Alec Baldwin shooting

Btaylor

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Alec Baldwin fan here. I don’t agree with all his politics but like his fIlms.

have been in LA around some “entertainment“ people the last few days that I have known for years back to when I played a little bit in proximity to the movie industry. Most very left leaning anti gun. Lots of spirited discussion about this.

I asked one lady that thought Baldwin should be charged if she would feel the same if he was driving a car on set and the brakes failed, would she charge him? it would be a hard ask to expect an actor to inspect the car Brakes, right? Film sets are complex. Lots of moving parts for even small films. Through in guns, pyrotechnics, moving vehiles, mechanical set pieces and there are a lot of things that could hurt or kill you on a movie set. No way the guy in front of the camera is responsible for all that. The responsibility was primarily the armorer and it sounds like she was a dumpster fire. Maybe the Assitant director or some others could be blamed. You might be able to run that all the way up the flag pole to the producers since theRE seems to have been some signs that the armorer was incompetent that were ignored. IMO there is no way an actor can be held responsible for for the final check on a firearm. I would go so far as to say that idea is flawed because most of them aren’t expert enough to perform the checks. Maybe for a cowboy revolver but imagine if they hand Keanu reeves all the 6 guns he’s going to shoot in a John wick scene and say “it’s your job” or if they ask Arnold to clear and check that minigun he uses In the terminator. NO way that is on the actor. There are people on the set whose only job is handling the weapons and there are other people to oversee those people.
Could hardly disagree more. If you pick up a firearm, YOU are responsible to ensure that it is handled in a safe manner including the direction it is pointed and checking to see if it is loaded, whether that be live or blanks ammo.
 

Ocbuckeye

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Aug 13, 2017
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95
Could hardly disagree more. If you pick up a firearm, YOU are responsible to ensure that it is handled in a safe manner including the direction it is pointed and checking to see if it is loaded, whether that be live or blanks ammo.

I agree completely. The problem is the gun didn’t fail, it was willingly and purposely pointed at people and the trigger was pulled. People have died in set by this behavior with blanks also. It was irresponsible, and avoidable, now the law will need to be applied accordingly to all.


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Could hardly disagree more. If you pick up a firearm, YOU are responsible to ensure that it is handled in a safe manner including the direction it is pointed and checking to see if it is loaded, whether that be live or blanks ammo.
Watch a few of your favorite movies with guns, my friend. 100% guarantee you that to get the camera angles they want that those guns are pointing at a whole lot of people that are behind the scenes. It literally happens all the time In that business. That is why you hire smart, capable people to handle guns, pyro, stunts, etc. and rely on them to do their job.
 

gelton

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May 15, 2013
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Alec Baldwin fan here. I don’t agree with all his politics but like his fIlms.

have been in LA around some “entertainment“ people the last few days that I have known for years back to when I played a little bit in proximity to the movie industry. Most very left leaning anti gun. Lots of spirited discussion about this.

I asked one lady that thought Baldwin should be charged if she would feel the same if he was driving a car on set and the brakes failed, would she charge him? it would be a hard ask to expect an actor to inspect the car Brakes, right? Film sets are complex. Lots of moving parts for even small films. Through in guns, pyrotechnics, moving vehiles, mechanical set pieces and there are a lot of things that could hurt or kill you on a movie set. No way the guy in front of the camera is responsible for all that. The responsibility was primarily the armorer and it sounds like she was a dumpster fire. Maybe the Assitant director or some others could be blamed. You might be able to run that all the way up the flag pole to the producers since theRE seems to have been some signs that the armorer was incompetent that were ignored. IMO there is no way an actor can be held responsible for for the final check on a firearm. I would go so far as to say that idea is flawed because most of them aren’t expert enough to perform the checks. Maybe for a cowboy revolver but imagine if they hand Keanu reeves all the 6 guns he’s going to shoot in a John wick scene and say “it’s your job” or if they ask Arnold to clear and check that minigun he uses In the terminator. NO way that is on the actor. There are people on the set whose only job is handling the weapons and there are other people to oversee those people.
But most actors and actresses are WELL trained on firearms if they take their craft seriously, here is just one example (plenty of others) and the scenery is nice as well:

 
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How did the revolver fail as equated to brakes on a vehicle failing?
The gun on a set is a prop = A piece of equipment, which like a lot of other things are dangerous if not used properly. Guns of course are particularly dangerous and so They are handled differently and more rigorously than other stuff for good reason.


My point was, if this person had bene killed by another piece of equipment - kicked in the head by a horse, run over by a car with bad brakes, crushed by a falling set piece, or blown up by an explosion gone wrong no one would be saying we should ban horses, or cars or heavy set pieces or movie pyro, they would be saying mistakes are were made and it was a tragedy.
 
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But most actors and actresses are WELL trained on firearms if they take their craft seriously, here is just one example (plenty of others) and the scenery is nice as well:

No. You are wrong. Reeves is an exception. Most are trained at “staGe handling“ guns at best. Very, very few are real shooters.
 

wapitibob

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....

