Healthy Hawaiian film industry reviews logs after the New Mexico tragedy

HONOLULU (KHON2) – Hawaii’s growing film and television industry scrutinizes safety rules on a movie set in New Mexico following the deadly shootings with Alec Baldwin.

Authorities say the film’s assistant director gave Baldwin a gun and told the actor it was safe to use right before he accidentally shot camerawoman Halyna Hutchins.

In fact, propeller guns are mostly real guns using either blanks or dummy cartridges. In Hawaii, anyone who rents firearms for use in the film industry must register them with the ATF, part of an extensive set of rules that ensures the safety of those on the set.

Prop Master Alvin Cabrinha has worked on sets in Hawaii since 1978. He says over 90% of these firearms were used.

“The most important thing we emphasize is not live ammunition on set,” said Cabrinha.

On set, the guns are kept in a locker, and once gun masters and prop masters have them ready for a scene, they are checked by the assistant director, an actor, and whoever the gun is aimed at before being handed over to the actor on the scene.

“There are protocols in place since the Brandon Lee incident, and as long as they are followed, guns are very safe on set,” said Cabrinha.

Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, was shot dead while filming The Crow in 1993.

Many popular shows that are filmed in the islands are filmed in neighborhoods, but if scenes with guns are planned, the neighbors are warned.

“With Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum PI, the state has asked production companies to set up message boards in neighborhoods where there is filming and gunfire and shots happening,” said Cabrinha.

The incident in New Mexico rocked the entire industry.

“All I know is that it’s times like these – and we’ve had them in our past – when the industry stops, re-evaluates it, re-hires it, and re-evaluates safety on every movie set because it is of the utmost importance. “Said Hawaii State Film Commissioner Donne Dawson.

Now some across the country are calling for firearm ammunition to be added in post-production.

“There is nothing that can hit an empty gun. It’s just hard to simulate, ”said Cabrinha. “But to prevent these accidents from happening, the film industry may have to find a way around.”

Overall, the film industry in Hawaii remains very healthy and is set to break records in 2021 with four TV shows in production and other expected records.

“We’re likely to exceed half a billion in direct manufacturing spend associated with all of this on-site production,” said Dawson. “It’s a bigger number once those dollars start pumping through our economy. And more than 5,000 jobs are estimated to be likely. “