How hard is it to prove that a high level producer decided that safety and decent pay were not a priority and killed a person as a result? Apparently, very hard
So, the FBI damaged the gun beyond repair while “testing” it & the prosecutors tried to charge him on a version of a law that didn’t exist until after the date of the alleged crime. The lead prosecutor also had a conflict of interest and worked as a state legislator.
Really fumbled the bag so hard here, makes you almost wonder if it was on purpose.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_shooting_incident
Safety complaints and walkout
The beginning of Rust's production came amidst a potential strike by members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) over working conditions and low pay. On October 4, it was announced that IATSE members voted 98.68% in favor of authorizing a strike, with a voter turnout of 89.66% of eligible voters. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins [person who was killed] supported the IATSE. She wrote in an Instagram post: "Standing in #IAsolidarity with our @IATSE crew here in New Mexico on RUST."
Some crew members claim firearms safety protocols were not distributed with the call sheets and were not strictly followed on the set. They claim a medic was absent during the construction of the film's sets. Furthermore, crew members grew upset with what they claimed was a lack of adequate hotel rooms. Crew members alleged producers would only allow the local New Mexico crew courtesy room rentals after working 13 hours "on the clock". Some claimed they were only left with six hours to sleep after long drives home. However, a source close to the production said their union contract indicated a hotel would be provided if the travel distance was more than 60 miles and that producers would provide a hotel for crew after 13.5 hours or more on set. The source also claimed that hotels were provided to crew on days they worked 10–12 hours if call time was before 6 a.m. and production wrapped after 7 p.m.
It has been reported that some crew members believe they were mocked for wanting to avoid a one-hour drive from Albuquerque. Several crew members also cited that they were not being paid on time. A crew member added, "We cited everything from lack of payment for three weeks, taking our hotels away despite asking for them in our deals, lack of COVID safety, and on top of that, poor gun safety! Poor on-set safety period!" Before the incident occurred, two prop guns had previously fired a total of three times unintentionally (Baldwin's stunt double had accidentally fired two blanks when he was told a prop gun was "cold", and the film's prop master shot herself in the foot with a blank round).
In a letter signed by 24 crew members, these claims were disputed. In the letter, the crew writes that they "believe the public narrative surrounding our workplace tragedy to be inadequate and wish to express a more accurate account of our experience. We do acknowledge that no set is perfect, and like any production, Rust had areas of brilliance and areas that were more challenged," read the joint statement. "While we stand firmly with our unions and strongly support the fight for better working conditions across our industry, we do not feel that this set was a representation of the kind of conditions our unions are fighting against." The open letter claims that the shoot was not "a chaotic, dangerous, and exploitative workplace". They go on to write that "[u]nfortunately, in the film industry, it is common to work on unprofessional or hectic productions to gain experience and credits. Many of us have worked on those types of productions. Rust was not one of them. Rust was professional."
On October 21, seven unionized members of the film's camera crew collected their belongings at approximately 6:30 a.m. MT in a walkout. They claim they were told to leave the set, with a producer threatening to call the police, and were replaced. According to a statement given to TheWrap by an anonymous insider, several crew members took a number of prop guns off-set that day, including the firearm involved in the incident, to pass the time shooting at beer cans with live ammunition. After a lunch break, the prop guns had been returned. It is not clear if the firearms were checked again. On October 26, the Santa Fe County district attorney said these claims were still unconfirmed.
Where was he on set with a gun meant to be used as a prop that there wasn’t a camera rolling? There’s usually a handheld or whatever that’s just kinda on between takes or whatever just to film the setting and get some b roll material to fill editing gaps later. With digital film, there generally isn’t at least a camera rolling for a major picture.
I called it. No way were any of these Hollywood people going to see any jail time. They’re better than everyone else, and obviously not subject to the same laws.
Baffling how it’s legal to shoot a film with live firearms on set and not have a dedicated armorer for the whole period.
They literally just hired an armorer for like 2 weeks max, and then told her to do assistant prop work for lesser pay the rest of the time.
There are actual text messages of the former armorer being ordered to stop doing unpaid armorer work because they might end up having to pay her extra.
