his backside so the tube will stay on the actress' s back. 
It's my first time do a blood rig gag (i followed the course and I assisted at a neck wound gag during my trainee). All the suggestions and tips are welcomed!! :smiley:
Also I don't know the amount of blood needed to be honest. He wants to do the spray blood and then a close up on the bite wound with a bit of flow.

Thank you!!

Comments

  • Chris EllerbyChris Ellerby Admin
    edited December 9
    A deck sprayer should do the trick.  Water-based fire extinguishers are also great for this, as they move a larger volume of fluid.
    It will likely take a lot of blood for testing and multiple takes, so you may want to make your own.  The blood used for this type of gag is often made much thinner than regular fake blood, so it flows more easily, but with extra pigment.  It's sometimes called "flow blood."   I've had good luck using Ben Nye blood powder to make this type of blood, and mixing in a touch of Dawn dish soap to help prevent staining and cut surface tension.    With the powder, you can easily control how much pigment is in the mixture, which is important as sprayed blood is often in thin sheets, streams, or small droplets, which can quickly become too translucent and lose color.   You can either use just water as the base, or mix in some corn syrup if you want a bit of a thicker fluid.  
    With this type of gag, testing is very important.  You'll have to find the right viscosity for the blood, the right pressure for the rig, the right hole size in the tube/appliance, the performance and timing of everything, etc.    Some of the testing you can do with water, but once you start using a thicker blood the math all changes, which is one arguement for not thickening it.
    You will also want to make sure the camera and set are protected, and any performers have clean replacement wardrobe/hand props for multiple takes, etc.  It's also very easy for blood to get tracked around set by the crew, so try and account for that.
    Hope that helps!
    /Chris
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