There are strict and very detailed rules in the “safety bulletin” released by the film and television industry.
The death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, after being shot by a prop weapon presented as harmless to actor Alec Baldwin during the recording of a western, reignited the controversy over the use of firearms on film sets .
What are the rules on firearms on film sets in the United States?
There are strict and very detailed rules in the “safety bulletin” released by the film and television industry.
The most important ones, in capital letters at the head of the document, stipulate: “Blank cartridges can kill. Treat all firearms as if they were loaded. No ‘live ammunition’ should ever be used or brought to a studio or set. “
However, they are only non-mandatory “recommendations”.
No federal law specifically applies to the use of firearms on sets. Most states in the United States enforce safety rules on the job or firearms in general.
What are the gunsmiths’ qualifications on the shoot?
“There are no gunsmith schools in the cinema. Generally, one becomes an apprentice in a weapons leasing society and is sent to shoot, you learn on the spot ”, Guillaume Delouche, a gunsmith for Hollywood for about 30 years, explains to AFP.
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According to him, California is the only state that requires that “all persons in charge of weapons” in a shoot, gunsmiths or props, follow a specific four-hour training on the safety rules that must be followed on a shooting set.
What kind of firearms are used in a shoot?
Two different types of weapons are used: inert weapons, made of plastic or latex, and weapons capable of producing a detonation. They are preferred by filmmakers for the visible flame coming out of the barrel, although this could be added in post-production with special effects.
“When we talk about ‘accessories’ on a set, we mean a latex replica that doesn’t shoot. It is not a blank pistol ”, specifies on Twitter SL Huang, a stuntman and a gunman in the cinema. “Blank guns are real guns” capable of shooting real bullets, he insists.
The barrels of automatic and semi-automatic weapons are covered, but manual weapons, such as revolvers and Winchester-type carbines used in Westerns, are used unmodified, Delouche points out.
Are real bullets used? What is the difference with a blank cartridge?
“What is called live ammunition is a real bullet, a cartridge in which a projectile is placed that will end its journey on a target after having passed through the barrel,” recalls Delouche.
In the cinema, live ammunition is used very rarely, “and only at shooting ranges or appropriate places,” absolutely never on a set, he says.
A blank cartridge contains no projectile, only a powder charge and a primer that activates it to produce a detonation.
There is finally a third category of ammunition, test bullets.
How a salvo cartridge works, the kind that is usually used in filming
“Since 1993 we have manufactured them ourselves, they are not true neutralized bullets, but bullets manufactured to be inert: there was never a primer or powder,” which prevents accidents, explains Delouche.
These bullets are used to give the illusion of real bullets, for example for a close-up of the loading of a weapon.
What does a “cold weapon” mean?
The weapon delivered to Baldwin was presented to him as a “cold weapon.” In the parlance of the cinema, it designates a totally empty gun, without even a test cartridge inside. It can be manipulated freely and operated without danger.
“When I use a cold weapon, I am VERY CLEAR to the actors and crew about it. I open it and show that the weapon is cold, ”says SL Huang.
When the filming turns to the “hot guns”, loaded with blank cartridges, it is repeatedly announced aloud and over the radio, so that everyone is aware.
“The exact number of blank cartridges needed for the scene is not loaded. We only use the ‘hot weapons’ for the time necessary to record the shots, “scenes generally” very, very short, “adds SL Huang.
“As soon as the scene is over, we go in and check the weapons. Nobody moves before we finish, ”he insists.
Are the safety rules efficient?
Since 1993 and the death of actor Brandon Lee, “there have been no incidents with firearms on a set,” but more than 40 were recorded in other domains (construction, stunts etc …), notes Delouche.
SL Huang insists on multiplying checks to prevent a single deficiency from ending in drama. “If someone makes a mistake, there are multiple other” factors “that guarantee safety,” he argues. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
