California state, city officials seek to ban live firearms on film sets
Local and state officials are calling for a ban on live guns and ammunition on film sets in California following the death of a cinematographer in New Mexico. (Nina Morasky/Daily Bruin)
By Camille Ray
Nov. 16, 2021 5:47 p.m.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz introduced a resolution Oct. 27 calling for the ban of live guns and ammunition on film sets in California.
The resolution comes after an accidental firearm discharge on set in New Mexico that resulted in the death of a cinematographer. On Oct. 21, actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing a scene for the film “Rust” that involved drawing a revolver and pointing it directly at the camera, according to Insider. Baldwin’s gun was supposed to be loaded with blanks, resulting in Baldwin shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in the chest and director Joel Souza in the shoulder, according to Insider.
Hutchins died as a result of her injuries at a hospital, and Souza has been released from a hospital stay, according to the New York Times.
From 2010 to 2019, at least 19 people have died from an injury on film sets nationwide, according to the Times.
Koretz’s resolution would call for a ban on all types of live ammunition on California movie sets and push officials to regulate future safety protocols.
California State Senator Dave Cortese said he plans to introduce a bill to ban live ammunition on film sets statewide, but the bill’s details will likely be unavailable until the state legislature returns from recess in January, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“The idea that even one misfire has caused danger is outrageous,” Koretz said in an Oct. 27 press release. “The clear solution is banishing live guns and ammunition from the sets of television and motion picture productions to eliminate all possibility of human error in the handling of weapons, so that flawless oversight and restrictions guarantee that these kinds of accidents never happen again.”
Cortese said in a press release that his bill would improve the safety conditions of film workers, adding that he hopes it would be followed by live ammunition bans in other states. Cortese’s plan coincides with similar proposals currently in New York and New Mexico.
“Those working behind the scenes to entertain and bring joy to millions all over the world shouldn’t go to set worrying if they will return home safely to their family,” Cortese said. “Our entertainment industry can and must do a better job of ensuring safe working conditions for our hardworking crews.”
On Wednesday, a “Rust” film crew member filed a negligence lawsuit against the movie’s producers, Baldwin and members of the production team involved in the handling of guns on set. The lawsuit alleged that the defendants failed to follow safety protocols that would have prevented the fatal shooting of Hutchins. The plaintiff also alleged that Baldwin was directed to point the revolver in the general direction of the camera rather than actually pull the trigger in the rehearsal scene.
Tom Nunan, a lecturer at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, said he thinks the negligence of long-established protocols caused the fatal shooting.
On film sets using live ammunition, the production’s property master or armorer is usually tasked with overseeing weapons and must have a gun-handling license and permit that vary by state, according to USA Today. During production, the prop master or armorer ensures the gun is loaded with blanks, and when it is not in use, it remains in the designated lockbox, according to USA Today.
“It’s extremely common to have live ammunition and weapons on a set, especially in a movie like a Western or action-adventure film,” Nunan said. “There have been regulations in place for many decades that keep sets safe when there’s live ammunition. It’s really not a complicated matter to include live ammunition in a movie or TV show. You just have to follow the rules.”
Nunan also questioned the necessity of legislating a ban on live ammunition to prevent future shootings on film sets. Nunan added there are already existing rules for safe gun handling and a thorough investigation should be conducted on why such rules were not followed on the “Rust” set.
“I don’t think new legislation is what is called for at this time,” Nunan said. “I think what’s called for is a deep and thorough investigation about what exactly went wrong on that set and why.”
