Alec Baldwin fired prop gun, killing 1 on movie set, Oct 2021

[jjenny]

Even if this was the case,she at the very least still should have checked the weapons after they were returned. If she knew they had been used with live ammo,wether she had been pressured to agreeing or not,she had a responsibility to check them. She had a responsibility to check them, even if they had not left her sight for a second,every time she brought them on set,that was her job and it makes no difference that she was only 24,or that this was only her second job in charge, that is basic and she should have done it.

Exactly. That's her whole job, to make sure the guns given to actors are safe to be used. If the gun is loaded (especially if this was a real bullet) then it clearly should have never been given to the actor to use as a safe "cold" gun.

 

[Kiranerys]

He blamed the producers.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Well, this certainly seems to be a problem.

New Mexico, where court records show an assistant director handed Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was “cold,” or safe to use, during the Thursday filming of “Rust,” has no specific safety laws for the film industry. Much of the legislative debate over the industry, as in other states, has focused on tax credits and incentives to lure the lucrative entertainment business, not what happens on sets.

That approach has worked well for New Mexico. In addition to attracting some large film productions, the state is home to major production hubs for Netflix and NBCUniversal. It had a record $623 million in direct spending on productions between July 2020 through June of this year.

States mostly defer to union guidance for on-set gun safety

 

[Kiranerys]

I really believe there will be folks who are terribly disappointed if we find out the majority of the actual witnesses do not blame Baldwin. But so far, between the 911 call and the gaffer, it seems that might be the case. Perhaps they actually know what he was directed to do.

Indeed. It does feel like some will twist anything to get it to fit into the AB is guilty and solely responsible box.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Film Crew Members Say The Alec Baldwin Prop Gun Shooting Fits A Pattern Of Safety Shortfalls

Warnings about the production arose in September when Neal Zoromski, a veteran property master, told one of the producers that he had concerns about how and where they were sourcing props and personnel for the film. On Sept. 20, Row Walters, a unit production manager, reached out to Zoromski asking if he would be interested in joining the Tier 1A feature (that classification means it’s a low-budget production), shooting in Santa Fe starting Oct. 6, according to emails obtained by BuzzFeed News. But the low rates, slim staffing, and rushed timeline were red flags, said Zoromski, who has been in the industry since 1989, is a 25-year union member, and has worked on everything from 7th Heaven to The Day After Tomorrow.

“They didn’t seem to be playing it right from the beginning,” he said. “It felt slipshod, and the vibe was that this is a very unsafe situation, and I told them as much.”

Row Walters is listed on the team of 3rd Shift Media and
has an IMDB credit on Supercell, another upcoming AB movie.

https://www.3rdshiftmediainc.com/row/
Row Walters - IMDb

 

[BeachSky]

I think the blame is starting to become very circular coupled with whatever laws are in NM. Sounds like they defer gun safety to unions ..and the union people had walked out prior .

JMO

 

[ilovewings]

She was a daughter of an expert armorer. That in itself obviously doesn't make her an expert.

True that

 

[Gardenista]

Jake Tapper had a theatrical firearms safety expert on who is going to be investigating the scene. He starts at about 3 minutes in

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=406013337655859

 

[Mo Thuairim]

From the below NYT article (updated today):

In addition to Mr. (Larry) Zanoff, five other experts in the use of firearms on film or television sets said that it was against usual protocol for an assistant director to hand a gun to an actor. One of the experts, Mike Tristano, a veteran professional armorer based in Los Angeles, said that typical practice on a film set would be for the armorer to hand the gun to the actor and that the chain of events described in the affidavit struck him as a “red flag.”

Alec Baldwin Film Set Had Previous Accidental Gun Discharges, Crew Members Say

 

[Deleted member 158085]

Joel Souza’s account from the affidavit. Also Reid Russell’s account (another cameraman.)

