Previous problems with weapon on film set: “Employees stepped…
Six hours from Alec Baldwin’s shot on the New Mexico film set, camera director Halyna Hutchins (42) took the lives of half a dozen employees who had left in protest to work on it, the LA Times reported. They were replaced by people who were not unionized. The weapon had also been unloaded before without intention. According to the sources, the standard safety protocols for weapons in the film industry were not taken too closely on the set of ‘Rest’.
Kristof Simoens
Did a social conflict that had been brewing for several days and suddenly exploded, making the fatal events on the set of the western film ‘Rest’ possible? According to the LA Times, which cites three anonymous witnesses, that could just be the case.
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The three witnesses testified that a social conflict had been bubbling for several days on the film set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, near Santa Fe. The filming started on October 6 and according to the three, the production house had promised that all employees would be able to spend the night in a hotel in Santa Fe. But once the low-budget film started shooting, that promise was withdrawn: having to drive the employees back and forth to Albuquerque, about 50 miles[80 km]away, every day. Halyna Hutchins, the later fatal victim, would have stood up for the crew and argued for better conditions at the production house, says one of the witnesses.
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The bomb would have exploded on Thursday morning around half past six. Six employees, union members affiliated with the International alliance of theater stage employees, had had enough and plans to pack up his stuff. That same hour, their replacements got up, and none of them turned out to be union members. The six were then immediately ordered by someone from the production cell to leave the set immediately. If they keep trouble, the LA Times writes, that person would be drumming up security officers.
Past Weapon Issues
In addition, there have also been problems with the weapon before. Baldwin’s stunt double is said to have fired two shots last Saturday with the weapon he was told was ‘cold’, slang for a gun without ammunition. “There should have been an investigation into water that had happened,” says a member of the film crew. “There were no security meetings. There was no guarantee it wouldn’t happen again. All they wanted was to hurry, hurry, hurry.”
Baldwin was also told his gun was “cold” before pulling the trigger. There were both blanks and a real bullet in the weapon, it turned out after investigation.
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In an initial response, Rust Movie Productions LLC said “the safety of our cast and crew is a top priority for Rust Productions and all those associated with the company.” The company says it has not been notified of safety and other issues on the set: “We will review our procedures internally as production is halted. We also continue our full collaboration on the investigation that Santa Fe’s efforts are conducting and provide mental support to the tragic period.”