Using A Gun In A Movie

maestro72x said:
A famous actor died because of this, Dont recall off the top of my head who it was, but his head wasnt very solid after that incident.
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Jon-Erik Hexum; f*cking around with friends on-set, put a blank-loaded revolver to his head and fatally spalled a chunk of skull into his own brain.

Brandon Lee died as the result of an inexperienced prop staffer switching out dummy rounds for blanks; one of the dummy slugs came loose, stayed in the cylinder, wasn't counted by the staffer (because she didn't bother to do the usual safety-count) and when a blank was pushed into the chamber behind the slug, the gun became a for-real deadly weapon.
 
Magnum,

I think that what sometimes gets lost in the actual telling of stories is the actual story. We get obsessed with visuals, and the technical challenges and triumphs of showing those visuals, which can be important and moving, but they're only moving if there is a story.

When I read that the director wants to "See the gun go off in that position," I just thought to myself, another beginning director who can't wait to use fake blood and guns and have a weak story. Of course, there are exceptions. And I hope your story is good. The combination of powerful visuals and a great script is what we're all looking for.

So my answer is that it isn't important to show the gun going off. It would look more professional and serve the actual story better to do something creative to let the viewer see it in his own mind.

I just hope the director is into working the script as much as he is trying to show the position of a gun.
 
Slow-motion blood-spray is the most compelling and effective of all storytelling techniques. Don't bother suggesting otherwise.
 
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Ok, so Hexum died from a blank because he was stupid enough to put it to his head, Brandon Lee died from a make-shift dummy round lodged in the chamber from earlier causing a squib load...Hexum was just an idiot and the prop crew for the Crow were wayyy too carelsss, nevertheless, dummy rounds and blanks are used often for gunfights in movies today and when overseen by a firearm handler, can be safe and very effective to the scene.

However, it seems to me that using a dummy round is just...well, dumb. What's the point if you're not getting even a blast from the gun? Is it almost equivilant to an airsoft?
 
In addition to the obvious, I would further suggest informing the police of your intentions. People die when even perfectly safe, non-firing guns are mistaken for the real thing. It only takes onee person seeing something through a window and dialing 911.

Also, see if you can find a stunt coordinator who has experience in this. Not only will he keep you safe, he has lots of prop guns to choose from and probably has lots of expereince making it look real.
 
The movie Snatch was perfectly effective with all kinds of gunfire and no squib hits on camera. Watch and learn.
 
Airsoft. Revolver. (been stated already)

If you need blow back on a semi. get something called an EBB airsoft pistol.

Electric Blow Back

They are total pieces of **** in the airsoft world (means cheap) are very weak and will cycle without a BB in the chamber. They run on batteries and cycle relatively slowly. So you editor might have to drop a few frames. Just set up a compressed air squib on the other side of the actor's face and you are set. (compress air is much safer and easier)
 
There Is No Such Thing As An Unloaded Gun.

Never Point A Gun At Anything You Do Not Wish To Kill Or Destroy.

Never Put Your Finger On The Trigger Until You Are Ready To Kill Or Destroy.

Guns Are Not Toys.
 
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