Alec Baldwin: Why were guns used on the set of “Rust” and how are gun scenes shot in Hollywood?
The well-known actor fired the prop gun that killed Halyna Hutchins on film set. The recordings were suspended until November and the entire team is shocked. What happened? How are these scenes filmed?
Alec Baldwin was in the middle of filming "Rust" when he accidentally fired the blank gun that killed 42-year-old director of photography Halyna Hutchins. Joel Souza, director of the film, was also seriously injured; however, he is stable at Christus St Vincent Regional Medical Center.
Hutchins "was transported by helicopter to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel," the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office reported in a statement released by news agencies.
The accident occurred at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, a famous movie location in the US “Cowboys & Aliens” and “Longmire” have also been recorded here.
"Mr. Baldwin was questioned by detectives. He offered his statement and answered his questions. He came voluntarily, and left the building after the interrogation was over, ”said a spokesman for the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department.
Hours before the tragic accident, Baldwin had posted on his Instagram profile a photo of him apparently during filming, dressed in cowboy clothes. “Back to the face-to-face office. Gee ... it's exhausting, ”he wrote in the caption of the post. After the accident, the snapshot no longer appears in the aforementioned profile. The actor also used this social network to comment on the incident.
What do we know about "Rust" and why were weapons used?
It is an independent cut cowboy film, in this type of film the action scenes with pistols are very frequent. All the details of this film are unknown. The director, as we have already written above, is Joel Souza.
"Rust" is set in Kansas in the late 1800s. The protagonist of the story is Harland Rust (Alec Baldwin), who aims to free his 13-year-old grandson accused of reckless murder.
Souza also wrote the script and was executive produced by Baldwin. The preparations for filming began this year and after the tragedy it has been suspended until November. According to close sources, the team has been shocked by what happened.
Travis Fimmel, Brady Noon, Frances Fisher and Jensen Ackles also participate in the film. The filming has been canceled until November because after the shooting it is obvious that there are no conditions to continue.
Souza and Baldwin had already worked together in 2019 on the movie “Crown Vic”. This year they joined forces again for "Rust", without imagining that a tragedy of this magnitude would occur.
How are these scenes recorded?
The incident occurred while Baldwin was filming a scene with a blank gun. However, as reported by media such as "Variety", IATSE, the guild of film technicians and other arts of entertainment, affirms that said weapon would have been loaded with a real bullet. At the moment, the case is being investigated by the United States police.
Various specialists point out that, to simulate the effect of blood produced by the shot, patches connected to a detonator are used, which are glued to the interpreter's body. At the moment of being shot, the person in charge of the special effects presses a button and it detonates it.
These types of scenes also require choreographic work, as shown in this “Insider” report:
What comes out of the gun is explosives like gunpowder to make it look like something has been fired. They no longer use blanks or rubber bullets because they can cause serious damage. Film sets usually have rules for the use of prop weapons, but accidents have been recorded, such as that of Brandon Lee, who lost his life on recordings of "The Raven."
In the case of the accident on the set of "Rust", as reported by media such as the EFE agency, a blank cartridge was used. On the YouTube channel specialized in technology Don Gregorio Y Jack, the differences between a normal weapon and a blank weapon are explained. There it is also commented that these pistols are sold without any type of permit in the US, but that their use in public is prohibited, as they are very similar to real weapons and it is difficult to differentiate them with the naked eye.
Scott Prop and Roll, another YouTube channel, but specialized in scene filming tricks, especially action, shows the different types of props that are used to record shootings in the cinema. In his video, the 'youtuber' highlights the importance of having specialists on set for this type of shoot, because even -depending on the weapon used and the effect to be achieved- a certain distance is necessary between the one who shoots and the target. that is aimed, as well as equipment for hearing protection.
