Guns and weapons have been in films from the start. Armorer Fred P. Watkins explains important safety guidelines for using prop firearms in student films.
Almost from the first moving pictures, guns and weapons of various types have played a part in films. They have been used as part of the story, and in some cases, for shock and as marketing ploys. An example of shock and marketing combined is in Edwin S. Porter’s The Great Train Robbery (1903) when the outlaw points and fires his gun at the camera scaring the audience who at that time were not use to moving images. Many people dropped to the floor to hide, and others, in some towns, fired back at the screen. It is not surprising that weapons find their way in student filmmaking. Whether or not they should is a subject for a much longer discourse. The reality is weapons frequently find their way into student films. In order to make that way safer for not only the actors and the crew but for the student filmmakers, their future careers, and perhaps their grades as well, I offer some suggestions for safe use of weapons in your films, be they student or independent.
1. One should try to make films from your own experience if at all possible. If that’s not the case, then you should look at the script with an open mind. Is this just an attempt to imitate a long line of low and high budget action films? If so, forget it! Is the use of a weapon really necessary to the story, or has the writer just put it in to solve a conflict between characters that could be solved some other way? Would the character using the weapon be a person who would have one in the first place? Are they police, military, a hit person, a hunter, etc.? Not all criminals carry guns, and many serial killers kill without guns or weapons. If, after an open-minded look at the script, it is determined the weapon is necessary, then proceed following some of the thoughts below.
2. Check your class syllabus/instructions for the assignment. Many universities, colleges, and schools do not allow students to use weapons of any type in their films.
If you still feel the weapon or weapons are necessary to the film, then discuss it with your instructor, and explain why and how you are preparing for safety.
3. If the instructor “green lights” your use of weapons, you must then contact the local police. When shooting on your campus, you must contact your campus police. Many state schools are under state law that forbids the bringing of weapons on campus. However, sometimes they can make exception in several ways. They inspect the weapons to be used prior to them being brought to campus. They may require you to pay for an off duty officer to accompany you from your vehicle to your set and remain until you have finished using the weapon(s) and then escort the weapons back to the vehicle and watch you leave. This is how is done at the University of North Texas.
4. When shooting on location in the city or even in the country, you need to contact the local police and/or sheriff. The last thing you want is to be arrested while filming! Calling your local police will alert them that you are filming and using a weapon(s). They will ask you where you are shooting, when you are starting, when you will end, and some will ask you to call at the start and when you leave the location. When you are cleared by the local authorities, the local dispatchers have the information. When some well-meaning citizen calls in “someone with a sword attacking someone on the corner of Elm and Main,” the dispatcher can inform them that it is a film. In some cities, counties, and states, you cannot use weapons that fire or squibs without a certified armorer placing the squibs, handling the blanks, and overseeing the weapons. Some jurisdictions will also require you to get a permit to film on the street or where you are visible from the street (i.e., someone’s front yard or a parking lot, etc.) and hire an off duty officer to be at your shoot for the duration when you have weapons.
5. All the above having been worked out, your concern should be from the beginning: safety, safety, safety! We have a saying in our film classes that not only applies to film production but every career and daily life, “Pay attention to details!” When dealing with hot lights, electricity, cables, stands, and most any equipment, as well as weapons, you must understand how they work and how to use them creatively, but most of all, you must make safety a priority. Call the nearest National Rifle Association and take their gun handling safety course. It only takes a couple of hours and is worth the time and money for filmmakers. If you are using knives, swords, and/or martial arts weapons, get a professional stunt person to stage your fight and give you some tips. Find an armorer in your area and talk with them about weapons safety on set. Most production professionals are happy to talk with you, so talk to them and benefit from their experience. They will provide you with many safety tips in addition to the ones listed here.
6. Have one person (props) responsible for bringing the weapons to and from the set.
Have them check guns in your presence to make sure they are not loaded. Have two other people come and observe the props master and check them again. Do not allow anyone to play with the weapons. They are tools for film work not toys. Never point a gun directly at the actor for a shot. Blanks, squibs, gunpowder, and weapons can kill, put out eyes, and cause other physical damage. Always place the shooter, the person shot at, and the camera in such a way that the blast from the blank is not pointed at the actor but in the shot looks as if it is pointed directly at the actor. The use of real knives, swords, arrows, and marital arts weapons, such as stars, should be avoided. Try to find prop weapons which are usually not sharp. Remember, even weapons made as props can still be dangerous! If you’ve just got to have the gun shoot toward the camera, spend the money for a couple of good pieces of Plexiglas about eight feet by four feet each, and place them several feet away from the shooter and in front of the camera and operator. The camera can zoom in on the gun for the firing, and this setup protects the camera, camera op and assistant, and the shooter from burning powder bouncing back from the Plexiglas. Note: make sure the Plexiglas is clean!
As with all aspects of filmmaking, the use of pre-production planning, study, research, and paying attention to details, practicing and preaching safety will make for a near professional, fun, good learning experience, and yield a creative, entertaining, and possibly thought provoking film for the filmmakers and the audience.
Fred P. Watkins is a lecturer at the University of North Texas in the Radio, TV, and Film Department. He teaches film production, directing, producing, and screenwriting. He has four feature films in distribution with three more coming out in the next year. He learned his crafts working from production assistant to DP to director, to producer. He has worked for Paramount, United Artists and others. “I enjoy filmmaking and teaching as no day, story, location, character, or student is ever the same.”
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