Incident reignites concern over use of prop guns
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SANTA FE (New Mexico) • An on-set shooting death has reignited concern about the use of prop guns like the one that actor Alec Baldwin discharged in the accidental killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while filming a movie in the US state of New Mexico.
Some prop guns are non-firing facsimile weapons, but many are real guns, loaded with blank rounds instead of bullets. While the exact type of weapon used in the shooting on the set of Rust remained unclear, an affidavit filed by the New Mexico authorities on Friday said the film's assistant director had grabbed one of three guns placed on a table by the armourer.
The assistant director took the gun to Baldwin, handed it to the actor and yelled, "cold gun", in an indication that "the prop gun did not have any live rounds", the affidavit said.
Prop guns have long been used on film sets for the realistic visual effect of the flash and recoil after an actor pulls the trigger. Guns with blank cartridges, which lack a bullet but use gunpowder, can be fatal when fired at close range.
Productions using prop guns have armourers tasked with watching the weapons on set, regularly checking that they are loaded only when needed and with the intended material, and ensuring that actors use them safely, according to industry rules and experts.
Mr Ben Rock, a film and television director, said he has pushed back on the use of blank rounds for years, arguing that the "gritty realism" it lends can be replaced by using airsoft guns and adding visual effects in post-production. "We're pretending for everything else, I don't see why we can't pretend about this too," he said.
Professor Ken Sonkin, a performing arts professor at the University of San Francisco and a stage combat specialist, said the sensory effects from firing blank rounds are hard to replicate with sound effects. But he added that Ms Hutchins' death may give directors pause. "I do think it will ask those of us who work in the industry to reinvest in our safety protocols and maybe re-examine them," he said.
REUTERS
