Halyna Hutchins: Vigil held in New Mexico for the cinematographer

A vigil took place in New Mexico to mourn director of photography Halyna Hutchins after she was killed to death on a film set in the United States.

Industry professionals were among those attending the event in Albuquerque, lighting candles for the 42-year-old.

Hutchins was shot with a prop gun Thursday by actor Alec Baldwin on the set of the western movie Rust. Baldwin had been told the gun was safe.

The incident raised safety concerns on movie sets.

“It was so dynamic and when something like that happens, it’s devastating for all of us,” Sandie Kay, an Albuquerque film worker, told Reuters news agency during Saturday’s wake.

Lane, a former colleague of Hutchins, she said she was lucky enough to work with the cinematographer.

“To work with someone who is so collaborative and never thought of himself as better than anyone else on that set, I would have been lucky to have ever made another move with another person like that or her, and now I can’t and it sucks, ”Lane added.

Others at the wake included actors Jon Hamm and John Slattery, who are currently shooting nearby.

Some people were seen holding signs calling for increased security measures on movie sets.

“I think it’s definitely a stark reminder of gun safety on set, and I’m with the idea of ​​banning real guns from set if that’s possible,” Cheryl Lowe told Reuters.

According to court records, Deputy Director Dave Halls was unaware that the prop pistol contained live ammunition and indicated it had been discharged by shouting “cold gun!”.

Director Joel Souza, who was behind Hutchins, was injured in the accident.

According to the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, there were at least two accidental pistol shots on the days set prior to the accident.

Crew members said the drains were inside a cabin that was used as a designated location. These crew members were part of a group that resigned hours before the accident occurred due to complaints about working conditions and unpaid work.

The film’s producers said Friday that they had not been briefed on the safety concerns, but said they “will conduct an internal review of our procedures while production is halted.”

Such incidents on movie sets are extremely rare.

Real firearms are often used in shooting and are loaded with blanks that create a flash and a bang without discharging a bullet.

In 1993, Brandon Lee – the 28-year-old son of late martial arts star Bruce Lee – died on set after being accidentally shot with a prop gun while filming a death scene for The Crow.