On film sets, whether big or small, it can sometimes be easy to forget the importance of safety and the well-being of everyone on set. I get it. A film crew is a well oiled machine with each department in its own little world doing their job to help the production move forward smoothly. But the constant state of controlled urgency can sometimes get the best of people. It is really important to recognize and respect the necessity for a safe environment on all film sets no matter the budget.
I can say I’ve had my fair share of getting too far ahead of myself when I should have been prioritizing safety. On my first day ever working as a PA, I got sent home before lunch because I threw up in a trashcan right in front of my 2nd AD. It was honestly due to dehydration and the stress of starting a new job I've never done before. The pace was a little overwhelming for me because I had no training or experience as a PA at that point and I was assigned to a lockup at the farthest corner of this massive property. It felt like my job was so trivial compared to all the other departments that are bustling back and forth from the trucks to set. Obviously, the medic sent me home immediately, but I was fortunate to be invited back to work with them the next week. Ever since then, I’ve made sure to stay hydrated on set while also doing what I can to make sure everyone else has what they need to stay safe and healthy at all times during production.
One time I was working as a stand-in on a project that had a splinter unit filming outside while the A camera team was using me to prep the next shots inside the building. But the AD at the splinter unit called for “2nd team” on the radio and a PA let me know I’m needed at the set outside across the courtyard. I always try to be attentive and ready to get into position as soon as I’m asked for, and they were already behind schedule, so I urgently made my way to where I was needed. But halfway there they 86’d the request for 2nd team and the PA called me back. 30 seconds later they realized they did actually need me and asked for me again. I got caught up in the fact that they are now waiting for me to step on set and I started running to get there faster. If that isn't obvious, no one should ever be running on set unless it's part of the scene. I could have tripped on one of the many electrical “stingers” that are everywhere, or a thousand other things can go terribly wrong just by running in an environment as active as any film set.
Maybe it's the producer mindset in me, or the fact that I’ve learned through so many mistakes along the way, but no matter what set I’m on, the safety of everyone is the most important priority -above all else, and it is often overlooked, which can quickly lead to severe consequences. I’ll share an example I learned about in my film class last week at CNM.
In 2015, a professional stunt actor by the name of Olivia Jackson was working as the double for Milla Jovovich on the set of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in South Africa. It was supposed to be a fight scene on top of a moving truck that transitions into a motorcycle chase. They had been rehearsing for weeks to make sure everything went smoothly, but by the time they arrived at the location in Johannesburg, it was raining so there was no way they could safely proceed with the fight scene on top of a slippery moving vehicle, besides the fact that it's not supposed to be raining in the script. A producer or director always dreads running into unexpected continuity errors because they have a whole crew out there ready to get this shot and they knew they'd be wasting a lot of money if they didn't at least shoot SOMETHING. So they decided to jump ahead from the fight scene and get the motorcycle shots while waiting for the weather to clear up. They had Jackson driving the motorcycle directly towards a camera car with a crane that was supposed to move up out of her way right before she passed. It didn’t move in time because the director ignored the safety regulations and told the driver to raise it a little later to get a “more exciting shot.” Seventeen days later, Jackson woke up from a medically induced coma with a fractured spine, punctured lung, dislocated shoulder, ruptured arteries, severe damage to the brain and nervous system and her arm had to be amputated. Her career in stunts was completely destroyed.
So how could something so tragic have been prevented? Well there are a lot of factors that can lead to a safety hazard, but some of the quickest ways to cause problems on set is by cutting corners, and miscommunication. When the director asked the driver to raise the crane closer to her, it should have been immediately communicated to Jackson, and the stunt coordinator so they can either explain why that won’t work, or adjust their choreography to accommodate for the change. Additionally, the driver and camera team in the vehicle should have spoken up to keep the production accountable for such an oversight.
There is a great deal of set etiquette that crews try to respect so they aren’t overstepping into other departments, but if I’m on a set with an immediate safety concern I feel like no one else is acknowledging, I’m gonna do whatever it takes to make sure nobody gets hurt. If you find yourself on a set where the producers are consistently ignoring serious safety concerns, you’ll probably start noticing people walking away from the project before things go south. We’ve seen it happen countless times leading up to set disasters, including one of the more recent incidents on the set of Rust; an Alec Baldwin project that was cutting corners left and right and it ultimately led to the death of their Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
If there's anything you take away from this post, let it be this. There is no job or opportunity out there that’s worth risking your life for. If you are working on a production that is putting people's lives at risk, don’t be afraid to walk away from that company and say something about it so that others don’t put themselves in danger. One of the biggest hazards film workers face on a regular basis is the possibility of falling asleep while driving home because the production isn't respecting safe turnover hours in the schedule. Most IATSE projects require a minimum of 10-12 hours from the end of a production day to the next day's call time. If you or someone you know is in danger on set, say something before it is potentially too late. You can use the anonymous tip line to report a safety issue directly to IATSE at 844-422-9273.
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-Daniel Ward
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