Alec Baldwin Was Rehearsing Pointing Gun at Camera, Affidavit Says

So despite much conjecture to the contrary, the director has confirmed they were setting up a scene with the camera and that AB was supposed to be pointing the gun towards it. This is what I suspected and why I gave AB the benefit of the doubt while we waited for more information.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

This is an interesting article. One of the comments I found interesting was about the actions of AB was:
This perplexes me though. How could someone that was *so careful* in other instances, now decide to break (what I've read thru previous posts on this thread as being) protocol that no weapon should be pointed at anyone else & that a weapon (*any* weapon) pointed at a camera, should only be done to a camera that was operated remotely, & that there should be barriers in place for staff that was nearby & so many safety protocols in general. ... so how does someome that we're starting to now hear was so safety conscious - decide to point even a cold gun at his respected coworkers and pull the trigger?
I would have much more respect for AB if he just flat out said that he didn't intend to pull the trigger but that the gun "somehow" discharged without his intent, rather than jumping straight to saying that he's never been handed a hot gun before in all his years or that all of this was entirely someone (or many others) fault. I have not large like or dislike for AB specifically- but IMO he is handling this like a rich guy that wants to protect his money & keep himself out of jail. Strictly MOO.

Because the "protocol" that has been much discussed here isn't really industry standard in a world where directors regularly take creative license. Clearly, this director (and many other directors on many other sets) do not follow this so-called protocol. Over and over, we've heard that it is standard to actually have the gun pointed directly at the camera.

I'm not saying it's smart or right. But I've read enough to know that it's not really out of the ordinary. So I don't think AB actually broke any protocol, as there doesn't seem to be any hard and fast rules.

This will no longer be the case after this. After this, more actors will likely question any directors who ask them to aim directly at a camera that is not operated remotely.

 

[happyday]

From the below NYT article (updated today):

In addition to Mr. (Larry) Zanoff, five other experts in the use of firearms on film or television sets said that it was against usual protocol for an assistant director to hand a gun to an actor. One of the experts, Mike Tristano, a veteran professional armorer based in Los Angeles, said that typical practice on a film set would be for the armorer to hand the gun to the actor and that the chain of events described in the affidavit struck him as a “red flag.”

Alec Baldwin Film Set Had Previous Accidental Gun Discharges, Crew Members Say

And where was the armorer? She was doubling as an assistant to the prop master so she was probably doing that job at the time when she SHOULD have been the one handing the gun to the actor. Cutting corners strikes again. It’s pretty evident why this all happened. Saving money no matter the cost to make the most $$$ seems to have been the motto for this production.

 

[Mo Thuairim]

And where was the armorer? She was doubling as an assistant to the prop master so she was probably doing that job at the time when she SHOULD have been the one handing the gun to the actor. Cutting corners strikes again. It’s pretty evident why this all happened. Saving money no matter the cost to make the most $$$ seems to have been the motto for this production.

I agree. If it's true she was double jobbing on set, that's just bananas.

 

[ilovewings]

Search warrant reveals grim details of 'Rust' shooting and Halyna Hutchins' final minutes

This might be behind a paywall-

 

[happyday]

Emily Hunter Salveson’s name keeps appearing in each producer list. Notably she is a financial person.

EMILY HUNTER SALVESON
Emily Hunter Salveson is the Founder and Managing Partner of Streamline Global. Responsible for client relationship management, business development, and marketing, Emily educates investors and their teams about state and federal tax incentives that lower film costs and enhance film profitability.

BBM

Film Investing, Section 181 Deduction, Tax Savings, Federal Tax Deduction, Risk Free Film Investment — Streamline Global

Bringing this post up because I think it’s SUPER important. This production had a bunch of “producers”. I bet this production was sold to investors as an easy low investment—high rewards project. I think that’s gonna be the reason that a beloved rising star, by all accounts wonderful cinematographer is dead. Greed. Of course all Hollywood productions are big business and it’s all about making money. I worked for one of the biggest film studios for several years and I think people don’t realize that it’s like any other business industry in a lot of ways. They’re selling a product and people get rich from it. But this seems like this is the epitome of the bad side of that business. $$$ above all else, including human lives. MOO

 

[steeltowngirl]

Filming With Firearms - The American Society of Cinematographers

Filming With Firearms
July 18, 2019 ASC Staff

When there are firearms on set, you should be able to glance around and find an experienced firearms safety expert standing near the camera to give guidance to the cast and crew. We also sometimes stand directly in the line of fire, to provide a safe eye line for the actors. We stand in front of our work, and I would never ask an actor or crewmember to stand anywhere I am not willing to stand myself.

