Film and TV armourer and prop master Dutch Merrick (R) demonstrates how to use a gun safely while having a student fire blank ammunition during his Prop Gun safety workshop on how to handle guns safely on set, in Glendale, California, on July 3, 2024. - In a studio near Los Angeles, a group of filmmakers practice framing a close-up of a rubber gun held by an actor, when they are suddenly interrupted. "He's pointing the gun directly at the crew -- it's exactly what happened on 'Rust'", says Dutch Merrick, a veteran armorer who offers training on gun safety in movies. Merrick is referring to the infamous tragedy that took place in October 2021 on the New Mexico set of Alec Baldwin's low-budget Western "Rust." (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP)