Help with an anus face mask?

Hi Ben,

Foam latex does breath, but not in terms of allowing enough air in for respiration. Foam "breathing" really means that over time it will allow some moisture to evaporate through it.

Here are a few questions for you

• What type of shot coverage is remaining in your shoot?
• Do you have any input on how characters are lit, blocked out, or framed?

For example, if the shots are mostly downward angles for the rest of the shoot, you could cut out a small section by the chin to allow air in.  

Or if all the shots feature the left side of the characters, the right side could have some ventilation added.  You mentioned there are multiple characters.  Perhaps have one for coverage that requires the left side of the face, and the other for coverage that requires the right side of the face.  The side that is away from the camera can have a good amount of ventilation back towards the actors face (by the cheek/ear) that would even allow for 3/4 shots, but provide some good airflow.

Often on shoots there is a desire to preserve any props/effects, but it's important to keep in mind that their sole purpose is to get the shot.  So don't be afraid to cut a big section away if it'll never be seen on camera.  Just go over the shot list with the director and DP to make sure you can plan everything in a way that allows for such a modification, as there's no going back.  (unless you have spares)

If you have your closeups out of the way, you could possibly add some thin slits in the sphincter wrinkles.  Pinholes don't really do much for ventilation, as you need a good amount of airflow out to expel CO2 and in to bring in fresh air.  Slits are usually better as they allow more airflow, and if matched carefully in the shadow area of a wrinkle they can become nearly invisible.  Just keep in mind how it's being lit and shot.  Lighting it to create harsher shadows will help hide the slits.   And if you open things up too much you may want to use some black makeup on the actor inside the mask so nothing shows.

Another option would be to feed a small tube in on one side of the mask that is connected to a small fan or pump.  This would create some positive pressure and airflow inside the mask, pushing CO2 and moisture out the hole in the front.   Though there are 2 concerns with this.  1:  If the fan/pump fails it will not be effective, so you need a contingency plan, and 2: the pressure could potentially deform the mask or pop seams if it is too great.  Sound and mobility could also be an issue if they are tethered or the fan/pump produces too much noise.  Find out if you can go MOS for those shots.

My suggestion is to work with the DP and director to plan out shots in a way that you can light, block, and frame the character to hide some more aggressive ventilation.  Relying on a single hole and a few pinholes just can't provide enough air, and your actor is likely to get Respiratory Acidosis (too much CO2 building up in the blood) or more than likely, Hypoxia (too little O2 in the blood)

Watch your actors for the following symptoms:  Confusions, dizziness, feeling light headed, coughing, rapid breathing, shortness of breath, wheezing, headache.  Sweating is also a sign, but on set everyone is sweating.

Check in on them frequently, and don't be afraid to stop filming if they show any of those symptoms.  And a trip to the ER might be in order, as blood O2 will need to be monitored and O2 administered.  It's always best to plan things so there is no risk, and no production is worth risking someone's health or safety.

Nothing is more important than safety.

Best of luck!

/Chris