Always thought fake blood was easy to get right, but that TikTok clip changed my mind

I saw this prop maker on TikTok named Jess break down how the blood in the original Carrie looked like red paint, not real blood. She showed side-by-side shots from the 1976 movie and a newer short film that used corn syrup and food coloring. Made me realize getting the consistency right is way harder than I thought. Has anyone here tried mixing their own blood props for a low budget shoot?

2 comments

2 Comments

johns181d ago

Honestly, that's a good point but the 1976 Carrie blood was actually a mix of corn syrup and red dye, not just paint. De Palma wanted it to flow thick and sticky for that gym scene.

stellafisher1d ago

I remember reading about how they had to shoot the gym scene in one take because the blood system was rigged with pumps and hoses all over the set. Sissy Spacek got totally drenched, but the corn syrup made it feel gross and real, like @johns18 said. I think De Palma even had the technicians build extra drains in the floor because the stuff was so thick it would clog everything up.