A bullet hit squib or a blood squib is a practical, pyrotechnic special effect device used mainly in the film industry, TV shows and stage performances [1] and even in first responder moulage training to simulate the appearance of a person being shot and wounded. [2] [3] [4] This is achieved by blowing open a pre-scored hole on the actor's clothing and bursting a fake blood packet with a small explosion, creating an aesthetic that filmmakers and audiences alike have become accustomed to associating with a gunshot wound.
The effect is usually carried out with clothing instead of on bare skin in order to conceal the device. While the portrayal is not necessarily accurate or is exaggerated compared to real-life [5] (in the main figure, bullet holes are blown outwards and blood projects through the fabric), it is nevertheless a useful tool to create a dramatic scene.
The device comprises a squib (a small, tablet-shaped, firecracker-like explosive) with an integrated igniter, a pack of simulant (often fake blood), a protective shield and padding attached to the actor's costume. It is connected to a battery and a remote, allowing the squib to be triggered by the actor or a crew member.
Bullet hit squibs were first used in the film industry as early as 1943 in Bataan [6] and 1955 in Pokolenie , [7] with the latter using fake blood added in a condom and a squib, a technique still widely in use today. The use of squibs in filmmaking has become a widely accepted and well-established technique for creating convincing and realistic depictions of violence. This approach has been used in many classic films such as The Matrix (1999), Goodfellas (1990), and The Terminator (1984).
Various crew members create blood squib effects in film productions: pyrotechnicians [8] build squibs while costume designers prepare multiple identical outfits for actors. [9] Collaboration among the writer, director, producer, and actor is essential for determining squib positions, numbers, and costume design. At least three, [10] sometimes up to six, costumes are used for different takes and camera angles, dress rehearsals, backups, and tests, depending on the budget. [11] This can become costly for low-budget filmmakers and a trade-off between the number of character deaths, takes (i.e. costume duplicates) and squibs (i.e. multiple hits).
To prevent the audience from noticing, squibs are integrated discreetly into costumes, designed with a low profile and minimal bulge. Careful fabric incision also reduces the visibility of the scoring marks.
A movie squib is typically a flat, disc-shaped explosive weighing 0.5-1.0 grain (0.03-0.06 g) — by comparison, a party popper is about 0.25 grain (0.015 g), and a small firecracker is about 2.5 grain (0.15 g) — is used to create entry or exit wounds with 10-30 ml of fake blood, respectively. [12] This amount also depends on the absorbency of the fabric and the desired visual aesthetic. The blood is filled in a small balloon, packet, or condom placed on the squib, followed by a grooved protective plate and padding. [13] [11] The assembly is secured with duct tape, leaving a small front window for the simulant to burst through.
Various simulants, such as fake blood, water (rehearsals), [14] glycerine (night scenes), [15] or dry substances like dust [16] [17] and feathers (gunshot aesthetic on a down jacket), [18] [19] are used depending on the desired effect. The bullet hit squib assembly weighs approximately 30 g, measuring 50 mm in diameter and 15 mm thick. Aligning the bottom half of the blood packet with the squib produces an aerosolised burst followed by a stream of fake blood. [20]
Dead-character costumes are stage clothes worn by actors who play characters that are killed off, modified to conceal special effects equipment such as squibs and wiring, taking into account script and scene requirements, squib integrability, aesthetics, lighting and budget. They therefore play an important role as a figurative canvas, portraying the violence and death through bursts of blood, frayed bullet holes and the staining of the clothing. For bare skin gunshot wounds, prosthetics may be used instead. For main characters, several stunt pieces with squibs and pre-scored bullet holes are prepared for multiple takes and camera angles, in addition to the hero piece used in prior scenes and closeups without squibs.
To create the bullet holes, the fabric is weakened by cutting, [8] sanding, [11] scoring, [21] grating [22] or plunging a scoring tool, [23] often required by health and safety legislation, then loosely glued or taped back together. Squib placement should be consistent across all stunt pieces, and each costume is typically used once per take, though some clothing like jackets (e.g. waterproof, parka and down) can be reused if the bullet holes are already cleanly precut. They can be wiped clean and reset for multiple takes, making them a preferred choice in addition to their ability to conceal devices, provide padding, support multiple squibs, and be easily worn and removed, minimising the risk of accidental premature rupturing. However, stronger fabric requires more weakening and/or a more powerful squib if the fabric is not precut earlier.
To ensure fake blood propels outwards and within the costume, squibs are aligned with the precut bullet holes and securely attached. They are connected to a trigger, power source, and sometimes a programmable controller for synchronisation. Electronics can be placed in the clothing or off-camera. Test fires and rehearsals are performed to check for faults and to make adjustments (e.g. timing or amount of fake blood) as needed.
