Serge Svetnoy is a close friend of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins who was shot and killed by a prop gun on RUST’s set. Serge also was the gaffer on the film and stood near Halyna when the accident happened. Serge has decided to share his thoughts and claims that this accident occurred as a result of negligence and unprofessionalism by the producers.

From the man who stood next to Halyna and tried to save her life

Serge Svetnoy was the gaffer of RUST, and Halyna’s close friend. He shared his thoughts and personal vision on the main reasons that caused this tragic accident. Read them below:

Serge Svetnoy: “My vision of the RUST tragedy – I have received hundreds of calls, text messages, letters with words of support and condolences since the day of the tragedy with Halyna Hutchins, and I’m very grateful to everyone. Yes, I knew Halyna, not for a year. I worked with Her on almost all of her films. Sometimes we’ve shared food and water. We’ve been burning under the sun, freezing in the snow on the shoots. We took care of each other. Yes, I can say with 100% confidence she was my friend. WAS!!!. I also received many calls from different mass media sources from multiple countries asking to tell what happened; also from numerous institutes and universities for the students to know what needs the most attention. Yes, I was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Halyna during this fatal shot that took her life and injured the director Joel Souza. I was holding her in my arms while she was dying. Her blood was on my hands”. 

Yes, I was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Halyna during this fatal shot that took her life and injured the director Joel Souza. I was holding her in my arms while she was dying. Her blood was on my hands.

RUST’s gaffer – Serge Svetnoy

Why this has happened?

Serge Svetnoy: “I want to tell my opinion on why this has happened. I think I have the right to do it. It’s the fault of negligence and unprofessionalism.  The negligence from the person who was supposed to check the weapon on the site did not do this; the person who had to announce that the loaded gun was on the site did not do this; the person who should have checked this weapon before bringing it to the set did not do it. And the DEATH OF THE HUMAN IS THE RESULT!

It’s the fault of negligence and unprofessionalism.  The negligence from  the person who was supposed to check the weapon on the site did not do this; the person who had to announce  that the loaded gun was on the site did not do this;  the person who should have checked this weapon before bringing it to the set did not do it.

RUST’s gaffer – Serge Svetnoy

No real professional in the weapon department

Serge Svetnoy: “I’m sure that we had the professionals in every department, but one – the department that was responsible for the weapons. There is no way a twenty-four-year-old woman can be a professional with armory; there is no way that her more-or-less the same-aged friend from school, neighborhood, Instagram, or God knows where else, can be a professional in this field. Professionals are the people who have spent years on sets, people who know this job from A to Z; These are the people who have the safety on set at the level of reflexes; they do not need to be told to put the sandbag on a tripod, fix the ladder on the stage, or fence off the explosion site. They have it in their blood.

There is no way a twenty-four-year-old woman can be a professional with armory.

RUST’s gaffer – Serge Svetnoy

Producers’ fault

Serge Svetnoy:” I’m calling out to the Producers!  We have a fascinating and amazing job, but it’s also dangerous. We film in the mountains, in the open water, underwater. We have explosions, shooting guns, car crashes, electricity after all, and much more. To save a dime sometimes, you hire people who are not fully qualified for the complicated and dangerous job, and you risk the lives of the other people who are close and your lives as well. I understand that you always fight for the budget, but you cannot allow this to happen. There should always be at least one professional in each department who knows the job. It is an absolute must to avoid such a tragedy, like the tragedy with Halyna”.

We have a fascinating and amazing job, but it’s also dangerous. We film in the mountains, in the open water, underwater. We have explosions, shooting guns, car crashes, electricity after all, and much more.

RUST’s gaffer – Serge Svetnoy

Because of unprofessional people

Serge Svetnoy: “ I do not wish anyone to go through what I went through, what her husband Matt Hutchins and her son Andros went through, and the actor Alec Baldwin, who has been handed a gun on set. He has to live with the thought that he took the life of a human because of unprofessional people.  Dear Producers, by hiring professionals, you are buying peace of mind for yourself and the people around you. It is true that the professionals can cost a little more and sometimes can be a little bit more demanding, but it is worth it. No saved penny is worth the LIFE of the person!  And finally, dear Producers, please remember that it’s not you who are giving the opportunities to the people you hire to make their money; it’s the people you hire who help You make Your money. Remember this!  I also want to thank the camera operator Ried Russell, who was with us and helped save Halyna. Thank you to the set medic Cherlyn Schaefer who did everything she could to save Halyna’s life. We all loved Halyna. May God Bless her soul. Rest in Peace.  And God protects Us All.

Dear Producers, by hiring professionals, you are buying peace of mind for yourself and the people around you. It is true that the professionals can cost a little more and sometimes can be a little bit more demanding, but it is worth it. No saved penny is worth the LIFE of the person!

RUST’s gaffer – Serge Svetnoy

Final thoughts

Although the thoughts on this case are far from being final, we can end this article by quoting firearms safety coordinator Dave Brown from an interview for The ASC: “Cast and crew need to be calm while they go about their jobs, not worrying about their safety because someone constantly reminds them how dangerous firearms are, or runs around yelling “Fire in the hole!” when guns are loaded with blanks. Safety is not about scaring people. It’s about treating firearms with respect, consistently checking every firearm on set, and working with the same quiet, calm professionalism as a good camera operator.”