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Film crew death

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 7:14 PM

As I understand it, it would not make any difference if he "got the shot", there is a "rule" (probably not really written down) that says any shot where someone actually got hurt cannot be used in the final product.  I remember some other movie where a car crashed into a lobby and hit a desk where a stunt man was sitting, he was supposed to just be pushed back by the desk when the car hit it, but the car hit too hard and he was severely injured.  Later it was discovered that the scene had gotten into the released movie and the producer and director were "aghast" that it had not been "left on the cutting room floor like it should have been".

At this point, I hope the whole movie/video is canned and forgotten by the financiers.

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 8:43 PM

Semper Vaporo

As I understand it, it would not make any difference if he "got the shot", there is a "rule" (probably not really written down) that says any shot where someone actually got hurt cannot be used in the final product.  I remember some other movie where a car crashed into a lobby and hit a desk where a stunt man was sitting, he was supposed to just be pushed back by the desk when the car hit it, but the car hit too hard and he was severely injured.  Later it was discovered that the scene had gotten into the released movie and the producer and director were "aghast" that it had not been "left on the cutting room floor like it should have been".

At this point, I hope the whole movie/video is canned and forgotten by the financiers.

I suspect all film shot at the location will be shown - at the trial!

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Posted by vsmith on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 9:41 PM

Semp, not true. There are many many films where a shot that someone got killed were used in the final film. Two that come to mind, Flight of the Phoenix where pilot Paul Manz died when the plane he was flying for passing shots crashed on landing. Those flyby shots are still in the film. The other is the Vin Diesel "xXx" where a stuntman jumped off a bridge but the landing went wrong and he was killed, but the the actual stunt shot is still in the film.

As for "getting the shot" it can take hours to set up the props, set up the cameras, check the lighting levels, get people on the set start shooting, usually multiple takes, and then take everything apart and moved off the location. Thats why I really cannot fathom how anyone thought they could set up a full frame bed and mattress and shoot scenes on an active railroad bridge. They wouldn't do this on an active airport runway but thats basically what they did.

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Posted by Leo_Ames on Thursday, March 6, 2014 2:48 AM

Don't you see the fatal spin for the Sikorsky plane standing in for a German Gotha bomber in Hell's Angels that killed a person or two?

All these poor decisions remind me a bit of what happened to Vic Morrow on the set of the Twilight Zone movie. Being far too lax with safety leading to tragedy sadly isn't a new phenomenon for film making. 

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Thursday, March 6, 2014 7:10 AM

      Can anyone explain why a movie about Greg Allman needs to have a scene with a bed set up on a railroad bridge?

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Posted by mudchicken on Thursday, March 6, 2014 7:36 AM

Murphy Siding

      Can anyone explain why a movie about Greg Allman needs to have a scene with a bed set up on a railroad bridge?

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Posted by D.Carleton on Thursday, March 6, 2014 9:23 AM

Leo_Ames

Don't you see the fatal spin for the Sikorsky plane standing in for a German Gotha bomber in Hell's Angels that killed a person or two?

All these poor decisions remind me a bit of what happened to Vic Morrow on the set of the Twilight Zone movie. Being far too lax with safety leading to tragedy sadly isn't a new phenomenon for film making. 

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Posted by vsmith on Thursday, March 6, 2014 11:40 AM

mudchicken

Murphy Siding

      Can anyone explain why a movie about Greg Allman needs to have a scene with a bed set up on a railroad bridge?

Drugs

It was intended to be for a dream sequence in the movie.

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Posted by ACY Tom on Friday, March 7, 2014 8:56 PM
A couple things: I don't think there was ever any shot to be "gotten". Of course, I don't know how film people do these things, but I understood this was a preliminary setup for a shot that was actually supposed to be taken on the next day. One excuse for the lax safety procedures was that this was not strictly part of the schedule. If I have that correctly, it's all the more tragic for that. Now, why would a 27 year sentence be appropriate? It's not unreasonable to expect that a person who is 27 today should live to the age of 90. So maybe the benchmark should be the 62 years Sarah didn't get to live. It's not unusual for the safest path to be towards the train. If my car is stalled on a crossing, I would get out in a hurry and run in the direction the train is coming from. To stand near the car would be to risk getting hit with shrapnel when the car gets hit. To stand with the car between me and the locomotive is to risk having the entire car thrown at me. Running to the side (i.e., down the road) runs the risk of the shrapnel. If I run in the direction the train is coming FROM, the locomotives will pass me before the collision and knock the car farther away from me. Of course, if the train goes on the ground, all bets are off. Lastly, the site of the accident is interesting. The double track approaches from the south, and makes a slight left turn at the point where the double track goes to single and the Rayonier spur comes in from the west. There is a track between the two mains where wood pulp cars are often stored. I saw some there yesterday morning, the 6th of March. The tracks are also lined with trees on both sides. I have a feeling (unsubstantiated) that the engine crew's view of the bridge was obscured by the curve, the trees, and possibly by some pulp cars right up until they got through the curve and could see into the "tunnel" of that truss bridge. The trees etc. also might have damped the effect of the air horn. I suspect (again, unsubstantiated) that the engineer had no inkling of a problem until he was less than 1/4 mile from impact. One report said the train was traveling 58 mph.
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Posted by usmc1401 on Saturday, March 8, 2014 8:06 PM

