Los Angeles (AFP)

"There is no right to make mistakes, no one should ever die for a film," this Frenchman, chief props specialist specializing in firearms, with 75 feature films to his credit, told AFP.

Question: What precautions are taken on the sets to avoid such accidents?

Weapons used during filming, exhibited at the premises of Guillaume Delouche on October 22, 2021 in Los Angeles, California DAVID MCNEW AFP

Answer: "There is a whole series of very strict protocols, with doubled or even tripled procedures, as for airplanes.

Blank weapons are treated like real weapons.

Very often, moreover, it is real weapons that have been modified.

The weapons are kept in a safe.

Once they are on the board, we organize the blank ammunition, which has markings and color codes to differentiate them: quarter load, half load, full load, etc.

First, we show the crew and cast that the gun is empty before loading it.

Then when we put blank bullets in a weapon, we announce it aloud, several times.

It is the role of the props or gunsmith to ensure that the actor will use the weapon correctly.

We also have very strict safety distances: you can't put someone in front of a weapon less than 20 feet, or about six meters.

Because even with blank bullets, there can be small pieces of debris being thrown.

It's best to never aim someone directly so you work with the cinematographer to frame the shot and give the illusion that the person is in the line of fire when they are actually out of step.

If we have to be closer, without an actor, we put Plexiglas walls, we cover the operators and machinists with fire blankets.

They also have ear muffs and shatter goggles.

These are the protocols that have been used consistently on filming for a very long time. "

Q: How could an accident have happened anyway?

Guillaume Delouche shows a gun, October 22, 2021 in Los Angeles, California DAVID MCNEW AFP

A: "First of all, it should be noted that accidents of this kind on a shoot are fortunately extremely rare.

Usually this happens when you put live bullets on a shoot.

However, real ammunition has absolutely nothing to do on a shoot because we also use dummy bullets, which could be confused with them!

Another possibility is that a dummy bullet is separated from the socket on which it has been mounted.

If the bullet is lodged in the barrel of a weapon and then a blank bullet is placed behind it, it effectively becomes real ammunition.

This is what cost the life of Brandon Lee (in 1993 on the set of "The Crow", editor's note).

There was never a check by the props, which would have avoided the accident.

For an accident to happen, there is always a chain of errors that precede. "

Q: Couldn't we use dummy weapons and special effects?

Pistols used during filming and exhibited at the premises of Guillaume Delouche, October 22, 2021 in Los Angeles, California DAVID MCNEW AFP

A: "Dummy weapons can pass for real, but that's not ideal. We use real weapons, which we secure, to give a touch of authenticity and help the actors' play.

Adding digital effects in post-production is quite possible.

The problem with that is that you take away the hindsight, the smoke, which adds something to the acting.

When you give the actor a latex or plastic gun and add the bullet effect later with digital effects, there is still a clear difference.

A lot of directors and actors prefer to use real guns. "

© 2021 AFP