EXPLAINER: Everything you need to know about prop guns on movie sets and how they work

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died Thursday after Alec Baldwin fired a loed weapon that was handed to him by an assistant director who mistakenly believed it was safe to use on New Mexico set of “Rust.” Director Joel Souza was also hit and injured but has since been released from hospital. While many things still aren’t known — police are investigating — AP looks at use of firearms on film and television productions and safety protocols in place.

WHAT IS A “PROP GUN”?

It’s a loose definition and could apply to anything from a rubber toy to a real firearm that can fire a projectile. However, if it’s used for firing (even just blanks) it’s considered a real gun. Chris Burbank, a former police chief in Salt Lake City who has consulted on several TV productions, said firearms for simulations during police trainings or film productions are often me so that y can only be loed with blanks.

WHAT ARE BLANKS AND CAN Y KILL?

A blank is a of gun cartridge that contains gunpowder but no bullet. Still, it can serious hurt or kill someone who is close by, according to Actors’ Equity Association. Film firearms-safety coordinator Dave Brown wrote in a 2019 piece for American Cinematographer that, “Blanks expel gunpowder and hot gases out of front of barrel in a cone shape. This is harmless at longer ranges, but explosion can seriously injure someone if it’s too close.”

IN THIS INSTANCE, WERE BLANKS FIRED?

gun was loed with live rounds, court records released Friday show. According to records, gun was one of three that film’s armorer h set on a cart outside wooden structure where a scene was being acted. Assistant director Dave Halls grabbed gun from cart and brought it inside to Baldwin, unaware that it was loed with live rounds, a detective wrote in search warrant application.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WEAPONS ON SET?

Generally, a weapons master or armorer oversees all weapons that are used on a production. This can mean anything from selecting correct items for a certain period in history, to taking care of weapons on set and making sure y are being used safely and properly by actors and stuntpeople. It’s a fairly new position in history of film production, going back only to 1980s. Before that, prop master handled everything. Recently, it’s become more common to enlist specialists.

WHAT ARE RULES FOR FIREARMS ON SET?

weapons master is required to be on set whenever a weapon is being used. Actors’ Equity Association’s guidelines state that, “Before each use, make sure gun has been test-fired off stage and n ask to test fire it yourself. Watch prop master check cylinders and barrel to be sure no foreign object or dummy bullet has become lodged inside.” Furr, “All loing of firearms must be done by property master, armorer or experienced persons working under ir direct supervision.”

HOW DOES ONE BECOME A WEAPONS MASTER?

According to Backstage magazine, re’s no formal path but it is common to have internships and apprenticeships or a background in stunt work, military, police or security. Weapons masters are required to abide by state and federal laws and hold proper operating permits.

WHY WOULD GUN HAVE BEEN POINTING AT CINEMATOGRAPHER?

We don’t know what happened on set of “Rust,” but it is fairly common to have a gun pointed at camera, and by extension cinematographer, to get a certain angle.

“We’ve all seen very famous shots in films where you get that dramatic effect of a gun being pointed at you, audience, and of course, it’s being pointed towards camera,” explained Steven Hall, a veteran second unit director and cinematographer who has worked on films like “Fury” and “Thor: Dark World.” “To minimize that, one would put a remote camera in that place, or at least if someone does have to operate camera, I’m normally protected by safety goggles, a safety visor and often a PERSPEX screen that withstands pretty much anything. Obviously, it wouldn’t withstand a real shot from a gun, but it would certainly withstand a blank.”

GIVEN MANY REGULATIONS, HOW COULD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN?

While specific circumstances of “Rust” shooting are still unknown, professionals in business say that sometimes crew and production are encouraged to “speed things up” for any number of reasons which can sometimes le to “relaxed” safety protocols.

DOES IT MAKE IT MORE COMPLICATED WHEN IT’S A PERIOD PIECE?

“Rust” is set in 1880s and according to Hall, when period weapons are used “you have to use actual historic period weapons and to check safety of those weapons. I have known live rounds to be fired out of revolvers, certainly, to make sure that y do function in a way that when you put a blank in, it isn’t going to blow up or explode in actor’s hands.”

WHY DO PRODUCTIONS EVEN USE REAL GUNFIRE WHEN SPECIAL EFFECTS ARE AVAILABLE?

It is becoming more common to d in gunfire in post-production when working on visual effects. But visual effects can be expensive and it can be easier, and cheaper, to use props. Also, Dormer says that re can be vantages to using props and blanks, like getting an auntic reaction from an actor.

HOW IS HOLLYWOOD RESPONDING?

re has been an outpouring of dismay and anger from all levels of industry that something like this could have happened. Director James Gunn tweeted that his greatest fear is that “someone will be fatally hurt on one of my sets.” Alex Winter tweeted that, “Crew should never be unsafe on set and when y are re is always a clearly definable reason why.”

Image: AP/ Unsplash