Thursday含羞草研究社檚 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by a prop revolver during filming for the Alec Baldwin Western 含羞草研究社淩ust含羞草研究社� has the screen industry pondering the future of guns on sets.
Toronto producer Martin Katz of Prospero Pictures says the tragedy near Santa Fe, N.M., raises the question of whether the industry should start using more non-functioning firearms.
Summerland, B.C.-based motion picture and TV property master Dean Goodine predicts the industry will step up gun safety measures, like it did when Brandon Lee was killed by a bullet left in a prop gun on the set of 含羞草研究社淭he Crow含羞草研究社� in 1993.
Court records say Baldwin pulled the trigger on the revolver that also wounded director Joel Souza during a rehearsal in Santa Fe after an assistant director told him it was 含羞草研究社渃old含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� an industry term for a gun that can含羞草研究社檛 fire.
Experts say they含羞草研究社檙e baffled by what Baldwin has called a 含羞草研究社渢ragic accident,含羞草研究社� since sets typically have strict and sufficient protocols in place for handling prop firearms, which should never go off near people or be pointed directly at anyone on set.
Katz wonders if the industry should use more realistic replicas, like 3D-printed models, and avoid showing them in extreme close-ups so audiences can含羞草研究社檛 tell the difference.
含羞草研究社淪o much of what we use in practical effects is not what it appears to be. When we make it snow, it含羞草研究社檚 not actually snow, it含羞草研究社檚 soap flakes or some product that was created to look like snow. Why, when we use guns on set, do we actually use real guns?含羞草研究社� says Katz, whose credits include the films 含羞草研究社淐osmopolis含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淎killa含羞草研究社檚 Escape.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淢aybe this is the time towards saying: 含羞草研究社榃e don含羞草研究社檛 need to shoot movies with actual real guns. We can shoot them with models.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
As Goodine describes it, prop guns are often real weapons that could fire a live round but instead are often loaded with 含羞草研究社渂lanks含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� cartridges with gun powder and other material to ignite a flame and sound but no projectile bullet.
On-set guns can also include electric revolvers and CO2-powered versions, similar to pellet guns.
Usually a professional weapons expert called an 含羞草研究社渁rmourer含羞草研究社� will be on set to test and take care of the gun and closely monitor the actor handling it, say experts.
Only the armourer or trained prop master or qualified crew member, along with the actor, are allowed to touch the firearm, says Goodine. The actor isn含羞草研究社檛 given the firearm until the very last minute before filming, when everyone gets out of the line of fire, and never handles it during rehearsal.
Toronto producer Don Carmody says in most major jurisdictions in Canada, police officers supervise use of blanks or pyrotechnics on set. Camera crews are also often protected by a sheet of Plexiglas if a blank is fired.
含羞草研究社淕enerally the safety protocols on a set, certainly anywhere in Canada, are really strenuously observed, right down to the (emergency task force) officers on the stage,含羞草研究社� says Carmody, whose credits include 含羞草研究社淭he Boondock Saints含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淩esident Evil含羞草研究社� film franchises.
But problems have happened on home soil.
Carmody says on the set of the 1991 Chuck Norris film 含羞草研究社淭he Hitman含羞草研究社� he produced in Vancouver, a barrel constrictor came loose on an automatic weapon using blanks and hit a stuntman. The wetsuit he was wearing as a safety measure wasn含羞草研究社檛 big enough and the barrel constrictor flew into a gap in the clothing, hitting his liver, but he survived.
Goodine says the Lee tragedy saw the industry increase the amount of armourers on sets 含羞草研究社渢enfold.含羞草研究社�
He predicts the 含羞草研究社淩ust含羞草研究社� killing will see more companies 含羞草研究社渕ove away from firing blanks entirely.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淩ight now, probably every script in Hollywood is getting a hard look to see what they can write instead of guns,含羞草研究社� says Goodine, whose credits include 含羞草研究社淟egends of the Fall,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淧asschendaele含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淚nception.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚f you have a police show and somebody pulls out their Glock and they含羞草研究社檙e going to fire it, they含羞草研究社檙e going to CGI the muzzle flash. You含羞草研究社檙e going to see a lot more CO2.含羞草研究社�
The 含羞草研究社渕uzzle flash含羞草研究社� is the light and impact of the gun.
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Experts say in most cases, the muzzle flash and gun smoke could be easily replaced by sound and CGI, which is often preferable to an actual gun going off.
Goodine says in the past five years, gun scenes have been written out of a lot of the family projects he含羞草研究社檚 worked on.
But he含羞草研究社檚 also noticed prep periods being condensed and decisions being made at the last-minute, which pose a safety hazard for any gun scenes.
He advises film students not to race to be department heads, so they have the experience and confidence to tell a director not to do something that含羞草研究社檚 unsafe.
含羞草研究社淭he speed the industry has grown in the last eight years because of new media has put so many people in positions they shouldn含羞草研究社檛 be in, and I含羞草研究社檓 not hard on the people that have taken those positions,含羞草研究社� says Goodine.
含羞草研究社淚 have had so many conversations in the last seven or eight years with people who are in management of these shows that have no clue what we do. It is astonishing to me. I had an accountant tell me on a big show that props is an afterthought in the budget. Well, after (Thursday), it含羞草研究社檚 not an afterthought anymore.含羞草研究社�
Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press
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