Bullet hit squib

This article is about the gunshot wound special effect. For malfunctioning firearm cartridges, see squib load.

Pyrotechnic squibs blow open "bullet holes", bursting smoke and fake blood through the actor's jacket in an exaggerated special effects demonstration.

A stunt car with bullet holes drilled out on its panels for squib placement.

A bullet hit squib is a pyrotechnic, practical special effect device used in filmmaking, television and theatre to simulate the appearance of a person or an object being shot. When used on an actor as a blood squib, an explosive charge ruptures the costume and fake blood packet, expelling its contents through the resulting hole. Devices used similarly on props, such as walls and cars, blow out predrilled, filled and painted holes.

For blood hits, the device comprises a squib, simulants sealed in a bag imitating bodily fluids, tissues or both, a protective shield and padding. The device is usually concealed in specially prepared clothing and weakened at the effect location, instead of on bare skin.

The squib is connected to a power source and a remote, detonated by the actor or a crew member to achieve the effect. Multiple squibs may be used and triggered either simultaneously or sequentially to represent different types of gunfire.

While used for dramatic effect to illustrate the demise of a character, the visual result does not accurately reflect the physical characteristics of real gunshot wounds. Nevertheless, the stylised and exaggerated aesthetic is widely recognised by filmmakers and audiences alike, such as in the main figure, bullet holes are blown outwards and blood projects through the entire jacket.