Stories of cast shooting off set, ammo laying around, etc.
This has been my contention from the start, dipshits on the cast out shooting beer cans. It's also my contention that Baldwin (the actor) should be way down the list of those getting charged in the incident. The person who loaded the gun as well as the armorer are at the top of the list in my opinion, then Baldwin (the producer).
 

gelton

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This has been my contention from the start, dipshits on the cast out shooting beer cans. It's also my contention that Baldwin (the actor) should be way down the list of those getting charged in the incident. The person who loaded the gun as well as the armorer are at the top of the list in my opinion, then Baldwin (the producer).
Here is the gem of an armorer that was on the set when it happened. CAUTION - Strong Language

 

MattB

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Sep 29, 2012
Messages
5,743
Alec Baldwin fan here. I don’t agree with all his politics but like his fIlms.

have been in LA around some “entertainment“ people the last few days that I have known for years back to when I played a little bit in proximity to the movie industry. Most very left leaning anti gun. Lots of spirited discussion about this.

I asked one lady that thought Baldwin should be charged if she would feel the same if he was driving a car on set and the brakes failed, would she charge him? it would be a hard ask to expect an actor to inspect the car Brakes, right? Film sets are complex. Lots of moving parts for even small films. Through in guns, pyrotechnics, moving vehiles, mechanical set pieces and there are a lot of things that could hurt or kill you on a movie set. No way the guy in front of the camera is responsible for all that. The responsibility was primarily the armorer and it sounds like she was a dumpster fire. Maybe the Assitant director or some others could be blamed. You might be able to run that all the way up the flag pole to the producers since theRE seems to have been some signs that the armorer was incompetent that were ignored. IMO there is no way an actor can be held responsible for for the final check on a firearm. I would go so far as to say that idea is flawed because most of them aren’t expert enough to perform the checks. Maybe for a cowboy revolver but imagine if they hand Keanu reeves all the 6 guns he’s going to shoot in a John wick scene and say “it’s your job” or if they ask Arnold to clear and check that minigun he uses In the terminator. NO way that is on the actor. There are people on the set whose only job is handling the weapons and there are other people to oversee those people.
It’s not that hard to check or ask to be shown whether a gun is loaded. Case and point, I read an article earlier today quoting an actor on another show (which ironically films at the same site in NM where this incident occurred) and he said that a gun’s condition is demonstrated to them by the armorer and they actors check it themselves every time they are handed a weapon on stage.
 
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Watch a few of your favorite movies with guns, my friend. 100% guarantee you that to get the camera angles they want that those guns are pointing at a whole lot of people that are behind the scenes. It literally happens all the time In that business. That is why you hire smart, capable people to handle guns, pyro, stunts, etc. and rely on them to do their job.
Actually, the movie industry has a policy that guns are NEVER pointed at anyone period.
 

MattB

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Watch a few of your favorite movies with guns, my friend. 100% guarantee you that to get the camera angles they want that those guns are pointing at a whole lot of people that are behind the scenes. It literally happens all the time In that business. That is why you hire smart, capable people to handle guns, pyro, stunts, etc. and rely on them to do their job.
Or don’t use any ammunition at all (live, blank, or otherwise) and cut in the effects later (as is already done in the industry). Technology is pretty amazing.
 

sndmn11

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The gun on a set is a prop = A piece of equipment, which like a lot of other things are dangerous if not used properly. Guns of course are particularly dangerous and so They are handled differently and more rigorously than other stuff for good reason.


My point was, if this person had bene killed by another piece of equipment - kicked in the head by a horse, run over by a car with bad brakes, crushed by a falling set piece, or blown up by an explosion gone wrong no one would be saying we should ban horses, or cars or heavy set pieces or movie pyro, they would be saying mistakes are were made and it was a tragedy.
How did the "prop" gun fail? You had originally said it was like brakes failing, but it would seem to me the gun did exactly what it was designed to do. The trigger was pulled and a projectile came out. I am not seeing a connection to the firearm failing like a comparison to bad vehicle brakes.
 

robtattoo

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Mar 22, 2014
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Tullahoma, TN
You walk in to a gun show. Totes legal.

You pick up a pistol. Totes legal.

You point that pistol at someone. Totes legal

You pull the trigger. Totes legal.

Gun goes off & kills the person.

Who's getting charged, you or the guy selling the gun?
That's right. It's you, dumbass. If a firearm is in your possession, YOU are the person responsible for its safety while it's in YOUR possession. Not the guy that hands it to you, not the guy that handed it to them, not the store he bought it from & not the manufacturer who shipped it to the store with a loaded chamber. That's a big old chain of negligence, none of it criminal until you shot someone. Then it's on you.
 
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I'm no Alec Baldwyn fan. In fact, my views could not be further away from his when it comes to politics and guns. That said, this was a movie set. I'm not sure of all of the specifics but my first question would be why was a functional gun on a movie set to begin with? Second, why were there live rounds anywhere near a movie set. To me most of the responsibility for this lies with those responsible for bringing those two items onto the set, whoever that may be. I think the armorer also responsibility for failing to do their job.

Baldwyn himself is way down on my list of who's responsible but then again I'm not sure of the details as to why he was pointing the gun at someone nor why he fired it. I think it's a stretch to expect him to safety check the gun as part of his routine while making a movie though.
 
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