It has been a tragic day for the film community as we continue to learn more about the accident that occurred on the set of the movie Rust that resulted in the death of the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, as well as injuries caused to director Joel Souza. Reports are that star Alec Baldwin shot a prop gun but the accidental discharge shot and killed Hutchins and left Souza injured and in the hospital. Souza has since been released, but new information is still coming to light regarding the situation.
According to The Los Angeles Times, a few hours before Hutchins' death, half a dozen camera crew workers walked off the set in protest of their working conditions on the film, which included long hours and paycheck turnaround time. In fact, one of the crew members the Times spoke to stated that, around that same time, Hutchins was advocating for those who were upset and wanted safer conditions for her team.
The report goes on to state that there were tensions brewing with the film's crew due to the fact that they were constantly being told to adapt to unexpected changes, like driving 50 miles to set from Albuquerque each day instead of having hotels paid for in Santa Fe. On the Thursday morning of the incident, the crew showed up for work at approximately 6:30 AM and spent an hour assembling their gear at Bonanza Creek Ranch, where filming was taking place. The crew, who were members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), then learned that nonunion crew had been brought in to replace them.
Union members were ordered to leave the set and if they did not, security would be allegedly called. In a quote provided to the Times, the crew member with knowledge of the situation stated that "Corners were being cut — and they brought in nonunion people so they could continue shooting."
According to that same crew member, there had been several misfires on the prop gun that was used yesterday, two on Saturday and one the previous week.
"The safety of our cast and crew is the top priority of Rust Productions and everyone associated with the company," Rust Movie Productions LLC said in a statement. "Though we were not made aware of any official complaints concerning weapon or prop safety on set, we will be conducting an internal review of our procedures while production is shut down. We will continue to cooperate with the Santa Fe authorities in their investigation and offer mental health services to the cast and crew during this tragic time."
The prop gun incident happened around six hours after the crew left, and reports state that Baldwin is fully cooperating with the investigation.