There was a lot of misinformation going around when this first happened. It is NOT an actor’s job to check a firearm. That is always done first by the armorer. If an actor checks a firearm, drops a clip and loads another, etc., it’s because it’s in the script. If an actor checks a firearm without it being in the script it’s the job of the director to call CUT (or sometimes the armorer will tell the Director) and have the armorer recheck the firearm. There’s a reason why there are so few firearms accidents on movie sets. The rules are very, very strict.
Now that the armorer has been convicted, Baldwin will be tried next. He has two potentially big problems. First, if he hired this woman to cut corners he could be found guilty (on whatever charge they bring). Second, the word from her attorneys is Baldwin went off script and pointed the firearm at the cinematographer during the shot. That could bring a Reckless Endangerment charge.
I'm not sure what "off script" means here. I thought the cinematographer was still blocking the shot before they were going to start filming. Baldwin was just standing there during the blocking, wasting time by "practicing" his draw with the gun.
There was plenty of time for him to check the gun himself while the camera people were still setting up the shot.
-PJ
” It is NOT an actor’s job to check a firearm.”
You Ma’am, are very wrong in that assumption. It may not be policy on a set, but if you are handed a real firearm, it’s your job to verify whether it’s loaded, or not, if you’re an actor, or a plumber, same thing applies.
If they’re “playing” with guns, they should be made of wood, and painted yellow.
They are using real firearms, that’s the game changer.
The person holding the gun is the one who killed the cameraman, not some off-set employee.
I read an allusion to a need for special certification for firearms armorers in England; do we not have that here in the US? Because that seems better than relying on someone’s having been fathered by “a famous armorer”!
Baldwin was the producer, financier, and head honcho on this film and HE hire an unqualified armorer to save some bucks ... the murdered director’s estate should sue Baldwin into penury ...
“It is NOT an actor’s job to check a firearm.”
BS, basic i.e. BASIC firearms safety is “Check your weapon”
I’ve read that back in the’50s and 60s when a lot of World War II vets were working Hollywood everybody checked their f****** weapons especially the guys that were in the armed services it was second nature it should still be second nature The NRA teaches it as second nature police forces do it routinely, everybody is checking their weapon except Hollywood actors.. is that what you’re implying? Because that is totally against any quals regarding firearm safety.
No. It is clearly stated in the article that THE GUN aimed and fired itself while it was near Baldwin. Obviously the gun also must have loaded the live bullets while ejecting the dummy bullets. The prop manager also tried to keep the area clean by discarding any used cartridges. He should be given a raise in salary.
But Baldwin wasn't just an actor. He was co-director/producer and had a background in firearms training and usage.
Which means he knew better than to point any weapon at a human, off script, regardless of whether it is loaded or not.