Movie Props and Firearms Expert (and Martin Scorsese’s Daughter) on What Hollywood Has to Do to Be Safe

The daughter of acclaimed movie director Martin Scorsese has been working with props, including firearms, on movie sets for decades, and her conversation about inadequate safety protections in response to the tragic shooting on the set of “Rust” should be required reading for all Hollywood producers and studio executives.

For years, I’ve been saying there’s got to be a better way to make movies, and everybody’s attitude is, “Well, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but it is broke. It’s very broken, as a matter of fact.

Prop departments are notorious for being the smallest on set and are often asked to cut down on manpower.

Everyone, regardless of department, is overworked. We all work crazy hours for weeks and sometimes months at a time, and it’s hell on our bodies, our minds, our relationships, and our lives.