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Post by sfsusan on Jan 19, 2023 22:38:50 GMT
I know this is a theater board, but the announcement today that Alec Baldwin (as well as the film's armourer) will be charged with involuntary manslaughter for the death of the cinematographer on the set of the movie 'Rust' has raised some questions for me.
The district attorney said, “As a producer, he also had a duty to make sure that the set was safe,” Carmack-Altwies said. “And then as an actor that day, he should have checked that gun, checked those projectiles.” Is it typical that actors are responsible for checking that their props are safe? Another comment was that he shouldn't have been pointing the gun at anyone, but wouldn't it be common for a gun to be pointed toward the camera (if the camera's POV is the person being shot at)?
Also, does a producer normally have responsibility for accidents while filming (absent any personal involvement in the circumstances that result in unsafe conditions)? Are they usually on-set at all?
And what about in live theater... do actors have time to check that the knife they grab from the props table is collapsing properly to avoid injury? (And yes, I know this sort of incident fuels a lot of fictional backstage murder mysteries, but are steps taken in real life to avoid it?)
Thanks for any insights into this.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jan 19, 2023 22:46:59 GMT
There was a case in Austria a few years back where a prop knife was mixed up with a real bladed one and the actor ended up slicing themselves.
I don't know if it ever ended in litigation but I suspect weapon handling procedures were subject to a lot of scrutiny
Ultimate responsibility will rest with the producers who should have the right systems in placr
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jan 19, 2023 22:48:41 GMT
There are weapon regulations that apply to film and theatre. You have to give notice to the police, have secure storage, an appointed armourer and more.
Have been through the process a number of times
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Post by sfsusan on Jan 19, 2023 22:48:47 GMT
Ultimate responsibility will rest with the producers who should have the right systems in place Yes, I can see the logic of Baldwin (and others) being charged as a producer, but I'm not sure how reasonable it is to charge him as an actor. |
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Post by sfsusan on Jan 19, 2023 22:51:31 GMT
There are weapon regulations that apply to film and theatre. You have to give notice to the police, have secure storage, an appointed armourer and more. There was an armourer (who has also been charged). Has anyone seen anything specific about the regulations not being followed? (Although the DA did say she believed 'Rust' had a “really fast and loose set,” saying there was a lack of safety standards.) |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jan 19, 2023 23:11:27 GMT
Ultimate responsibility will rest with the producers who should have the right systems in place Yes, I can see the logic of Baldwin (and others) being charged as a producer, but I'm not sure how reasonable it is to charge him as an actor. I don't think an actor should be expected to know the difference between a real gun and a replica. I do question why a real gun was ever on the set Actors have to rely on the crew to provide the correct props. And producers should make sure the crew are following the rules |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jan 19, 2023 23:53:26 GMT
A bit more reading reveals that it was a prop gun but one that was still capable of firing real bullets. And someone chose to load it with live ammo
That is in contravention of all rules
So whoever did that is the most at fault
If the producers knew ahead of time that live bullets were on set, they are culpable for not having stepped in
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Post by couldileaveyou on Jan 20, 2023 6:49:29 GMT
Didn't David Birrell lose an eye in a similar accident during the run of Passion at the Donmar? I think he sued them but I can't remember how that ended.
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Post by sfsusan on Jan 20, 2023 11:34:28 GMT
In addition to lawsuits (which I would expect), I find it interesting that this has been raised to the level of criminal charges.
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Post by sfsusan on Jan 20, 2023 11:37:51 GMT
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Post by stevemar on Jan 20, 2023 14:45:14 GMT
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Post by karloscar on Jan 20, 2023 15:55:28 GMT
The fact that the crew had raised concerns about safety and working conditions on the set before the incident occurred should've set alarm bells ringing. A performer as experienced as Baldwin, who has a lot of influence on how any project he's working on is run, can't just walk away from his responsibilities.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jan 20, 2023 19:00:06 GMT
I wouldn't expect any actor or producer to double check that the bullets in a gun were anything other than blanks.
There is no reason for live ammo to be in any set
Even if you asked for confirmation, you are still reliant on the armourer giving an honest response.
Yes, the producers and executives have ultimate responsibility. But they have to rely on delegation. No producer micromanages down to the props level
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Post by sfsusan on Jan 20, 2023 21:01:25 GMT
The fact that the crew had raised concerns about safety and working conditions on the set before the incident occurred should've set alarm bells ringing. The article I referenced gave a very specific quote about the working conditions under contention. But the comments referring to safety were very generic and appeared to come after the incident and were apparently not part of the reasons for the walk-out. There may be more details elsewhere, but I've not gone looking. |
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