Here are two fake blood recipes for filmmakers looking for realistic gore for their fans – a corn syrup recipe for oozing blood, and a flour mixture for blood splatter.
We have two recipes here – Syrup-based and MB2-based fake blood. Syrup-based works for the aftermath splatter of your gory zombie fest or shoot-up massacre. If you’re looking for realistic oozing, running, or dripping, MB2 is the way to go.
Now get your apron and let’s get cooking! Let us know how you made out in the comments below.
Syrup-Based Fake Blood Splatter
For some real ooze, get a bottle of Karo Syrup (or any other light corn syrup). Add red food color then gradually add a little blue and just a touch of green until it looks right.
Of course, most of the food color you use should be red, but as you color balance the formula remember this:
Real blood in a fresh cut or wound is bright red, and the longer it sits outside of the body it turns darker because it actually ‘rusts’ – blood contains iron.
By experimenting with the amount of blue and green, you should be able to come up with some very realistic-looking blood. However, this will not “run freely from a wound”, but it will do well for bloodstains that have set in zombies, gunshot victims, etc.
Look for just the right amount of ooze depending on how long ago the wound was inflicted. The longer it’s been in open air, the drier it gets.
MB2-Based Fake Blood Ooze
This blood formula is less messy to make, and some say is more realistic. But we think that is because its texture offers us a natural-looking splatter.
On the upside, there’s no sugary syrup here that would attract creepy crawlies (though bugs on an open wound could offer a bit more ick.
Prepare the Flour Base:
1/2 to 2 level tbsp all-purpose flour per cup (250ml) of water.
Mix flour into the water completely (no lumps).
Bring the flour base to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Simmer for 30 minutes while stirring frequently.
If any surface scum appears, mix it in well – it makes a slightly slimy base with low surface tension. Like blood, it soaks and spreads well.
Mix and Add Food Color
For 1 cup (250ml) of the flour base: – Mix 1 oz Red food color (Durkee brand or equivalent) – 1/8 teaspoon (.6cc) green food color (Durkee brand or equivalent)
Add the color to one cup of the prepared flour base.
Cautions:
MB2 Formula’s shelf life is fairly short (a few days) at room temperature.
MN2 blood does not go rank but ferments a bit and loses viscosity with time.
I have not tested the MB2 formula for refrigerated or frozen storage. Worth a try though.
MB2 Blood temporarily stains skin but seems to wash out of cotton clothes OK.
Let us know how you made out in the comments below!
Make Cinema Your Language
Cinema is a language we all understand, but not everyone ‘speaks’ it–directors do.
This interactive, self-guided textbook is a director’s toolbox, made for Apple Books.
Embrace a solid foundation with a future-proof, classic combo of theory, technique, history, and critical thinking.
Gain practical, adaptable creative skills and insight that transcend technological changes, be it a camera, mobile device, or AI.
Starting out in this business is tough. Producers risk enough just making a movie, never mind taking chances on some newbie disrupting the set, causing delays, unknowingly insulting a crew member, or breaking something they shouldn’t be touching.
By Cyber Film School UPDATED DECEMBER 11 2022,
Somehow, either through talent, persistence, connections, or all three, your lucky break comes along. How you do on this first gig may get you the next one.
If you follow a few common-sense tips, it’s not that hard to build a good reputation from the start.
1. Be Observant
There’s a very clear chain of command on set. Make sure you understand who reports to whom, how the departments are set up, exactly where you fit in and what is expected of you. Know your way around the set, and what are off-limits for your job description. Always ask permission when leaving the set. Listen up for the Assistant Director’s commands at all times, and quiet means absolute quiet. No footsteps, no whispering, no coughing, no sneezing. Silence. If you ruin a take, it’s game over.
2. Be Positive
Most producers agree that a positive attitude and willingness to learn is number one on this list. But when you’re overworked and doing a repetitive job it’s easy to get nervy, start complaining and get grouchy. Beat this temptation with a smile and an upbeat mood, and you win the respect of co-workers.
If you’re asked to do something extra or make unexpected changes to a plan, don’t argue. Stuff happens. Cooperate. Make the changes quickly and in a pleasant manner.
3. Be Attentive & Focused
Keep your focus on the job and always find something interesting about what you’re doing. Keep your phone in your pocket and off, don’t read non-work material. If you’re not busy for short periods, stay interested in what’s going on around you. Ask if you can help.
