I need suggestions for a shower scene (1 Viewer)

[Andres Munoz]

My friends and I are filming a movie (poor man style) and there is this scene where a girl is taking a shower and I need to make the water turn into blood.

I'm just going to be filming her from the shoulders up, basically concentrating on her facial expressions. She's supposed to have her eyes closed and enjoying the water.

I'm having a hard time coming up with ideas to make the water turn red and be safe for her eyes, her skin, her hair, etc. and make it seem like it's coming from the shower head.

Any suggestions?

 

[Ruz-El]

Water soluable tempra paint. It shouldn't stain anything, as kid's use it school. Try trickling it in the water off camera (if you have room, I did a shower scene with blood, and getting a good angle in a standard tub/shower was a real bitch.) I have no idea if it well hurt her eyes or not, and I've never tried it.

If you need a full on shot of the blood coming out of the shower head, your going to have to build it. Good luck!

(I have no idea how to build such a thing, a pressure washer with the hose ran into a shower head rig?)

 

[Andres Munoz]

Your first guess is right. I want to trickle the water off camera. I have no plans to film it coming out of the shower head just because like you said, it's just too difficult (at least for an amateur like me).

I'd be curious to know if it can hurt your eyes or not. I'm afraid to try it on myself.

Where can you get water soluble tempra paint? Any idea how much it goes for?

 

[Patrick Sun]

Arts supply store should have the paint.

 

[Doug:Li]

Depending on how you are filming it, i would suggest using a lot of red food coloring mixed with water and finding a watering can with a large sprinkler like opening and have someone pour that over the actor to simulate a shower head.

Of course if its in black and white, chocolate sauce could work too...

 

[Joe Szott]

doug -

I think the problem with food coloring is after one take you a red skinned actress with semi-permenantly colored red hair. Most girls wouldn't go for that, movie or no.

 

[Jason_Els]

Cherry Jell-O™ mix in warm water. Just be sure to keep the water warm or else it will begin to set. It's sticky but a nice hot shower with soap should clean it all off.

 

[Scott McGillivray]

May sound gross, but you always could use real blood. You should be able to get an ample supply from a butcher or farmer etc. I think it would work fine so long as you keep it warm.

 

[David_Moechnig]

Real blood coagulates withing minutes of contact with air. I've personally slaughtered many hogs in my day and I've never seen liquid blood for more than 5-10 minutes.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

buy a spar shower-head at LOWES and construct a prop using some palstic tubing and a bucket. Gravity should do the trick.

 

[Andres Munoz]

You guys are great! Lots of great advice. I'm liking the idea of using cherry or strawberry jello. That should be safe to use. And I was thinking about using a watering can.

Real blood? lol. I don't know if my actress would go for that. Nothing like the real thing though.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

Jello stains. Not permanently, but it's as bad as food coloring. And it's all sticky. you'd be better off with the paint.

 

[Andres Munoz]

I'll keep that in mind Dan. Thanks.

 

[Chuck Mullen]

OT suggestion:
Concentrate the shot BELOW her shoulders.
What? Thirteen posts and nobody else said it. I figured someone should!

 

[Nathan*W]

You mean for "artistic" reasons?

 

[Andrew Pratt]

Watch Drew Barrymore in Doppleganger for how to do that scene properly

 

[Jean D]

wouldnt real blood be too thick to send through a showerhead? I figure there would be a dramatic decrease of pressure. enough so that your average person would open their eyes out of curiousity.

on a side suggestion, showing cleavege would boost your viewings and sales. even a side shot with no nipple. sad but true.

Im not knocking the idea here, but suggesting an alternative version of the scene that may be easier to film. shower/blood scenes are all the same and common. you instead could have her shaving her legs in the shower, and then the blood would slowly come in, and she at first would think its her blood. or... take a bubble bath with running water and a face clothe over her face, and the tub and bubbles take a reddish color on.

 

[Ruz-El]

Jello, does stain. You can use it for temporary hair coloring.

I have no idea about the paint.

 

[Tim Hoover]

What about cranberry juice or something like tomato sauce?

 

[Brad Porter]

I found a website that talks about different low-cost recipes for on-screen blood.

And I second the recommendation to do a medium shot rather than a closeup - so that the realism of the blood isn't as large of a factor. If a random breast gets into the shot, then that can be taken care of in editing.

Brad