Caporegime
They're probably completely faked up guns so nothing can be loaded into them.
Alec Baldwin fatally shoots woman with prop gun on movie set
- Thread starter NVP
- Start date
They're probably completely faked up guns so nothing can be loaded into them.
Seriously, intentionally? I never heard that. That was 2003/4?
What was he supposed to do? Dismantle it and inspect it thoroughly to ensure something wasn't wrong after just being handed it and told it was safe?
I dont doubt they have to be familiar with gun safety, but expecting the actor to re check thoroughly, what the prop person handing it to him just did, is rather silly.
Caporegime
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- 21 Jun 2006
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All the time. It's usually the most prominent thing on screen in a gun fight.
What check could Alec have carried out in a few seconds to prevent this happening?
It's totally stupid to imagine that these actors thoroughly inspect (which would be the only way to ensure its completely safe), immediately after being handed a weapon that had just been confirmed safe to him by the prop person responsible.
Not intentionally - just an example of how they do things - the set was all setup with perspex screens to protect other actors and equipment and she still managed to tag a camera with the arrow.
There are limits but a basic check of the chamber doesn't take a moment or require anything beyond basic familiarity with the function of the firearm which all actors should be aware of before handling and firing a weapon on set.
Dismantle it????
He's not stripping it down to clean the thing - he just needs to know if there are any rounds (whether blank or live) present and look down the breech into the barrel.Tell me you're clueless about firearms without telling me you're clueless about firearms.
Perhaps he could have briefly inspected it and ascertained for himself what state it was in, it's not exactly rocket science and it can be done rather quickly.
It wasn't though, it was picked up by the assistant director (not the prop/weapons person) among three weapons placed outside the set and handed to him and it's clearly not stupid. What's stupid is the naive yeah, just assume it's safe, don't check for yourself position you're supporting and which has ended up up with one person dead and another injured.
To try and claim otherwise is mind-boggling tbh...
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Yeah, bouncing off every wall.
Dismantle it????
Tell me you're clueless about firearms without telling me you're clueless about firearms.
Perhaps he could have briefly inspected it and ascertained for himself what state it was in, it's not exactly rocket science and it can be done rather quickly.
It wasn't though, it was picked up by the assistant director (not the prop/weapons person) among three weapons placed outside the set and handed to him and it's clearly not stupid. What's stupid is the naive yeah, just assume it's safe, don't check for yourself position you're supporting and which has ended up up with one person dead and another injured.
To try and claim otherwise is mind-boggling tbh...
I think your perception of how it works is mind-boggling.
It's absolutely the responsibility of those in charge of prividing said firearms to the actor, but I garauntee you that the actors don't go to any great length to inspect every prop gun they are given after specifically being told by the crew that it was safe.
No its really unusual based on what experts are saying.
I'd guess tt these quite unique guns were maybe being used (or planned to be) for fun outside of filming.
us the armorer was new and nervous (admitted in interview before this happened)
Shooting past the camera for certain shots, while they should aim to the side and editing will male it all look good in the end anyway this was a pretty old weapon that the actor didnt think was loaded/had blanks so he wouldn't have been prepared for any real recoil.
He might have been aiming to miss but "missed" were he was aiming and hit her. He's an actor not a marksman
Yes, but you do seem a bit clueless here re: firearms. In other areas where firearms are used (such as in the armed forces) you have something called NSPs or "normal safety procedures" - basic checks you carry out when you, for example, recieve a firearm from someone else (or indeed before stripping one down for cleaning) it literally takes a few seconds and is stops this sort of thing from happening,
It's not hard to do, it takes a few seconds and it would have saved a life here - yet you think a basic check that would have saved a life is mind-boggling?
Well, it's quite obvious he didn't, I don't think anyone is questioning that!!! The point is that he should have!
This should be a really basic, second nature almost, thing to do when taking possession of a firearm. This is something that 18-year-old infantry soldiers with a reading age of 11 can do, yet you don't think highly paid movie actors should?
Dismantle it????
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It was a revolver though wasn't it so checking if it's a blank vs live would mean opening it, taking out every round checking them and reloading it.
Admittedly easier than having to unload a magazine to check each round there.
As they will be firing blanks past cameras at times so "just checking a round is there" doesn't do much as a round is meant to be there
But what are the procedures for a gun that is meant to be loaded with blanks?
Even if you turn up and shoot at a firing range they will tell you not to take anyone's word for it a gun is safe - though at a firing range you won't be expected to inspect the gun yourself and will be fully supervised while handling it.
On a set with actors it is fully expected the actor to have basic familiarity with the weapon(s) and to inspect it themselves rather than take anyone's word for it the weapon is safe or "cold" - as per several actors like Adam Baldwin have come out and said.
There is loads of behind the scenes footage, etc. where you can see the normal procedures.
Suspended
Lol its a basic chamber check. I was literally taught it when I was 10 years old at cadets.
None of this is dependent on the condition of the firearm - it's essentially assuming that you don't know the state the firearm is in!
There is no separate drill just because you've been using blank rounds or live rounds. This firearm was supposed to be "cold" btw... which as far as I can tell meant there weren't supposed to be any rounds loaded.
OK great so you're an actor I'm going to hand you a colt dragoon, an m16 and sig p226 "these are your guns for the scene they're all fully loaded with blanks"
You tell me what checks your going to do to make sure they're safe for your scene?
Checking each round is another point again - and fair enough it probably wouldn't be expected - but a basic breach/chamber check is another matter. Revolvers actually make that easy.
With magazine fed you can quickly and easily check the top round(s) as well.
Suspended
You demonstrate when you hand them over.
How do you even know what type of firearm was used?