The Loud Pop That Would Change Hollywood Forever

Who would have thought that life would need to be sacrificed for our everyday entertainment? Almost no one until the news alert popped up on thousands of peoples screens all over the world. Alec Baldwin had shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. 

What was once a name unbeknownst to most people quickly became associated with the crushing, shocking reality that accidental shootings were possible, even in movie sets with top tier celebrities like Alec Baldwin on them, and even in 2021. 

Up until mid afternoon, October 21, 2021 was a typical day on the set of the indie western movie, Rust. It was filled with what non-actors imagine happening on a movie set--up until Baldwin and crew began to prepare for a shootout scene. They wanted to give camera operators the opportunity to test out different angles. In a single, fatal mistake, Baldwin and crew members were made to believe that no projectile was in the firearm. That it was just a dummy round that contained no gunpowder. This single, ever so avoidable mistake was what killed mother, Ukrainian immigrant, and award winning cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in an instant. 

Besides the shooting, another abnormal occurrence that day was the resignation of six crew members, attributed to a multitude of safety mistakes occurring on set. Prior to the shooting of Hutchins, there had been two other accidental discharges of guns on set. Many crew members claim that no precautions or actions were taken in response to these discharges. According to Lane Luper, former Rust crew member, “It always felt like the budget was more important than crew members. Everything was about the schedule and the budget.” 

In movie production, there are a number of safety precautions typically taken when using “real” guns. Hiring a prop master/armorer to manage gun use, wearing protective gear when in the presence of the gun, and avoiding pointing guns at human beings are all examples. On the Rust set, many of these precautions were given perfunctory effort--if any at all. For example, Rust production did hire a gun armorer, but she was also the prop assistant, making it very challenging for her to do her job. She also claimed that Rust producers did not listen to a lot of her suggestions such as safety meetings after the first two accidental discharges. 

It is widely believed that the Rust set was not a safe place to use guns, but what happens when a set does take adequate precautions? Should they have the opportunity to use guns? Ever since the Rust shooting, whether or not to allow guns on set for any film has been a question that the movie making industry has been forced to reckon with. 

One of the first thoughts that came to mind when the news of Halyna Hutchins’ death was first shared was “people still use real guns on movie sets?” In a year like 2021, with numerous technological advancements, this thought is not unsound. Guns in particular are something that prop artists have been forced to work around for years, due to the safety threat they pose, so it's no wonder that there is widespread knowledge on how to avoid using them. From creating gun replicas out of wood, plastic and rubber, to sound effects such as muzzle flashes, flying shell casings and loud gunfire pops.

In some cases, other gun types are used such as airsoft guns which resemble a traditional gun but shoot plastic pellets and blank guns which are still filled with gunpowder, but are sealed with paper or plastic bullets instead of metal bullets. While blanks and airsoft guns pose significantly less of a safety threat, tragedy has still occurred. Brandon Lee, for example, was a 28 year old actor who died on the set of The Crow in 1993. It was as a result of a miscommunication that led the crew to believe a blank round was being fired, when in actuality it was a real, fatal round. 

The reality is, the only complete guarantee of safety is not using any gun at all. To the thousands of people who have spoken up in New Mexico, Hollywood, and all over the world, it's time for the miscommunications and unnecessary gun use to end. A recent Change survey calling to ban the use of “real” firearms on sets received close to 120,000 signatures from people all over the world. Several top tier celebrities in Hollywood are joining them. Recently, actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson announced that he would never use a “real gun” on set again, and called his peers to do the same. The Rookie showrunner, Alexi Hawley, announced that he too would no longer allow use of real guns on set, noting that “it is now policy on The Rookie that all gunfire on set will be AirSoft guns with CG muzzle flashes added in post. There will be no more ‘live’ weapons on the show. The safety of our cast and crew is too important. Any risk is too much risk.” Eric Kripke, showrunner for Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys, tweeted “No more guns with blanks on any of my sets ever. We’ll use VFX muzzle flashes. Who’s with me?” Even Alec Baldwin himself is calling for change.While not quite as extreme as banning gun use altogether on set, he is encouraging safer practices such as keeping police officers on set. 

Public uproar and celebrity involvement are both tactics that have had major influence on issues facing society in the past, but ultimately being successful in this requires the long term goal of enacting legislation. This process has already begun in California and New Mexico through CA state senator Dave Cortese and New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. 

Since before the Rust shooting, a bill that would ban all guns with firing pins (including blanks) has been in the works. The legislation's penalties will be civil, instead of being charged with felonies, meaning that people who break the law will be fined. Cortese has added that “the idea is to have this bill sort of signed, sealed, and delivered as early as possible…we just want to make sure the law is clear so everyone is doing what is required.” During the first days after the Rust shooting, Governor Lujan Grisham of New Mexico has decided to follow suit. In recent years, filmmaking in New Mexico has grown in popularity,employing around 9,000 residents of New Mexico. Lujan Grisham has stated that there is a lot the state can do to make sets safer locally such as introducing new regulations regarding firearms, leveraging the state's tax programs which draws filmmakers to the state, and more. But ultimately, what she really wants is for studios to rethink safety across the board. Lujan Grisham refers to it as an “industry issue,” not a New Mexico issue.

The release of the bullet that killed Halyna Hutchins has been widely described as the sound of a loud pop. This sound will forever be associated with the changes to come, legislatively and in the film industry. But most importantly, it will always be associated with the senseless end to Halyna Hutchins’ life. 

Eloise Gordon is a sophomore at West End Secondary School and a Next Gen Civic Fellow in New York City. Eloise is passionate about local politics and gun activism. She works with various organizations such as Seeds of Peace and for the Manhattan Borough President’s Office to push for change and spread awareness. In her free time, Eloise enjoys acting and writing.