How to make fake blood for independent film
During the shooting of a low budget movie there will be lots of times you will need fake blood. Unfortunately too often blood in movies is unrealistic. If it is not too thin and see through it looks sticky and and it beads up as in the picture to the left. Recipes are not an exact science because their are many different applications. The basic ingredients are:
- Cheap golden or clear syrup
- Warm water
- Red food coloring
- Green food coloring
- Flour
- Dish-washing liquid.
The best blood mixture is made on the fly in the actual lighting environment that it will be shot in. You can make it in advance but be sure to have the ingredients with you on the set to make adjustments to the formula.
You will want to begin with the syrup and put the warm water in a closed container and shake it up. Try to duplicate the consistency of blood as close as you can. Then add the red food coloring and darken it to your taste. Add a little flour to keep the mixture from being opaque. This blood will now be bright red. You will want to add the green food coloring at this time to take the brightness out of it. It doesn’t take very much to do this so add it sparingly. If you are not using the blood near someones eyes or mouth then it is good to add a little bit of dish-washing liquid in order to keep the blood from beading up. It will react more like real blood for your movie scene. There are a lot of different situations you will need blood in and here is a great place to get more recipes for those applications.
