What exactly are you looking for?

The prop itself?
How to make a severed head?
How to set up the camera for the best angle?
What to make the body out of?

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

Sorry,

I should have been more specific.
Yes the actual prop.
Camera angle tips are always helpful.
Suggestions on what to make the body out of.
Of course how to make a severed head.

I have found several recipes for fake blood, but could use any tips on that as well.

Learn how to do something new everyday!

I have noticed in several movies that they can pull off really interesting stuff by changing the perspective.

Example 1: You manage to get a guillitine but aren't sure how to do a fake body. Start with distant shots showing the guillitine and the actor desperately trying to look up and see the guillitine. Than go for a victim POV of the guillitine coming down. Then have the camera twist or roll as if the head fell a foot or two into a basket, leaving it sideways and aiming at another character or unruly mob. No body required and the gore is in your head.

Example 2: Your guillitine is pretty shaky looking. Start with a distant shot of the guillitine to start with. Far enough away that it looks okay. Then go for a guillitine POV. Get on a ladder and find a way to lower your camera towards the victims neck. Do it fast or speed it up on post. Then get the actor's head coming through a basket so that it looks it has no body for a quick cut away. Then go for the crowd reaction.

Example 3: Your guillitine is pretty shaky looking so go humorous. Start with a distance shot of the guillitine, say from within a crowd. Have the handheld camera POV try to get a better look. Have someone else in the crowd comment how they can't see anything. Then the crowd reacts at the gore and some big oaf whos been blocking the view turns and says "Did you see that. That was great. Blood everywhere. Man I hope they got a few more to cut today." Cut to the reaction of the upset folks who didn't get to see anything (or whos friend was just killed, or whatever)

Don't know much about making the actual guillitine.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Those were some awesome tips!

I may take a trip to the local magic shop and look
at one of those gigs that appears to cut a finger off and
see if I can get some ideas to build a larger scale model of a
guillotine.

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

Keep the tips coming!!!

Learn how to do something new everyday!

Example 4: Jabborwocky way. Show the guillitine and actor, then show the faces of the crowd watching in horror or anticipation. Have them react as a group to the chopping as if they are all watching the same thing. For added humor toss a bucketfull of fake blood at the crowd as the guillitine does its job. Again its in the head of the viewer and the choice appears like an intentional choice and not because you have a rickety guillitine.

Of course a combination, cutting between all 4 might work nicely as well.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Thank you, those are great tips. You are right it is not about a rickety guillotine, it is about the camera angles and crowd reactions.

Your suggestions have opened my eyes as how to create an atmoshpere and hopefully pull the scene off.

Thanks again!

Learn how to do something new everyday!