There is a saying that amateurs practice until they get it right; professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong. Handling the firearms on a film set should be as important to the cast and crew as the packing of a parachute is to a skydiver. After all, skydivers don’t get their parachutes packed by the amateur who finally got it right after 10 tries; they get them packed by the professional who has never gotten it wrong in 30 years.

It’s like hiring a cinematographer. Productions not willing to pay for a professional will be shocked at the cost of employing an amateur.

“I never forget that if an actor makes a mistake, they get another take, but if a weapons handler makes a mistake, it will make headlines in the morning.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

Joel Souza’s account from the affidavit. Also Reid Russell’s account (another cameraman.)

Alec Baldwin Was Rehearsing Pointing Gun at Camera, Affidavit Says

Also, note that the director says everyone seemed to be getting along. This should also put to bed some of the other appalling speculation early on about AB. It now seems that he was just an actor doing as he was directed by the director.

 

[everybodhi]

In any other industry that hired unqualified people, the company would obviously bear some responsibility for resulting accidents.
What if a nuclear power plant hired unqualified non-union workers to save operation costs and there was a meltdown?
What if a shipbuilder hired unqualified non-union wielders to cut corners on the budget to pocket more money for investors and the ship sunk because it wasn't structurally sound?
Is the responsibility for the resulting death and the loved ones who must go on without them all on the substandard wage workers and the insurers?
Do producers, the investors, hold any responsibily for a culture of cutting corners in order to increase profits when it results in worker's deaths?
This is what the tentative IATSE strike is all about.

Stories of terrible conditions on “Rust” set were emerging even before fatal shooting

The event is a reminder of how little we usually hear about the conditions that recently led IATSE’s members to authorize a strike for the first time in the union’s 128-year history.

On Sunday, I spoke with Fae Weichsel, a member of IATSE Local 600 who works as a first assistant camera, about the deal that had been reached the night before. Weichsel, whom I’d got in contact with through IATSE’s press shop, said they were leaning toward voting yes. On Friday, after seeing what had happened in New Mexico, they told me they were leaning toward no.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Quite the disturbing account of [name DBM] behavior, re: safety on film sets.

- include a disregard for safety protocols for weapons and pyrotechnics use, blocked fire lanes and exits, and instances of inappropriately sexual behavior in the workplace.
- neglected to hold safety meetings and consistently failed to announce the presence of a firearm on set to the crew, as is protocol.
- when [DBM] did hold safety meetings, they were short and he was dismissive, saying the guns used would be the same as the production always uses, and questioning why they'd have to hold the meetings in the first place.
- [DBM] complained about having a gun "cleared" (inspected by a licensed professional on set, such as an armorer) for a scene where an actress would aim the gun to her own head and pull the trigger.
- instance where [DBM] insisted on continuing filming on location while a storm hit, where electrical lights were touching mud, wires were exposed to the rain

Alec Baldwin shooting: Assistant director on 'Rust' was subject of complaints dating back to 2019 - CNN

The behaviors described here are those of someone lacking empathy and a conscience, IMO.

 

[IceIce9]

Bringing this post up because I think it’s SUPER important. This production had a bunch of “producers”. I bet this production was sold to investors as an easy low investment—high rewards project. I think that’s gonna be the reason that a beloved rising star, by all accounts wonderful cinematographer is dead. Greed. Of course all Hollywood productions are big business and it’s all about making money. I worked for one of the biggest film studios for several years and I think people don’t realize that it’s like any other business industry in a lot of ways. They’re selling a product and people get rich from it. But this seems like this is the epitome of the bad side of that business. $$$ above all else, including human lives. MOO

Nearly every film has “a bunch of producers.” Watch the credits on a movie and see how many producers and directors there are.

Even a short, 30 minute podcast I listen to every week has 7 producers and 5 directors.