Weapons Safety Expert Looks At Safety Protocols And Alec Baldwin Movie Set Shooting - Rachel Maddow

[Rhiannon12866]

Steve Wolf, weapons safety expert for films, explains for Rachel Maddow some of the gun prop terminology and tools used on film sets and why on-set safety protocols would require multiple mistakes for someone to be injured in an accidental shooting like what reportedly happened during the filming of "Rust" with Alec Baldwin. Aired on 10/22/2021.

[SheltieLover]

1. Really interesting segment

Such a terribly tragic event.

I've not yet read who loaded the gun & why live ammo was even on the set, let alone loaded into this gun..

Ty for sharing.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. There has to be an investigation, Rachel's guest just explained how it could happen

I'm just hoping it was a horrible mistake, but I agree, why would they have live ammo in the set?? Apparently it's common practice these days to use CGI (computer-generated imagery) rather than actors actually pointing a gun (even loaded with blanks) at anyone. News reports say that Alec Baldwin is devastated. I can't imagine he has much experience with guns.

[SheltieLover]

5. I hope it was an accident as well

One has to wonder...

I can assure you that I've never had live ammo in my pocket by mistake.

I agree, he must be devastated. ☹

I'd seen a DU post earlier alleging there were no union prop workers on site & that those who were there walked off the job, citing fear for their own safety!

I've not seen specifics yet.

[Aussie105]

2. Multiple failings of safety protocol.

That makes it hard to believe it was an accident.

Maybe - multiple identical guns on set, and the wrong one was used?

The other possibility - it was deliberate. On someone's part.

. . . . but I won't go into that any further.

[mucifer]

3. This makes sense. There are so many tv shows and movies with tons of shootings. If

there wasn't all of these safety rules a lot more people would be dead than the 3 in the past several decades.

[Irish_Dem]

6. Expert is saying that multiple rules had to have been broken for this to have happened.

1. They should have used a gun that accepted only blanks
2. There should never have been live ammunition on the set.
3. Gun should have been checked before use to make sure no live ammunition in it.
4. Gun should never be pointed at a person.

[Rhiannon12866]

7. Obviously safety protocols were not followed and there were staffing shortages

I certainly agree with your list, especially #4. That is the very first rule you learn before even picking up a gun. And Rachel also said that CGI (computer-generated imagery) is now widely used to simulate shootings.

[Irish_Dem]

8. Looks like there were money issues, they kept cutting corners to the point staff walked off the set.

And then the flagrant violation of gun safety protocol.

Right don't point the gun at people. And check the gun before you use it to make sure there are no live rounds.

Maybe they didn't want to pay for the CGI, figured it was cheaper to do it the old fashioned way.

[Rhiannon12866]

9. Agreed, looks like they cut corners wherever they could - and they're paying for it now.

I can't see this movie being completed now. And there's going to be an investigation to find out who was responsible. And this unfinished movie will go on to become infamous for this tragedy.

[Irish_Dem]

11. Yes, I agree, I don't see how the movie can be completed now.

They were already on a very tight budget and now they will have to spend a great deal of money on legal fees and settlements.
If they are insured, I don't know if in the case of criminal negligence, the insurance company will pay out or not.

And the movie was about the aftermath of an accidental shooting, so it is going to be very bad form to complete it.

[localroger]

10. So, how did multiple rules get broken?

I see a path only one step of which is hard to believe.

1. Director was a stickler for detail and wanted to use a real gun, not CGI FX to get that genuine flash and recoil.

2. How do you enforce rules on an A-list actor who is being paid millions of dollars? Who goes up to the guy and says "Um, Mr. Baldwin, you're handling that weapon unsafely, if you don't observe the protocol we have to..." what? Not let him have a prop he needs to do the next scene? I have actually been on a film set and the only person who has that authority over the lead actors is the director, who in this case is probably the person who made the decision to use a real gun.

3. A-list actor is having a little fun thinking the gun is safe when it isn't and playing "bang bang." Follows naturally from #2.

4. Somehow the gun got loaded with live ammo. This is the one that's hardest to understand, as there shouldn't have even been live ammo present on the set. I suspect that the staff shortages meant whoever was responsible for this simply wasn't in the loop. The only semi-believable thing to me is that the gun was procured from a possibly private collection (again, probably for "authenticity" to get a particular model) and it had the live ammo in it when it was brought on set, and nobody on the movie set checked and cleared it before handing it to Baldwin.

This last point is still a little weird since, if they were going to film a scene, they would have had to deliberately load the gun with blank ammo, which would have led them to discover that it was already loaded. So this may have been pursuant to a rehearsal or letting Alec get the "feel" of the newly introduced weapon in preparation for the shoot.

I can say from watching them film a scene at the building where I work that a movie set is a whirlwind of activity, and at any given moment there are dozens of people milling around and that the pace is frantic and to a certain extent the only true priority is getting the shot. I did see safety protocols being observed (it involved a lot of dangerous props in a mocked up auto shop) but I can see how rules get broken. In a sense it's like any other business cutting corners because they're operating on a short budget and tight deadline.

[Nay]

12. Agree with all of this, but absolutely nothing can explain live ammo on the set -- unless

you are correct with your guess that the gun was from a private collection, already loaded with real bullets before it was brought on set, and no one cleared it of bullets. It's an almost unbelievable string of serious errors. And now someone is dead.

And people wonder why we have unions, OSHA, etc. Well, this is why.

[magicguido]

13. Where is the concern for the Safety of students in school from real guns; as opposed to prop guns?