Op-ed in IndieWire
The Rust Tragedy Wasn’t an Accident: It Was a Warning
This week, Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna starts streaming on Hulu. The death of Halyna Hutchins was a singular tragedy, but the conditions that led to it were anything but unique. Ignoring crew well-being, prioritizing budgets and schedules over safety, and pushing people past their limits happens every day.
Our industry has yet to fully acknowledge the pervasive dangers of unsafe working conditions because we’ve normalized the idea that suffering is an essential part of filmmaking. Our “battle-tested” cameras have names like Rocket, Weapon, and Arsenal. We use terms like “run n’ gun”, “lock it up” and “shoot”. Our toxic production culture frames suffering as ‘paying your dues.’ We don’t just accept self-sacrifice—we glorify it.
In a study by the UK Film + TV Charity, The Looking Glass Report (2024), 77% of respondents said the industry is a mentally unhealthy place to work. Even more alarming, 30% have considered taking their own life in the past year. Poor mental health among film workers isn’t a problem - it’s a crisis. Yet because most struggles don’t end in public tragedy, they rarely make headlines.
But there is hope. Many filmmakers, crew members, and advocacy groups are leading the charge for change. Reports like The Looking Glass Report and IPC’s Impact of Injury ‘24, along with documentaries like Safe Sets: Dying to Work in the Film Industry, are shedding light on the issue while offering tangible solutions and best practices. Conversations about safety, mental health, and humane working conditions are gaining momentum. Productions that actively prioritize well-being prove that a different way is not just possible—it’s necessary.
The best work doesn’t come from exhaustion and fear. It comes from safe, creative environments where people feel free to bring their best ideas to the table. When people experience a culture of trust at work, they report a 76% increase in engagement and a 50% higher productivity. A Google study reports that high psychological safety in teams leads to 31% more innovation. Prioritizing safety doesn’t just protect people, it elevates the work itself.
As Rachel Mason, director of Last Take, put it, “Every single thing had to happen the way it did in order to have this outcome.” But what if the outcome had been slightly different? What if the bullet had missed? Would anyone other than the crew have ever known about the poor working conditions on Rust? How many other productions have come close to tragedy without the public ever hearing about it?
This isn’t just about one feature film—it’s about the culture of production. Our success can’t just be measured in accolades and bottom lines. It has to include the well-being of the people who work with us. If the cost of a project is that people get hurt, can it ever really be a success?
This culture shift starts with us. By committing to sets that center humanity - where people feel energized, valued, and fulfilled - we don’t just improve our individual productions, we raise the standard for how great work gets made.
