So, why not use real blood in stage/film productions? Well, real blood coagulates (thickens/solidifies to a jelly-like state) in the presence of oxygen, which is not helpful in a performance if someone is supposed to be bleeding out. Blood also darkens during this process. So making fake blood turned out to be a more accessible, effective, and dramatic method of enabling blood effects in a scene. So, According to John Hess, from Filmmaker IQ, the most notable uses of fake blood began in Paris. Fake blood has been used throughout history in stage plays, but it was first seriously appreciated and documented at the Theatre du Grand Guignol in Paris. This particular theatre, founded in 1894, became famous for its gruesome shows with practical displays of gore and gruesome dismemberment. Their secret recipe for
…show more content…
The British filmmakers “Hammer” began making a series of classic horror reboots, with much more blood and gore than before. They popularized this new formula, called Kensington Gore. Kensington Gore is a pun named after two streets that circle around Royal Albert Hall in London, and it was invented by pharmacist John Tynegate. This new recipe included Golden Syrup, red, blue, and yellow food coloring, and corn starch to thicken. An estimated 360 gallons of Kensington Gore was used infamously in the elevator scene in “The Shining”. The Hollywood fake blood as we know it today was perfected by makeup artist Dick Smith. It uses Corn Syrup instead of Golden syrup, because of its low cost. It also includes Methyl Paraben, an ingredient used in makeup that prevents mold or bacteria from growing. He also used Photo-Flow, which is a chemical used in developing prints to break the surface tension of liquids. This chemical however, is poisonous, so it is frequently substituted for detergent or lecithin, if it needs to be edible. This can be noted in such movies as Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Taxi
The British filmmakers “Hammer” began making a series of classic horror reboots, with much more blood and gore than before. They popularized this new formula, called Kensington Gore. Kensington Gore is a pun named after two streets that circle around Royal Albert Hall in London, and it was invented by pharmacist John Tynegate. This new recipe included Golden Syrup, red, blue, and yellow food coloring, and corn starch to thicken. An estimated 360 gallons of Kensington Gore was used infamously in the elevator scene in “The Shining”. The Hollywood fake blood as we know it today was perfected by makeup artist Dick Smith. It uses Corn Syrup instead of Golden syrup, because of its low cost. It also includes Methyl Paraben, an ingredient used in makeup that prevents mold or bacteria from growing. He also used Photo-Flow, which is a chemical used in developing prints to break the surface tension of liquids. This chemical however, is poisonous, so it is frequently substituted for detergent or lecithin, if it needs to be edible. This can be noted in such movies as Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Taxi