The tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October of 2021 has brought up many questions about the safety of using prop guns on film sets. The prop gun that actor Alec Baldwin shot during the filming of the western, Rust, was supposed to be safe. Reportedly, Baldwin has zero intention of hurting anyone, and believed the prop gun to be shooting blanks, and to be perfectly safe.
According to the Associated Press, 43 people died on film sets between 1990 and 2016. During that same time, more than 150 people suffered serious injuries that drastically changed their way of life.
While these injuries are statistically rare – thousands of films were made in that 26-year period to account for those 43 deaths – it does call into question safety protocols.
The insurance required to make a feature film is staggering. Safety precautions are in place at all levels, from stunts and drivers to transportation and more.
The last accidental death on a film set that was due to a prop gun was the death of actor Brandon Lee in 1993. At the time of his death, the actor was filming the movie, The Crow. The gun was supposed to be shooting blanks – just as the gun Alec Baldwin fired was intended to be – but the autopsy revealed a bullet lodged near Lee’s spine. The actor was 28 years old at the time of his death.
Who is Responsible for On-Set Safety?
There are professionals on any film set who are in charge of prop guns, as well as all other props. Those professionals are called “prop masters.” They are entrusted with the duty of checking all props before filming, as well as during the shoot and shortly after. These people coordinate with the director, the stunt teams, and the actors before any scenes are staged.
There is an Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee for filmmaking, and they publish industry standards for safety with props and prop weapons. These guidelines are titled “Safety Bulletins.” The first bulletin on prop firearms includes the message: “TREAT ALL FIREARMS AS THOUGH THEY ARE LOADED.”
A film set is usually not a place where a personal injury lawyer needs to be. Sadly, there are sometimes freak accidents that claim the lives of film professionals. Hopefully such an occurrence continues to be a very rare phenomenon.