On Friday evening 3/7/2014 the parents of the lady killed attended a memorial march in Los Angeles CA. Many people in the industry attended and it made the TV news in L.A.

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 9, 2014 10:55 AM

ACY
I have a feeling (unsubstantiated) that the engine crew's view of the bridge was obscured by the curve, the trees, and possibly by some pulp cars right up until they got through the curve and could see into the "tunnel" of that truss bridge. The trees etc. also might have damped the effect of the air horn. I suspect (again, unsubstantiated) that the engineer had no inkling of a problem until he was less than 1/4 mile from impact. One report said the train was traveling 58 mph.

At 58 mph, neither advance visibility nor a louder horn would have changed the outcome much...they were still on a bridge with a bed that they were trying to drag off the tracks!

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Posted by Falcon48 on Thursday, March 13, 2014 8:40 PM

Mookie

Let the parties argue a little.  So far, they have kept it civil.  If you stop all disagreements, you won't have anything left except the Chatterbox and the Lounge.  Think about it.  Weather, chocolate cake and a little train watching. 

My $$$ is on the film crew found someone walking their dog and asked them if it was ok to film on the tracks. He told them "sure, go ahead".  See how simple this is? 

I agree wilth you.  I don't like to speculate on accidents like this either, because some of the parties are likely doing a lot of posturing right now.  The actual facts will come out eventually.  My experience is that they are often much different than what everybody initially thought was the case.  If you want an example of this, look at the NTSFB reprot on the Midland TX accident where a UP train plowed into a parade float.  The early reports of the accident blamed the driver, but that's not what NTSB concluded (they blamed the city, and had pretty compelling story).

That said, at least as far as I've read down the posts on this thread, I don't see any reason for the moderators to get involved.  I haven't seen any real nastiness or political posturing (maybe I haven't read far enough down the posts).  Speculation on a website like this is pretty harmless. 

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Posted by railfanjohn on Friday, May 16, 2014 1:10 PM
railfanjohn
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Posted by vsmith on Monday, May 19, 2014 11:47 AM

railfanjohn

Somehow I dont think the film company is going to have the same such luck with the other lawsuits, especially the family of the girl who died.

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Posted by rdamon on Friday, August 15, 2014 7:45 AM

Production company for "Midnight Rider" film cited by OSHA
for willful and serious safety violations following worker fatality and injuries

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=26541

<SNIP>

"Their failure to develop a safety plan to prevent such hazards, including obtaining permission from the rail owner to use the tracks for filming, led to the death of one crew member and injuries to eight other employees," said Kurt Petermeyer, OSHA's Regional Administrator for the Southeast.

<SNIP>

At the time of the incident, the company employed 20 workers on the set and approximately 74 workers nationwide. Proposed penalties total $74,900.

<SNIP>


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Posted by Murphy Siding on Friday, August 15, 2014 9:10 AM

      That seems to be absolving the railroad of liability in this matter.

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Posted by ACY Tom on Friday, August 15, 2014 5:14 PM

From an item in Variety, I understand that the production company is suing their insurer because the insurer has decided not to pay certain claims arising out of the cessation of production.  It'll be interesting to see whether these charges are used as a a part of the insurer's defense.

Also, Variety has said director Randall Miller has received medical attention for post traumatic stress disorder.  It'll be interesting to see whether this is relevant to his defense in the criminal and/or civil trials.

Tom 

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Posted by Kyle on Saturday, August 16, 2014 4:26 AM

Hopefully this accident and death of a young women will have a good end.  Even if this accident only saves a couple of lives in the future.  Let us all pray that this story will teach people that train tracks are dangerous and you should never be on tracks without permission from the RR.  Not to mention don't be on a RR bridge.  Hopefully this accident will save many lives in the future.

