Delivery Containers

Ketchup packets are excellent. Only problem is that it may spurt or not open easily. This could be remedied with some creative patching to increase the explosion control.

Ziplock freezer bags (zipper side up) come in varying sizes and can hold a good amount of gore. It is generally advisable to wrap them in duct tape or a similar water resistant vapor barrier tape so as to make the plastic more durable. A drop of vinyl goop (brand of adhesive-anything that will hold the bag's sides together) will help to keep the inside of the bag flat (you're trying to weld the two interior sides of the bag together so that they can not get as far apart and allow the load to all end up on one end. A leak placed in the reinforced bag (pinholes-slits) patched with a minimal amount of duct tape (1/8-1/4 in. overlap on each side of leak) will pull off fairly readily (string for easier/remote pull) to allow gore out.

Camelbak personal hydration systems are excellent for a lot of spurting gore. Fill up and have the actor sit/lay on the bladder. Use a medical tubing clamp to regulate the pulsing.

A sponge works well in a handkerchief/visible wound. Use a syringe (check vet/farm supply houses if they're illegal in your state, or tell your doctor what you need them for and they'll often write a prescription for you) to inject the gore into the middle of the sponge just before production (it'll take a while to soak through) and have the actor squeeze the sponge/press it to the "wound".

Gore Pumping

Use an empty 2 liter of coke (or the 16oz of trendy water), rinse it, dry it, let it air dry a while, and drill (yes drill) a hole in the CAP, drilling from the outside. The small blue liner/seal thingy under the cap is important leave it there; if it wants to come off stop drilling and twist a sharp knife around in the hole until it is big enough. The hole should be just under the diameter of tubing you intend to use (about 1/16" dia. or so.) Run vinyl tubing to wherever it is going to come out (the hardware store has little T connectors, + connectors and nozzles) if you need a few pumping locations, keep in mind:

• big tube => little tube to up pressure = spurt
• little tube => big tube to lower pressure = ooze

Specialties

Gash to open with Gore:

Make a sheet of liquid latex (paint layers on) onto a sheet of saran wrap (seems to work best), cut it cleanly where you want the wound to appear(all the way through, not all the way across the sheet), and reseal this cut using a weaker adhesive than the latex (rubber cement works fairly well). Use prosthetic adhesive (much stronger than spirit gum) to attach this patched latex sheet to your victim on every side except up, add gore, and seal the top with more adhesive, making sure to get all the air out.

This method takes some experimentation and for a large wound might require attaching the sheet to the body at several small points inside the pouch to prevent it from sagging. It looks great but you have to be really careful in removing the thing in order to reuse the sheet. To add to reusability, fabric can be the basis for the sheet.

Dry gore in a Costume:

Almost any paint that will adhere to fabric can be used inside a tear open patch to really open up someone. Clear liquid latex will give the gore inside the requisite wet look as will most white glues(not as flexible) Due to the nature of stage combat, the fastening device for the opening (flap, backed slit, whatever) needs to be fairly stable, yet able to be removed rapidly with a movement natural to the discovery of the wound or infliction of the wound.

This can mean that 2 tiny patches of velcro can be used to hold closed a tunic if the fabric is somewhat rigid, or that a thread will need to be stitched into the break and pulled out every performance for the shoulder. Depending upon if the attacker or woundee is opening/able to open the "wound" will determine in part how it is fastened as well as possibly shape the fight You may have to change how the character is stabbed in order for the stabber to release the opening -- this is true for many fight gore effects, although in an ideal world you won't have to, often the time or money is not available to avoid this.

Blood Recipies

Blood can be either made or purchased from over a dozen theatrical/make-up suppliers. Depending upon your budget and creativity, it may be more fun to just make it yourself. You will want to make 150% of the blood intended to need for a show/effect or more so that one batch can be used for the entire run. Keep any blood not in use in a fridge so it doesn't try to react/spoil as much. For a longer run, keep notes on the mixture you use and make it in several day batches.