4. Be On Time
This applies to any job but in film, where budgets are high, every single moment is money. NEVER, EVER BE LATE!
In fact, to make a great first impression, be 15 minutes early and ask if there’s anything that needs to be done. This will get you noticed, especially in the morning when the crew is a bit grumpy and could use some help.
5. Don’t Be Controversial or Offensive
Don’t talk about politics, sex or religion – these topics can be highly controversial and can easily offend. Be extra careful with jokes. Not everyone shares your wit.
6. Be Careful About Networking On Set
Don’t network or promote yourself openly in front of others. This can give rise to jealousy and competitiveness. If you don’t have a crew list with phone numbers get one from the AD. Nothing wrong with following up with people once the project is over.
7. Dress Appropriately
Dress appropriately for your job. If you’re a PA, don’t show up on set wearing an Armani suit. Hygiene is also extremely important, especially on a crowded set. Show up clean – you never know when you’ll wind up with an unplanned 16-hour day.
8. Understand Your Job
Many entry-level positions ask you to take on the extra load from other jobs. For example, a Production Assistant on one project may be doing entirely different tasks on the next. The PA may be logging timecode, keeping continuity notes or driving around for stuff. Be prepared for anything. Find out what you’re supposed to be doing on this particular job. Once you know exactly what is required, make sure you are able to do it and can give it your 100%.
Owning the following is really helpful: a car, driver’s license, resume, and business cards.
9. Don’t Tell Anyone You Direct
Everyone is a would-be director with some project about to happen. On the set, it gives the impression you’re not interested in or value your current job.
10. Don’t Date Anyone On Set
Seriously. Ask someone on a date after the project wraps and not during. Did we say seriously? No explanation is needed on this one!
11. Don’t Run Off When It’s A Wrap
Here’s a way to make a terrific impression. When the day is over, don’t jump in your car and split. Stick around a bit and ask if anyone needs anything.
11. Arrive at Parties Late & Leave Early
Don’t avoid wrap parties or events but understand that a party is how film people network. Don’t go there to get wasted. Parties provide a great opportunity for you and your co-workers to get to know each other better.
12. Treat Everyone With Respect
This point provides long-term value rather than short. Treat everyone with respect and kindness be they actors, grips, directors or production assistants. You may not feel this respect in return immediately. You earn it over time. Treat people well and you’ll attract others of the same heart, and find yourself soon working on projects with friends who respect you as much as you do them.
13. Admit Mistakes Immediately
Did you screw up something important? Whatever you did wrong, admit it now! Believe it or not, people will respect you for having the strength to fess up. After all, you have the greatest excuse in the world – it’s your first film job and you’re learning!
14. Don’t Invoice On The Spot
The reality is that most producers don’t get paid right away. Expecting a pay cheque immediately makes you look green, desperate and unprofessional. Send producers an invoice and wait the standard 30 days, unless your due dates are agreed upon differently. If money hasn’t been received after the due date, a polite phone call usually gets results.
While talking about money, negotiate overtime rates and mileage upfront and remember to invoice anything extra work you do (even if the production company doesn’t wind up paying they’ll be aware of the additional work or resources you provided).
15. Bonus Tips: The Golden Rules of Life
If you open it, close it.
If you turn it on, turn it off.
If you unlock it, lock it up.
If you break it, admit it.
If you can’t fix it, call in someone who can.
If you borrow it, return it.
If you value it, take care of it.
If you make a mess, clean it up.
If it belongs to someone else and you want to use it, get permission.
If you don’t know how to operate it, leave it alone.
If it’s none of your business, don’t ask questions.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
If it will brighten someone’s day, say it.
If it will tarnish someone’s reputation, keep it to yourself.
Before his career as a producer and television personality, Adam Palmer was an alternative education teacher for his grade 7 to 12 students deemed ‘too tough to teach’. Adam never taught a film class or made a film, yet he launched a film class with a single book that changed their lives.
Alternative Education: Teaching the ‘Tough To Teach’
“At risk? I’m not a fan of that term. All youth are vulnerable at some point, to some degree.”
~Adam Palmer
The Teacher as a Student
Adam Palmer runs a youth inclusion program at a First Nations community school in Agassiz, British Columbia, ninety minutes west of Vancouver.
