Theatrical blood
Encyclopedia
Theatrical blood or stage blood is anything used as a substitute for blood
in a theatrical or cinematic performance. For example, in the special effect
s industry, when a director needs to simulate an actor being shot
or cut
, a wide variety of chemicals and natural products can be used. The most common is red food coloring
, often inside small balloon
s coupled with explosive devices called squibs
. Alfred Hitchcock
famously used Bosco Chocolate Syrup
as fake blood in his 1960 thriller Psycho. Since the film was in black-and-white, the color was less important than the consistency.
and solidify quickly make it unsuitable for repeated takes without freshening; the longer-lasting viscosity of stage blood makes it far easier to work with on the set.
) was a trademark for fake blood used in films and in theatre. It was manufactured by a retired British pharmacist, John Tynegate, during the 1960s and 1970s, in the village of Abbotsbury
, Dorset
. Many varieties of blood, having various degrees of viscosity
, shades and textures were available. Since Tynegate's death, the name "Kensington Gore" has become a generic term for stage blood. Kensington Gore was used in the film The Shining
. Director Stanley Kubrick
had several thousand gallons of it gushing out of an opening elevator during the elevator door scene.
The crime scene investigation science of bloodstain pattern analysis
uses stage blood or sometimes cow's blood in mock-up crime scenes when training new investigators.
The art of Moulage
uses theatrical blood in applying mock injuries for the purpose of training Emergency Response Teams and other medical and military personnel.
Theatrical blood is also popularly used in Halloween costume
s.
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
in a theatrical or cinematic performance. For example, in the special effect
Special effect
The illusions used in the film, television, theatre, or entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called special effects ....
s industry, when a director needs to simulate an actor being shot
Gunshot
A gunshot is the discharge of a firearm, producing a mechanical sound effect and a chemical gunshot residue. The term can also refer to a gunshot wound caused by such a discharge. Multiple discharges of a firearm or firearms are referred to as gunfire. The word can connotate either the sound of a...
or cut
Cutting
Cutting is the separation of a physical object, or a portion of a physical object, into two portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. An implement commonly used for cutting is the knife or in medical cases the scalpel...
, a wide variety of chemicals and natural products can be used. The most common is red food coloring
Food coloring
Food coloring is a substance, liquid or powder, that is added to food or drink to change its color. Food coloring is used both in commercial food production and in domestic cooking...
, often inside small balloon
Balloon
A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig...
s coupled with explosive devices called squibs
Squib (explosive)
A squib is a miniature explosive device used in a wide range of industries, from special effects to military applications. It resembles a tiny stick of dynamite, both in appearance and construction, although with considerably less explosive power...
. Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
famously used Bosco Chocolate Syrup
Bosco Chocolate Syrup
Bosco Chocolate Syrup is a brand of chocolate syrup first produced in 1928. The company that produces it is based in New Jersey, and it is sold throughout the United States, Western Europe, Asia and the Middle East.-Production process:...
as fake blood in his 1960 thriller Psycho. Since the film was in black-and-white, the color was less important than the consistency.
Reasons for use
There are many reasons for substituting for real blood in the film industry, such as ethical and sanitary concerns, and concerns for the emotional well being of the actors. Also, actual blood's tendency to coagulateCoagulation
Coagulation is a complex process by which blood forms clots. It is an important part of hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, wherein a damaged blood vessel wall is covered by a platelet and fibrin-containing clot to stop bleeding and begin repair of the damaged vessel...
and solidify quickly make it unsuitable for repeated takes without freshening; the longer-lasting viscosity of stage blood makes it far easier to work with on the set.
Kensington Gore
"Kensington Gore" (a pun on the London streetKensington Gore
Kensington Gore is a street in central London, England, the same name having been formerly used for the piece of land on which it stands. It runs along the south side of Hyde Park, continuing as Kensington Road to both the east and west. A gore is a narrow, triangular piece of land.The road is part...
) was a trademark for fake blood used in films and in theatre. It was manufactured by a retired British pharmacist, John Tynegate, during the 1960s and 1970s, in the village of Abbotsbury
Abbotsbury
Abbotsbury is a large village and civil parish in the West Dorset district of Dorset, England; situated north-west of Weymouth. It is located from Upwey railway station and from Bournemouth International Airport. The main road running through the village is the B3157, connecting Abbotsbury to...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. Many varieties of blood, having various degrees of viscosity
Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear or tensile stress. In everyday terms , viscosity is "thickness" or "internal friction". Thus, water is "thin", having a lower viscosity, while honey is "thick", having a higher viscosity...
, shades and textures were available. Since Tynegate's death, the name "Kensington Gore" has become a generic term for stage blood. Kensington Gore was used in the film The Shining
The Shining (film)
The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
. Director Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
had several thousand gallons of it gushing out of an opening elevator during the elevator door scene.
Other uses
Theatrical blood has many other applications apart from its use in the film industry.The crime scene investigation science of bloodstain pattern analysis
Bloodstain pattern analysis
Bloodstain pattern analysis is one of several specialties in the field of forensic science. The use of bloodstains as evidence is not new; however, the application of modern science has brought it to a higher level...
uses stage blood or sometimes cow's blood in mock-up crime scenes when training new investigators.
The art of Moulage
Moulage
Moulage is the art of applying mock injuries for the purpose of training Emergency Response Teams and other medical and military personnel...
uses theatrical blood in applying mock injuries for the purpose of training Emergency Response Teams and other medical and military personnel.
Theatrical blood is also popularly used in Halloween costume
Halloween costume
Halloween costumes are costumes worn on or around Halloween, a festival which falls on October 31. The Halloween costume has a fairly short history. Wearing costumes has long been associated with other holidays around the time of Halloween, even Christmas...
s.