A candlelight vigil is planned in Burbank for cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was killed when actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on a New Mexico movie set coming under increased criticism for its working conditions.
The Local 600 International Cinematographers Guild said the vigil will take place on from 6-7:30 p.m. Sunday at the IATSE Local 80 headquarters at 2520 W. Olive Ave.
“Let’s all take a moment and gather together to honor Halyna and her accomplishments and grieve together as one. Please bring your own candle, and join together for a candlelight vigil for Halyna,” the guild announced on Facebook.
Another vigil was planned for 6 p.m. Saturday at the Albuquerque Civic Plaza in Albuquerque, N.M.
John Lindley and Rebecca Rhine, the national president and executive director, respectively, of the International Cinematographers Guild, previously issued a joint statement saying, “The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more and we support a full investigation into this tragic event. This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our guild’s family.”
Meanwhile, questions continue to be asked about how the killing on the set of “Rust” could have happened despite safety protocols. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Times reported details leading up to Thursday’s fatal shooting.
“According to a search warrant filed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department and obtained by the Associated Press, Halls picked up one of three guns from a mobile cart that had been prepared by the production’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed,” the Times reported. “Halls allegedly declared `Cold gun,’ meaning the weapon was not loaded, as he was handing it to Baldwin.”
The Times also reported that on the 9-1-1 call recording, obtained by the Albuquerque Journal, script supervisor Mamie Mitchell presumably refers to Hall when she says, “He’s supposed to check the guns. He’s responsible for what happens on the set.”
The duties of the first assistant director may include overseeing set safety and keeping the production moving and on schedule.
A half-dozen camera crew workers had walked off the “Rust” set hours before the fatal shooting, protesting working conditions, including long hours, safety conditions and issues getting their paychecks, according to the paper, which also reported that Hutchins had been advocating for safer conditions for her team.
One person on the set told The Times there had been two misfires involving the prop gun last Saturday, and one the previous week.
The “Rust” production company issued a statement Thursday saying, “The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today’s tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna’s family and loved ones. We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department’s investigation. We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event.”
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland issued a statement saying, “This is still an active investigation and we do not yet have all the facts. We will continue to work with production, the other unions and the authorities to investigate this incident and to understand how to prevent such a thing from happening again.”
Baldwin, 63 — a co-producer on the film — has expressed “shock and sadness” over the death. Hutchins, 42, died at University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque following the on- set mishap Thursday. The film’s director, Joel Souza, 48, was also injured, but he was treated and released from the hospital.
“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours,” Baldwin wrote on his Twitter page Friday morning. “I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family.
“My heart is broken for her husband, their son and all who knew and loved Halyna.”
Sources have told the Times the shooting occurred when Baldwin was rehearsing a scene outside a church on the set.
Souza released his own statement to NBC News on Saturday, saying he was “gutted by the loss of my friend and colleague” Hutchins.
“She was kind, vibrant, incredibly talented, fought for every inch and always pushed me to be better,” he said.
Local 44 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the union that represents prop masters, notified its members by email — subsequently obtained by The Times and other media outlets — saying “a live single round was accidentally fired on set” by Baldwin.
The tragedy was reminiscent of the 1993 death of actor Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee. Brandon Lee was fatally shot during filming of “The Crow,” with what was supposed to be a blank round but turned out to be a deadly bullet. Lee’s sister, Shannon, posted a message on her brother’s official Twitter account Thursday saying, “Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on `Rust.’ No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period.”
In response to Hutchins’ death, the showrunner of the ABC police drama “The Rookie” announced that “live” weapons would no longer be used on the set, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Showrunner Alexi Hawley announced the change in a memo to the show’s staff, saying “all gunfire on set will be with Air Soft guns with CG muzzle flashes added in post. There will be no more `live’ weapons on the show. The safety of our cast and crew is too important. Any risk is too much risk.”