These recipes are somewhat vague, but cookbooks contain useful suggestions and need not be followed to a 'T'. Many folks use peanut butter and swear buy it, but remember that many people allergic to nuts and it is better not to risk a strong reaction. In terms of mixing color, use our best judgement keeping in mind that it's best to mix in the lighting you will be using (outdoors, on a dim stage, whatever) -- it's just like mixing paint, but the color won't change as it drys.

It also is a very good idea to have someone look at the gore dripping, pouring, sitting whatever from the audience's distance/perspective. What seem like nice arterial leakage up close may look pink from the back of the orchestra -- and remember that blood changes color as it dries.

Scenic Blood: Stains white stuff, but reads amazingly well on scenery or dripping/pouring. It reads as a good dried blood on fabric if you don't use the syrup, use more paint and add an equal amount of white glue to paint. Easy to make A LOT. Non potable (do not ingest), little to no irritation on skin.

Water and corn starch boiled until appropriate texture closely approximated (corn syrup can be boiled in too for consistency, light or dark but your choice will affect the final color). Boil to ensure that it all dissolves and that the syrup mixes evenly. Add tempera paint in more or less the following ratio: red one cup, blue a few drops, yellow a few drops.

The pigment in the paint will read very well provided that there is enough of it in the base. More pigment will stain your nice white flats, but you can always repaint between shows (the director will love this!) This mixture will come off of latex based paints quickly and almost perfectly with a soft damp-wet sponge if removed before it dries. It washes out of clothes slightly better than tempera paint(dark colors are fine) and off of skin with minimal scrubbing even when dry.

Wash-out Blood: Washes out of almost anything even after being smeared in and left under stage lights for 30 minutes. Does not dry well at all. More expensive than scenic, but looks great. Mild irritant if prolonged exposure to skin, not at all potable.

Pick up a jug of liquid Ultra Tide. It should be light blue in color and a pretty good blood consistency. Add water or corn starch if you need to change thickness a little, but it can't change much. For a gallon of tide, a bottle of red food coloring should be added (more or less) a drop of blue food coloring might be too much so be careful. A little yellow will do some interesting things to it. For lighter colors add flour/starch to add white. I'd suggest pouring some tide into muffin tins to play with color until you think you know what you want. I have never used another brand of detergent for this, but Tide has come out of Lady Macbeth's white gown again and again.

Potable I Blood: This is a lot of fun to dribble out of your mouth for friends at the dinner table. Dark corn syrup (light is ok if you add a little molasses) and liquid food coloring. You'll mostly need red, as usual. You can add a flavor extract (or liqueur, red or clear) if you don't like your sugar plain.

Potable II Blood: What to use if you need to froth blood, spit blood after drinking or generally produce blood from another liquid. In a small dry bowl, mix dry food coloring (tried kool-aid it works ok, and tastes better). Again mostly red. Scoop a little of this mix out, and add it to whatever liquid you are making bloody (spit, milk, etc) once you've figured out how much powder to liquid (a pea sized bit to a mouth full, a teaspoon to a cup etc) mix up enough powder for all the blood you intend to produce.

If you need to spit blood most natural food stores will sell you gelatin capsules to be filled with the powder. You can add a little powdered sugar to make the actor drool more. If you're going to be on stage longer than a gelcap will last or can't get a hand to your mouth at the last second, a hard candy hollowed out with a fine drill (or just find a hollow one) can be sealed with a piece of cheese(a piece of cheese will also work, but you tend to spit chunks of cheddar, while the candy can be crushed/dissolved more readily).

Stuff Recommended to Buy

Eye Blood: Buy it. Do not risk your actors eyes for being cheap. I've heard too many knew a guy who knew a guy who lost an eye stories to even think of experimenting. There are several out there. Kryolan eye blood and "professional eyeblood" used to be carried by Alcone co. I don't know if they still are.

Two-part Blood: I'll buy it until I figure out how to make it. Add part one to the actor, add part two to the DULL weapon just before it's used (a rag/sponge in a scabbard) and "cut" the actor. Voila -- the cut appears. Supposedly great stuff, never used it or seen it used that I know of. Kryolan makes this stuff too.

Original Content Summarized by: Michael Freiert (mkf6@cornell.edu), Technical Director. upstage left theatre. Cornell University. Jan 1999.