Alec Baldwin - guns

Very hard to understand why live ammunition was used.

But for me it also highlights the number of films featuring guns. Why I wonder?

Live ammunition should certainly not have been used, although it sounds very much as if that's what happened. A blank looks quite different from a live round and both the ammunition and the gun itself should have been thoroughly checked before it was loaded. As far as I know live ammunition isn't allowed on film sets anyway but the gun should automatically have been checked to make sure nothing was lodged in the barrel.

Still a lot to come out though. Why was he firing when there were obviously people in front of him?

He was firing towards the camera. That’s a pretty typical camera angle? The question is more about why there were people standing where they were or without safety screens etc

We know nothing. Therefore speculation is completely unreasonable.

It does seem to be a H&S failure. It is well known that 'fakes' can kill and anyone who has with or within the military and testing will know very well about it!

Poor Helyana though and her family

JaneJudge

It does seem to be a H&S failure. It is well known that 'fakes' can kill and anyone who has with or within the military and testing will know very well about it!

missed out the word 'worked' with or within the military/forces

It's just been on the news and it was stated that he had been handed a loaded gun.

It's just been on the news and it was stated that he had been handed a loaded gun.

Dear God, this is just terrible. A life lost and so many people and their families utterly devastated all because of a mistake. One single mistake and everything is changed forever.

it really does seem much more awful than an accident

It seems that the aim of of those in charge is to get a film shot as fast as possible for financial reasons. Their egos get in the way of health and safety issues and corners are cut. There are many disturbing accounts of stunt people in particular being put in danger by directors’ decisions and last minute changes of mind.
A dreadful but apparently avoidable tragedy.

was probably a series of acts or omissions, not merely a single mistake.
very tragic altogether.
health and safety can never be taken for granted.
constant vigilance and diligence is needed.
in any activity or workplace.
the mocking of health and safety concerns/regs became fashionable in some quarters; probably by people who did not understand the issues, and potential suffering.

Did I hear rightly that it was a young lady of 23 and quite inexperienced who was in charge of the guns I heard her speaking ( before the event) saying she was nervous but had learnt everything from her Dad and had been around guns all her life I didn’t catch her name
It was also reported this morning that some of the crew had been doing target practice for entertainment in between shots etc !!! I can imagine the wrong gun could easily have been handed to her and without checking passed on

I understand it’s speculation but it is making more sense

“It names a head armourer, the crew member responsible for checking firearms. Hannah Gutierrez Reed is in her twenties and had recently worked in this role for the first time, on the movie The Old Way.
In a podcast in September she said she almost turned down that job "'cause I wasn't sure if I was ready... but doing it, like, it went really smoothly".”
BBC news

Luckygirl

Very hard to understand why live ammunition was used.

But for me it also highlights the number of films featuring guns. Why I wonder?

I wonder about that, too. Why do people want to watch things about guns? I don’t.

On the news we heard, it was stated 6 people walked off set just before this happened, because they weren’t happy about the safety side of things.

My husband said if there was any debris in the gun, the blank could cause this to shoot out and shatter....much like a real bullet, so therefore hitting more than one person....potentially.

I can’t imagine how poor Alec must be feeling. It’s completely devastating.

BigBertha1

I wondered why an actor needed to point a gun ,stunt or otherwise, at the Director of Cinematography rather than another actor. poor unfortunate woman.

Personally I'm sick of guns in films the new James Bond has far t0o many guns and banging going off all the time.

Probably pointed the gun at the camera the cinematographer was using to film the action. But yes, "poor woman". Dreadul accident.

Its just awful. Thought go to her family and friends and anyone that witnessed it.

People trained to use guns, which I expect a lot of people in the USA have been, are told never to point a loaded gun at anyone unless you are going to use it. I honestly cannot understand why this happened.

I saw a photo of Alec Baldwin in tears outside the police station. Poor, poor man - how must he feel and what a terrible thing he has to live with now, however innocent this situation. There must be several people who feel the same way - anyone involved with this firearm.

I was discussing this tragedy with someone who works in film. The unfortunate Director of Photography would have been doing the filming, standing behind the camera watching the action probably on a little screen. That’s her job. The projectile passed through her and hit the man standing behind. Alec Baldwin would have aimed his shot towards the camera in this case. Poor man whatever his history, and shocking the numbers of people on here implying with no reason that he shot her on purpose.

If we watch a sci fi movie there is no way any of the actors are using real laser guns but we still enjoy the movie. There is no need to use real guns or fake guns that fire things when making a movie.
I am assuming they use them to get the bang and the recoil but I am sure that in this day and age a safe option can be found.
I do nit have a problem with guns in movies but I do have a problem with “props” that have the potential to kill.

We cannot make a judgement without knowing the full details. I know blanks are generally used because of the recoil which is spontaneous and cannot be faked. I feel for all that were on the set. It must be heartbreaking.

Plaster of Paris in each chamber and the long, firey bit. Boom! Or rather... not boom!
(I don't have Blossoming's knowledge of firearms, btw.)

Why was there a need to actually shoot at the woman anyway - prop gun or otherwise? Camera work is good enough these days to persuade the viewer that a person has been shot without there being a need to go through the real actions.