That is where the youth counsellor and teacher integrated his Alternative Education class into the high school environment at STS’Ailes (‘Chehalis’) First Nations community, where his students work at their own pace within the school’s mainstream curriculum. Adam’s job is to keep them in school and out of the hands of the authorities.
Further, Adam works alongside English teacher Kevin Walsh, who offers extra marks for the script portion of the film program in support of the school’s curriculum. The school’s IT officer Mark Balfour admits, “Some of these kids are tough as nails.”
Why a Film Class?
‘Alternative Education’ was never a term that came to Adam’s mind before this. Additionally, neither Adam nor English teacher Kevin had ever taught film. Yet their passion for the wellness of these students ended up as just one model that represents the term.
Adam began classes here as an Outdoor and Wilderness Education Teacher, involving his students in rigorous outdoor activities to foster land-based knowledge, teamwork, a sense of achievement, and self-worth.
Adam also runs an outdoor program for his Alternative Education students.
“But not all of these kids are built for climbing and caving,” he admits. “There are the creative ones – the thinkers and the reflective among the bunch who would rather observe the doers. Getting them to participate was a bit of a push.”
However, on a wilderness expedition, Adam noticed a common thread that bound the group, despite their differences. The students took snapshots, recorded videos, and shared equally with each other, all enjoying a common interest, even if for moments at a time.
Learn a Chapter, Teach a Lesson
Students use their iPad and Mac to study and practice their filming/editing exercises and assignments
Tutorials, Exercises, and Assignments throughout the book progressively build essential, evergreen skills.
Formerly, Adam’s only filmmaking experience was as a video enthusiast, having produced a class video project in the past. “It was a lot of home-movie point-and-shoot stuff,” he admits. Not much film craft to it, and it didn’t get screened much. But it did bind the group in a new way.”
Soon after backed by little more than his passion for the subject and the eagerness of his students, Adam gave me a call. “I want to start a film course at my school,” he said. “Can I use your program to do this?”
If you do this in earnest, you will learn to ‘speak’ a new language – a visual language of film, and so will your students.”
“Of course”, I replied confidently, even though we were still in its experimental phase. “But you’ll need to follow each chapter and do the exercises. If you do this in earnest, you will learn to ‘speak’ a new language – a visual language of film, and so will your students.”
Adam was a student as well as a teacher.
“Cyber Film School changed my life.”
Matthew, 14years old
Testimonial Video (3 minutes):
Matthew, 14: “Cyber Film School changed my life”
Getting Started
Grades 7 to 11 got together as a film crew on assignments and learned the value of teamwork.
Adam was already thinking of the capital outlay he would need to start a film course for his high school students.
“Does your school have iPads or Macs?” I asked.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Then you’re ready.”
The topics and exercises are generally structured in the manner of first-year film schools, where film language encompasses history, applied visual literacy, and the theory of the craft, with the beginner filmmaker in mind.
A typical assignment provides a practical tutorial along with analytical theory.
The user/reader is thus freed up to learn, practice, and apply the very core of film language right on the iPad or iPhone.
Although every chapter of this multi-touch textbook has exercises and assignments that can be shot, edited, and shared on just one device, A Mac computer and conventional camera enhance the experience.
For himself, Adam downloaded his copy through Apple Books using his Apple ID. Once he was satisfied, he made a volume purchase through the school through Apple’s Volume Purchase Program and distributed one copy of the textbook to each of the twelve students’ assigned iPads.
Class Film Project Trailer
Class Project Film Trailer (2 minutes)
Equipment
Adam opted to buy a kit from a third party, which outfits his iPads with additional lenses, lights, and microphones, for under $300. The holder/case itself is valuable as it helps mount the iPad to a tripod.
Sample of the iPad case kit Adam bought for his class. Shown are Wide Angle Lens, Direction Microphone, and case with handles and tripod mount.
Because Adam was a beginner filmmaker, his teaching routine was to study the week’s chapter ahead of time and understand the exercise himself right on his iPad. So in class, he went through the chapter’s sections and exercises with his students.
“I like the way the content is broken up into sections, which makes it easy to schedule class time for exercises, while leaving room for out-of-class assigments. So I basically learned about the process and I relayed the information,” he says. “We were all learning.”
The class reviews the Cyber Film School iBook’s sample videos and does the lighting exercises together.
