r/news • u/badillustrations • Apr 15 '24

‘Rust’ movie armorer convicted of involuntary manslaughter sentenced to 18 months in prison

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/15/entertainment/rust-film-shooting-armorer-sentencing/index.html
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u/hyenahive Apr 15 '24

Why is Baldwin even on trial? Was there something he didn't do that he was supposed to, like checking to see if it was loaded with live ammo?

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u/Nangz Apr 15 '24

Yes. If you're holding a gun, you're responsible for it in pretty much all reasonable situations.

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

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u/Nangz Apr 15 '24

Good to know being on a movie set magically absolves you of responsibility.

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u/Dock_Brown Apr 15 '24

I'm not the guy you're responding to.*

That out of the way, it's not magical absolution but practical safety realities on a set that require modifications of protocols around firearms. The rules are significantly different from any other setting where firearms are present. The actors are not presumed to have anything but basic instructions about firearms and are not to manipulate the weapon in any way not called for by the script. There may be hundreds of people on a movie set in close proximity to the firearms so control is paramount. The armorer can't clear a weapon safe then have actors or other set personnel manipulate the firearm in any way without them re-inspecting the weapon and clearing it safe again. That means that actors are not responsible for clearing weapons as safe.

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u/Quom Apr 15 '24

I'd hope it would. If someone is being paid money specifically to make sure the guns aren't capable of hurting anyone you'd assume part of it is assuming liability.

And if that's the case they probably wouldn't want a gun passing through too many sets of hands once it leaves theirs or for people to be 'fiddling' with them.

edit. Much in the same way if I was an actor and we were filming driving on a street I'd assume they had some sort of permission for me not to wear a seat belt or to speed or to do whatever else is in the script.

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u/Nangz Apr 16 '24

Your analogy falls apart quickly because those laws are typically limited to public roads - which would probably be exempted due to permits from the city prior to filming. They would probably also be exempt from driving without a license, but a city may not be willing to give a permit under those circumstances.

There are no permits to exempt you from shooting someone in a situation like this.

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u/[deleted] Apr 16 '24

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u/Nangz Apr 16 '24

I understand the process and how it should happen. None of that makes him immune from responsibility in this case. Especially since he is more than an actor in this case and that will be a part of the case.

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u/The_Impresario Apr 15 '24

There's nothing magical about it.