The actor can wear the prepared outfit immediately prior to the shot, throughout a scene, or even the entire day, [24] depending on the number of hero and stunt duplicates available, how long the scene is, and as long as the actor is comfortable. Therefore, it is crucial to use a two-step ignition procedure with a safety controlled by the actor and crew to prevent accidental triggering. [8] Squibs can be triggered wired or wirelessly, with the latter solution allowing for more mobility and self-contained electronics.
Safety instructions and timing of squib explosions are informed before filming to ensure the actor is comfortable with the stunt. [8] The actor should avoid looking at the squibs and keep arms away. [24] When triggered on cue (e.g. a specific line in the script, countdown or location), the squib detonates, bursting the blood packet and ripping open the pre-made bullet hole as the actor reacts, creating a convincing effect.
After the take, technicians check for misfires. If this occurs, power is disconnected, circuits are rechecked, and squibs replaced if needed. Spare stunt costumes minimise downtime. If successful, the wardrobe department photographs the "aftermath" for continuity and prepares for the next take, scene, or clean up. [10] [25] Bullet holes may be enhanced for the following scene. [10] Unused costumes modified with squibs are not usually returned to the costume shop due to the damage from pre-scoring the fabric and the opening of the interior (in the case of jackets).
Sometimes, to minimise the visibility of squibs and scoring marks on the fabric, footage is cut to just before squibs fire. Alternatively, digital removal in post-production using reference frames and content-aware fill is also possible to some extent. [26] [27] Additionally, sound effects further enhance the effect during post-production.
Budget-conscious filmmakers can create a similar effect without squibs by using a fishing line attached to a washer glued onto a blood pack, pulled through a precut hole. [28] Alternatively, rocket igniters or electric matches can be employed. [29] However, these methods lack the initial burst from squibs and typically produce only a stream of blood.
More advanced methods using pneumatics (compressed air) [30] emerged in the 2010s, offering safer options without needing pyrotechnicians, thereby reducing costs. However, they are bulkier, heavier, harder to control, and less reliable [31] and not preferred for multiple bullet hits. [32] Despite not using explosives, they may still be erroneously referred to as "squibs." Initially developed from garden sprayers in the early 2000s, [33] these devices have been refined, [34] [35] but the resulting effect is less convincing with a jet of blood spray instead of an aerosol burst, and rigid tubing is difficult to conceal.
The record for the most squibs ever set off on a person is held by Mike Daugherty in 2005, on whom 157 out of 160 squibs successfully detonated. [36] [37]
Hydrostatic shock, also known as Hydro-shock, is the controversial concept that a penetrating projectile can produce a pressure wave that causes "remote neural damage", "subtle damage in neural tissues" and "rapid effects" in living targets. It has also been suggested that pressure wave effects can cause indirect bone fractures at a distance from the projectile path, although it was later demonstrated that indirect bone fractures are caused by temporary cavity effects.
A cartridge, also known as a round, is a type of pre-assembled firearm ammunition packaging a projectile, a propellant substance and an ignition device (primer) within a metallic, paper, or plastic case that is precisely made to fit within the barrel chamber of a breechloading gun, for convenient transportation and handling during shooting. Although in popular usage the term "bullet" is often used to refer to a complete cartridge, the correct usage only refers to the projectile.
Terminal ballistics is a sub-field of ballistics concerned with the behavior and effects of a projectile when it hits and transfers its energy to a target.
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. This trade relies upon self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions to make heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound. The name comes from the Greek words pyr ("fire") and tekhnikos.
Expanding bullets, also known colloquially as dumdum bullets, are projectiles designed to expand on impact. This causes the bullet to increase in diameter, to combat over-penetration and produce a larger wound, thus dealing more damage to a living target. For this reason, they are used for hunting and by most police departments, but are generally prohibited for use in war. Two typical designs are the hollow-point bullet and the soft-point bullet.
A practical effect is a special effect produced physically, without computer-generated imagery or other post-production techniques. In some contexts, "special effect" is used as a synonym of "practical effect", in contrast to "visual effects" which are created in post-production through photographic manipulation or computer generation.
Ballistic gelatin is a testing medium designed to simulate the effects of bullet wounds in animal muscle tissue. It was developed and improved by Martin Fackler and others in the field of wound ballistics. It is calibrated to match pig muscle, which is ballistically similar to human muscle tissue.
A blank is a firearm cartridge that, when fired, does not shoot a projectile like a bullet or pellet, but generates a muzzle flash and an explosive sound like a normal gunshot would. Firearms may need to be modified to allow a blank to cycle the action, and the shooter experiences less recoil with a blank than with a live round. Blanks are often used in prop guns for shooting simulations that have no need for ballistic results, but still demand light and sound effects, such as in historical reenactments, special effects for theatre, movie and television productions, combat training, for signaling, and cowboy mounted shooting. Specialised blank cartridges are also used for their propellant force in fields as varied as construction, shooting sports, and fishing and general recreation.
A squib is a miniature explosive device used in a wide range of industries, from special effects to military applications. It resembles a tiny stick of dynamite, both in appearance and construction, but has considerably less explosive power. A squib consists of two electrical leads separated by a plug of insulating material; a small bridge wire or electrical resistance heater; and a bead of heat-sensitive chemical composition, in which the bridge wire is embedded. They can be used to generate mechanical force to shatter or propel various materials; and for pyrotechnic effects for film and live theatrics.
Stopping power is the ability of a weapon – typically a ranged weapon such as a firearm – to cause a target to be incapacitated or immobilized. Stopping power contrasts with lethality in that it pertains only to a weapon's ability to make the target cease action, regardless of whether or not death ultimately occurs. Which ammunition cartridges have the greatest stopping power is a much-debated topic.
Stage clothes is a term for any clothes used by performers on stage. The term is sometimes used only for those clothes which are specially made for the stage performance by a costume designer or picked out by a costume coordinator. Theatrical costumes can help actors portray characters' age, gender role, profession, social class, personality, and even information about the historical period/era, geographic location, time of day, as well as the season or weather of the theatrical performance. Stage clothes may be used to portray a historical look or they can be used to exaggerate some aspect of a character.
Bulletproofing is the process of making an object capable of stopping a bullet or similar high velocity projectiles. The term bullet resistance is often preferred because few, if any, practical materials provide complete protection against all types of bullets, or multiple hits in the same location, or simply sufficient kinetic (movement) energy to overcome it.
Handgun effectiveness is a measure of the stopping power of a handgun: its ability to incapacitate a hostile target as quickly and efficiently as possible.
A gunshot wound (GSW) is a penetrating injury caused by a projectile from a gun. Damage may include bleeding, bone fractures, organ damage, wound infection, loss of the ability to move part of the body, and in severe cases, death. Damage depends on the part of the body hit, the path the bullet follows through the body, and the type and speed of the bullet. Long-term complications can include bowel obstruction, failure to thrive, neurogenic bladder and paralysis, recurrent cardiorespiratory distress and pneumothorax, hypoxic brain injury leading to early dementia, amputations, chronic pain and pain with light touch (hyperalgesia), deep venous thrombosis with pulmonary embolus, limb swelling and debility, and lead poisoning.
Theatrical blood, stage blood or fake blood is anything used as a substitute for blood in a theatrical or cinematic performance. For example, in the special effects industry, when a director needs to simulate an actor being shot or cut, a wide variety of chemicals and natural products can be used. The most common is red food coloring, often inside small balloons coupled with explosive devices called squibs.
Bodily mutilation in film refers to practical effects implemented on a film set during production, in contrast to special effects, which are applied in post-production. The primary objective is to visually depict physical trauma endured by a character, aiming to elicit emotional responses from the audience and foster empathy towards the character. Bodily mutilation is most usually portrayed in the context of horror, but is also used in other genres, such as medical dramas or war films. It is used primarily either to shock or fascinate the audience of a film, or to add a sense of realism. Improved special effects in recent decades have seen an increase in the prevalence of bodily mutilation in film.
Blood squirt is a projectile expulsion of blood when an artery is ruptured. Blood pressure causes the blood to bleed out at a rapid, intermittent rate in a spray or jet, coinciding with the pulse, rather than the slower, but steady flow of venous bleeding. Also known as arterial bleeding, arterial spurting, or arterial gushing, the amount of blood loss can be copious, occur very rapidly, and can lead to death by exsanguination.
"Bullet Points" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad, and the 37th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on AMC in the United States on August 7, 2011.
An abrasion collar, also known as an abrasion ring or abrasion rim, is a narrow ring of stretched, abraded skin immediately surrounding projectile wounds, such as gunshot wounds. It is most commonly associated with entrance wounds and is a mechanical defect due to a projectile's penetration through the skin. It is caused by a temporary over-stretching of the skin surrounding the projectile's point of penetration. Like all skin abrasions, the abrasion collar tends to dry out due to scraping away of the skin's outer layers and the collapse and dehydration of the underlying cells; it therefore becomes easier to discern with time. This defect is most often seen around rifled firearm entrance wounds due to the striations or grooves in the bullet's surface caused by the rifling on the inside of the weapon's barrel; however, certain other high-velocity projectile wounds can also have the same effect.
Stage clothes worn by actors who portray characters that are shot and wounded in movies, TV shows, or theatre productions are modified to conceal special effects equipment such as squibs, wires and controllers are commonly referred to as "dead-character costumes". These costumes are a crucial element to create a captivating and dramatic scene. Typically, several identical sets of these costumes are prepared for the planned number of takes as "consumables" and are used only once. After use, they are placed on the "dead-character rack" and not reused, unlike other clothing articles that return to the costume shop.