Actor Alec Baldwin was practicing drawing his gun and pointing it at the camera when the fatal shot was fired.
The cinematographer died as a result of the gunshot while filming the western Rust in the United States.
How did a loaded gun end up on the set of the Western
Rust
?
The question arises after the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins killed by an accidental shot carried by Alec Baldwin on Thursday.
The actor was practicing drawing his gun and pointing it at the camera when the fatal shot was fired.
The role of movie gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez Reed is coming under close scrutiny by investigators as it was she who, according to the report, had prepared the gun.
She had placed it on a cart with two other weapons.
Assistant director Dave Halls, described as a seasoned professional, then handed this gun to Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal for a scene in the film, informing him that she was "cold", that is. say not charged with a real bullet, reveals AFP.
Is there a clear protocol regarding firearms on set?
Could this accident have happened in France?
A precise protocol on the shoots
Whether in France or the United States, very strict protocols exist to prevent accidents. "Cinema weapons are real weapons that are transformed to be made unsuitable for firing live bullets, explains the gunsmith Christophe Maratier, who collaborates on most French films and also in the United States (
Taken 2 and 3
,
Hunger Games: The Revolt
). If a real bullet were inserted into the gun by mistake, it would be more dangerous for the shooter than for the target because of the device inside the gun ”.
“On a real cartridge, there are four elements: the case, the primer, the powder and the projectile, more commonly called the bullet, details Christophe Maratier. The projectile is what goes towards the target, the case, the primer and the powder are used to propel the projectile out of the weapon ”. In a blank loaded weapon, the cartridge is made up of three elements: a case, a primer and powder. When the actor fires the weapon, the primer ignites the powder and this simulates the shot by producing a flame. However, real weapons do not fire.
The profession of film gunsmith is very secure.
“We train the technicians and actors before each shoot,” continues the specialist in regulated weapons and uniforms.
The gunsmiths who accompany the weapons on the sets are people with State diplomas ”.
John Robinson, the main actor of
Elephant
by Gus Van Sant, inspired by the Columbine school shooting that took place in 1999, confirms: “The gun arrives on the set with the gunsmith who is the only one to touch it. , he warns the actor that it is a "cold gun", a blank loaded weapon.
He opens it to show that it is not loaded.
It is then up to the actor to check that there is no ball ”.
Because we do not laugh with blank guns.
Deaths by blank guns
They must be handled very seriously. "There have been deaths by blank guns, negligence or accident," says Christophe Maratier. When you see a film with a submachine gun that makes a flame of one meter, imagine if an individual places his face in front of the weapon ”. And the death of Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, on the movie
The Crow
in 1993 left its mark in the minds. “The shooting of the shooting scene in
Elephant
was pretty scary,” says Robinson. We had to shoot close to the camera, even when the guns are blank loaded, it's dangerous. We were all scared because of what had happened to Brandon Lee ”.
In France or in Europe, it would be impossible for an actor to end up with a loaded live bullet weapon in his hands.
"We only have blank cartridges in our film professions, we have no real ammunition, we do not mix the two," insists Christophe Maratier.
The police investigation, still ongoing, has not yet clarified the responsibilities of those present on the set of
Rust.
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