BLOOD

There will be many times in your career when you will need to create blood effects. What you use and when to use it will have a big impact on how successful the outcome will be. When a scene requires the use of artificial blood, there are many departments that are involved in creating a realistic effect. In some cases, you will need to camera test the color of your artificial blood. Some blood products will register too dark or too bright under certain lighting and film-processing conditions. These situations are classic examples of working with other departments on a film or television set. You will need to coordinate with the Costume Department, the Prop Department, the Special Effects Department, and, in some situations, the Stunt Coordinator. Discussions about the blood effects start during the prep with the Director. Then, at the production meeting, the First Assistant Director will address any issues, with all departments present and having input.

After the production meeting, there are sidebar meetings with the various departments, at an agreed-upon time, to further discuss the issues.

PRO TIP

Sidebar meetings provide excellent oppor­tunities for fine-tuning conversations and designs with other departments involved, and not subjecting departments that are not involved to a long discussion.

The blood products that the Makeup Artist chooses should be color checked with the Prop Department and Special Effects so that the color of blood will be consistent. A sample of the blood product you have chosen should be given to the Costume Department, to ensure that it is washable and to check for stain factor. The Prop Department and the Art Department will also need to know the products, particularly how to clean the blood products off props and how to remove the blood from the set. If the props or the sets are expensive and cannot be damaged or stained, this will be discussed in the production meeting, and will affect your product choice. In some situations, the Makeup Department will provide the blood products for other departments (such as the Costume Department), or will give the other departments involved the name of the blood product and where to purchase it. If the Makeup Department does purchase products for other departments, just note on the invoice or receipt showing which department it is going to, so that the Accounting Department is able to allocate the cost to that department.

Doing so will keep the makeup budget intact.

If you do not coordinate with others, there will be no continuity in the color or texture of the blood, as well as leading to confusion among departments on the set. These are moments in production and on-set when everyone works together to help each other out to achieve the desired effect. Before we talk about choosing the right blood products to use, it is a good idea to

understand how blood functions in the human body.

What Is Blood?

The human body has about five liters of blood. Blood transports oxygen from the lungs to body tissue, and then transports carbon dioxide from body tissue to the lungs. Blood contains cells and is about 55 percent plasma. Plasma is a liquid and contains 90 percent water. Plasma is a vehicle for blood cells and platelets. Plasma also functions as a carrier of minerals, potassium, and antibodies. Red blood cells also keep blood clean and deliver oxygen throughout the body. Hemoglobin is a protein that is red in color. Blood is constantly recirculated throughout the body. White blood cells are there to fight off infections or germs. Blood platelets are also found in blood. Platelets help to block blood flow around wounds. Clots can form in blood. For example scabs are clots found on the outside of the body, whereas bruises are clots formed inside the body. Clots that are dangerous form inside blood vessels.

How to Choose

You will need to know the answers to a few questions before making any choices on what products to use and how the blood should look. Start with how the script reads. The scene description will get you started with a description of what the action is. Car accident, fight, murder, crime scene, gunshot, bloody nose, illness or death, and cause of death.

• Is there a written description of what it looks like?

• Where is the blood coming from, and why?

• What is the medical implication?

• What does the trauma look like in real life?

• What happens to the texture of the skin?

After reading the script, research and think about how to achieve wounds to match the action. This is one example of using your knowledge of the body, and medical resource books. If the wounds are extensive, consult with a medical doctor. An emergency-room doctor is always very helpful in researching wounds and trauma to the body. Be organized in your questions when consulting with a doctor. Their time is limited, but they are normally happy to help. Most of the time, you will have to schedule an appointment, either over the phone or at the office. If you need medical slides, you will have to go to the office.

Medical slides and photos are protected for privacy reasons, therefore you will need to obtain special permission to access them, as well as a designated area within the doctor’s office where you can view them in privacy. Not only are doctors great resources for wounds, but also for all illnesses, diseases, and death, including how long it takes to die from certain diseases or wounds.

If you can answer these questions before meeting with the Director, you will be able to bring ideas to the discussion of how to achieve the desired effect. After reading the script and doing preliminary research, meet with the Director to discuss what he or she wants. Your Director will have a visual idea
of what the scene or action should look like. The Director might also want you to show research on the type of wounds that are required to match the action. In most cases, the Producers will want to be involved in discussions. Producers will also have a say in how much blood is used. This is for reasons related to film and television rating issues, as well as creative choice. There will be jobs where you will have a meeting with the Director before reading the script. This could be during the job interview. They will be looking for how you would achieve certain effects. Ask questions about the action and story line, and what they want— or do not want—it to look like. In some cases, the Director will not know what he or she wants, but they will know exactly what they do not want.