Fatal shooting on the set of Rust Leads to change on movie sets
Following the shooting of a cinematographer on the set of new movie Rust, many workers in the profession are calling for change.
Before to the Rust shooting the armorer on the set said in a podcast that she did not feel comfortable handling all the weapons/blanks. Although she said this she goes on to contradict herself and say that it was “bad a**” to be an armorer.
A lack of gun safety and protocol on set is being blamed for the shooting of a cinematographer on the set ofthe new movie Rust. With some protesting for a total gun ban on movie sets.
More news is coming out about what occurred on the set of Rust and what were doing before the event occurred. Camera assistant Lane Luper and assistant director had many problems with what was going on set. He voiced these concerns in many interviews and tweets.
“A lot of things have to go wrong” Luper said.“The very first sentence in the very first safety bulletin about firearm safety is there shall never be live rounds anywhere on a studio lot or stage or set. It’s so unheard ofLuper added.
Others call for a change in the use of props guns, which can still be fired and harm others.
“Prop guns are guns,” TV writer for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance David Slack tweeted. “Blanks have real gunpowder in them. They can injure or kill – and they have. If you’re ever on a set where prop guns are treated without proper caution and safe handling, walk away.”
Many people on set, including ones who resigned even before the shooting, report that there was no formal training, even though that is a typical prerequisite of a movie like this.
“What I put in my resignation letter was lax COVID policies, the housing situation driving to and from Albuquerque, and specifically, gun safety, a lack of rehearsals, a lack of preparing the crew for what we were doing that day,” Luper said.
Some speculate that Baldwin is to blame, though many others think the crew or leadership are culpable. With little to no training the crews were left stranded and had no support on how to handle a gun. Rhys Muldoon an Australian actor who has been in the business for a long time tweeted his concerns.
“On the film I recently made, even my plastic gun, I had to sign out, sign in every day,” said Muldoon. “That’s why this particular case is so incredibly baffling.”
Still other finds studio and monetary pressures at the heart of the issue.
“It always felt like the budget was more important than crew members,” Luper said.
