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 New Mexico's role in the TV and
movie business was thrust into the spotlight
last week when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins
was fatally shot on the set of "Rust", a Western
that was being filmed at the Bonanza Creek Ranch
outside Santa Fe. Actor Alec Baldwin fired the
prop gun that killed Hutchins after being told
it was not loaded https://www.reuters.com/world/us/alec-baldwin-fired-prop-gun-that-killed-crew-member-movie-set-authorities-2021-10-22,
according to authorities.
"Rust" was just one of many projects being
filmed around the state, which has become a key
hub for Hollywood by offering producers a
generous 25% to 35% refundable tax credit.
Netflix Inc and Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal have
established production studios in Albuquerque.
A pool of experienced workers has helped attract
Hollywood to the state, filmmakers and TV
executives say. About 9,000 people who live in
New Mexico work in the industry, earning an
average salary of $56,000, according to the New
Mexico Film Office.
Bill Horn, a set decorator who has worked on
projects for Netflix, Sony Corp and ViacomCBS
Inc's Paramount Pictures, has witnessed the
expansion in recent years.
When he joined the International Alliance of
Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) union's Local
480 chapter more than a decade ago, it had fewer
than 600 members. Now its membership tallies
more than 1,500, he said.
"It's growing a lot," said Horn, who is
currently working on Fox drama "The Cleaning
Lady". Local educational options for specialized
film work has expanded, he said, and new
apprenticeships have been discussed. "We're
pretty desperate for training," he said.
Other projects underway in the state include
Netflix series "Trigger Warning" and "Dead for a
Dollar" starring Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe
and Rachel Brosnahan. Forty-eight movies and TV
shows were produced in New Mexico in September,
state statistics showed.
Spending from film and TV production reached a
record $623 million in the state from July 2020
to July 2021, the film office said. Some
politicians have complained about offering tax
breaks to Hollywood corporations.
CAMERAS KEEP ROLLING
The Bonanza Creek Ranch, where filming on "Rust"
has been suspended, has been used as a Hollywood
set for decades since Jimmy Stewart's "The Man
From Laramie" in 1955 and "Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid" in 1968.
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 The sprawling site offers five
different sets, including a 24-building town
with an Old West-style saloon, blacksmith shop,
train station and barn, plus free-roaming
cattle.
More recent productions there included last
year's Tom Hanks movie "News of the World."
A day after the "Rust" accident, cameras were
rolling to capture nighttime scenes on the ranch
for another project. The site also offers
film-related tours and rental options for
private parties and corporate retreats.
Besides the ranch, sound stages abound in the
area. Netflix operates one of the largest after
buying Albuquerque Studios, where the AMC
network had filmed "Breaking Bad" in 2018. Two
years later, the streaming giant announced it
would expand the facility and promised to spend
$1 billion on production in the state.
Since the "Rust" tragedy, media outlets have
reported of discontent about working conditions
on that set. People who worked on other projects
in New Mexico said the sets always adhered to
strict safety and security protocols and they
were dumbfounded by how the shooting could have
occurred.
"There is everything in place to not let this
happen," said Jesse Casias, who builds sets.
"There is not any reason for this."
About 200 industry workers, from costume
designers to prop makers and location scouts,
gathered Saturday night at a candlelight vigil
for Hutchins https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/director-gutted-by-death-cinematographer-accidental-shooting-2021-10-23
in Albuquerque. Many talked about the sense of
family that develops during the long hours spent
on sets.
Actor Jon Hamm, who is filming a movie in nearby
Belen, said he and his "Mad Men" co-star John
Slattery attended the vigil "to support our
community". Slattery, who is directing the new
film, said members of his crew were close
friends with Hutchins.
Others said they felt the loss even if they had
no connection directly to Hutchins. "It's just a
sad day for everybody," said Horn, the set
decorator. "Hearts are broken."
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Daniel
Wallis)
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