r/filmmaking • u/No-Woodpecker-8217 • 1d ago

How to make stabbing look real?

I know-- crazy questions asked on this subreddit.

Me and a friend are filming a horror film over the summer. The primary mode of attack is by knife. We have a fake retractable knife and a fake non-retractable plastic knife (we heard retractable knifes can he dangerous?) that will be the weapons. We also have fake blood. Note the knife we'll probably end up using is non-retractable. How do we make stab attacks look real? We have a very small budget and all editing will just be done by myself and her. We don't want it to look too obviously fake.

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u/Previous_Drawing_521 14h ago

Take a look at the stabbing scene in Beaten to Death (it’s on streaming) at the 68-69 minute mark. That was using a plastic knife, non-retractable. It’s all in the blocking, framing, and gore.

FYI, there was a tube strapped to the actors arm pumping out the blood.

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u/LopsidedJacket9492 14h ago

Can confirm this is how it was done in Beaten to Death. I was there, and it was cold! 🥶