Blood & Special Effects

Checking out and Accessing Blood Products 

All blood is stored within the costume shop.  The first step to using blood in any Columbia production is to fill out the Blood Proposal Form.  After receiving and reviewing the Blood Proposal form, an approval (or denial) will be sent to the creative team. After approval, the creative team can make an appointment with the Costume Shop Manager to look at the blood and eventually check out the blood for your production.  Both of these steps need to happen before blood can be used in a rehearsal room or performance.

Once blood has been checked out from the Costume Shop, it should always live in the theater. In Lenfest, it should live on the black cabinet backstage right. At Schapiro, a location will be determined between the SM team and APM for each show. The backstage area for blood should be taped out with instructions. 

Pre-Tech Blood and Special Effects Rehearsal

A blood and special effects rehearsal needs to be scheduled prior to the start of tech.  This is so that the blood can be worked with outside of the tech schedule, and so that any notes or changes to blood plans can be done before tech begins.  The following people are required to attend the Pre-Tech Blood and Special Effects Rehearsal: 

• Rep from production’s creative team - the person who designed the effect
• Director
• Fight/Intimacy director
• Stage Manager
• Costume Shop Supervisor and/or a Production Manager
• Performers who interact with the effect/blood

The Pre-Tech blood rehearsal is the only approved rehearsal prior to tech where stage blood can be used.  If the production would like to work with blood prior to the Pre-Tech Blood rehearsal, or after that rehearsal (and before tech) they can either use water in place of blood, or those additional rehearsals would need to be approved by the Costume Shop Manager and/or a Production Manager.  Water can be used in place of blood at any time.

Blood Costs

Blood products and accessories need to come out of a production budget.  Once approved, the Costume Shop Manager can assist with quoting the cost and ordering the blood products.  In the rare case that the Costume Shop has leftover blood from a previous show, your production may be able to use that leftover blood, but you should always plan to budget to pay for blood and accessories including squibs, pills, clean supplies, etc.