Because he is limited to two hours and forty minutes over two weekly classes, Adam projects the Apple Book’s content – video clips, interviews, galleries, and diagrams onto a large screen through a wired connection.
Additionally, each student is equipped with a copy on their prescribed device. Therefore Adam conducts the chapter’s exercises as a group, while the students may study on their own.
“One of the greatest time-savers was the structured knowledge I was acquiring, which provided me with more educated and informed online searches to get specific information more quickly. “
Project Based Learning with Community Involvement
Scene from “Mosquito Lady”, the class film that retells an ancient legend.
As a First Nations school, its curriculum incorporates Indigenous culture. The common class film project, beyond the basic Cyber Film School exercises, is an ancient legend retold through the lens.
Authentic wardrobes and masks were made by community Elders who involved the students in the craft workshops.
The result was that three months into his program, Adam’s alternative Education film class had not only enhanced the lives of his students but the vibrancy of their entire community as well.
“This is the best example of project-based learning with community involvement I’ve seen.”
Judy Manitowabi, Director Of First Peoples Centre, Canadore College & Nippissing University, North Bay
Consequently, the class recruited community elders including Rocky LaRock as a cultural advisor. He helps with carvings, costumes, props, stories, and legends.
As for other community Elders, they helped with the design and sewing of period costumes and jewelry for the production. Younger children and older adults were recruited as actors. In a community of 450, a dozen teens can impact the entire population.
The cast came from the entire community, from local kids to teachers and elders.
“As for myself, I can only imagine that when bedtime now arrives for these teens, they dream up tomorrow’s adventure then awaken as esteemed storytellers – not only for their community but also as messengers of their culture to the world that surrounds them.”
Stavros Stavrides, Publisher
Diverse Learners
“It’s a unique place”, says Adam. “Everyone comes onto this ‘unequal’ playing field we call the school. For example, Mark, Brian, and I approach Cyber Film School with our varied skills and backgrounds and learn along with these kids.
That makes this alternative education film program a big equalizer. We have kids with good English skills, others with tech skills, and some with people skills. Each contributes their natural ability to support the other in a shared project with a common goal they all relate to.”
“The Book’s multi-touch features are very effective. Our students represent a wide array of learning abilities. We successfully went through Cyber Film School as our main source of theory content in my video class.”
Patty Jenkins, Media Teacher, Parry Sound High School, Ontario
Accordingly, linear and abstract thinkers play off each other. Their individual strengths surface. The technical and the creative cooperate to get it done. And quite importantly, the communication life skills they acquire help bolster their English credit associated with this program.
“That’s how we get this job done”, adds Adam. “In terms of accomplishment and esteem building, I have never seen this anywhere else outside of a sports team. Until now.”
Consequently, as Adam and his students were exploring a cave, Adam stopped to take some personal videos. One of his students jumped in and suggested some camera angles for more effective coverage –” the guy wants to half-bury the camera looking out from the cave, peeking just above the dirt.”
in response, Adam was about to reply to the student, “But this is just my personal video”, but held back the comment. Adam found himself taking direction from his students. Today, his students call the shots.
A student works to visualize how the next sequence of shots will cut together.
Latest Edition
As for our team and myself back at Cyber Film School, we raced that first Edition of Cyber Film School to market just in time for Adam’s program, to prove the concept.
Then in June of 2022, we released our much expanded second edition with further updates through 2023, based on feedback from the book’s users.
Over 200 videos, 700 images, more Hollywood interviews who speak with the beginner in mind, more tutorials, quizzes, and exercises, and an added screenwriting chapter, at the same price as before.
But that’s the business end. What really keeps us going is what our resident teacher/contributor Mary Jane Gomes said to me after witnessing these kids thriving.
“Right now, just seeing those twelve kids dreaming, and creating dreams, makes it all worth while. These young new filmmakers have become our teachers.”
Publisher, Cyber Film School
This is why we do what we do.
Make Cinema Your Language
Cinema is a language we all understand, but not everyone ‘speaks’ it–directors do.
This interactive, self-guided textbook is a director’s toolbox, made for Apple Books.
Embrace a solid foundation with a future-proof, classic combo of theory, technique, history, and critical thinking.
Gain practical, adaptable creative skills and insight that transcend technological changes, be it a camera, mobile device, or AI.