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Posted by cacole on Saturday, August 16, 2014 8:03 AM

There have already been other incidents of people trespassing on railroad bridges and almost being hit by a train.  You just can't fix stupid.

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Posted by chad s thomas on Saturday, August 16, 2014 3:30 PM

I can't believe that after such a long absence from this fine forum my first post is on this thread..Confused..but....

I have lived half my life in southern California and have many experiences encountering film crews. In "my experience" most of these people are self centered, self rightious idiots that believe what they do is so important because it's "for tv, movies, ect" that they have the right to do whatever they please. I say nail them to the wall !!!! You're entertainment venue is not more important then life.

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Posted by chad s thomas on Saturday, August 16, 2014 6:41 PM

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) -- In some versions of a story Aug. 14 about a movie production company being cited for workplace safety violations related to a fatal train crash in Georgia, The Associated Press erroneously reported the first name of the singer who is the subject of the film. His name is Gregg Allman, not Greg.

A corrected version of the story is below:

OSHA cites Allman film company in Ga. train crash

OSHA proposes $74,900 fine for safety violations by Allman film company in Ga. train crash

By RUSS BYNUM

Associated Press

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - A production company formed to make a biographical film about singer Gregg Allman was cited by federal regulators Thursday for workplace safety violations stemming from a train crash in rural Georgia that killed a camera assistant and injured six others.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed $74,900 in fines against Film Allman LLC, a company incorporated in 2013 to make the movie "Midnight Rider." The company was cited for two safety violations saying it willfully put workers in danger of being struck by a live train and put them at risk of falling off a railroad bridge where they were shooting a scene.

Filming had just begun on "Midnight Rider" when a freight train plowed into the crew Feb. 20 on a railroad trestle spanning the Altamaha River in rural Wayne County southwest of Savannah. The collision killed 27-year-old Sarah Jones. Investigators say fellow crew members were injured either by the train itself or flying shrapnel from a bed that had been placed across the tracks as a movie prop.

"It is unacceptable that Film Allman LLC knowingly exposed their crew to moving trains while filming on a live track and railroad trestle," David Michaels, the assistant labor secretary who heads OSHA, said in a statement.

The citations don't name any individual officers associated with Film Allman LLC. The company's incorporation papers list the same Pasadena, California, address as Unclaimed Freight Productions, which is owned by "Midnight Rider" director Randall Miller and his wife, Jody Savin. Their attorney, Don Samuel, declined to comment.

Film Allman has 15 business days to contest OSHA's findings and proposed penalty.

On July 3, a grand jury indicted Miller, Savin and executive producer Jay Sedrish on charges of involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespassing in connection with the crash. Sheriff's investigators say the filmmakers took their crew onto the railroad bridge despite being denied permission to film there by CSX railroad. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty.

In a statement released through their attorney July 17, Miller and Savin said the crash and Jones' death "will haunt us forever" but they insisted they had committed no crimes.

"We would never knowingly or intentionally put anybody's safety at risk," Miller and Savin's statement said. "This was a horrible tragedy and a horrific accident."

Production on "Midnight Rider" was halted after the crash. Allman filed a civil lawsuit against Miller and Savin seeking to prevent them from restarting the project. They settled out of court without disclosing terms.

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Posted by ruderunner on Tuesday, August 19, 2014 7:11 PM

Film Allman?  Oh I can just see the lawsuits against Gregg now...

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, August 20, 2014 7:02 AM

ruderunner

Film Allman?  Oh I can just see the lawsuits against Gregg now...

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Posted by ramrod on Wednesday, August 20, 2014 7:59 PM

            I have lived half my life in southern California and have many experiences encountering film crews. In "my experience" most of these people are self centered, self rightious idiots that believe       what they do is so important because it's "for tv, movies, ect" that they have the right to do            whatever they please. I say nail them to the wall !!!! You're entertainment venue is not more        important then life.        

 

Chad: I’ll second your opinion about film crews. I’ve been a technical advisor for a couple of field units and the Hollywood types are insufferable. And scary. A more ignorant bunch I’ve never seen or met. He two things they are apt to ignore in the name of telling a story are safety and accuracy...could give examples but  won’t.- too upsetting to document at this late date. I’ll never get involved again.

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Posted by Kyle on Thursday, August 21, 2014 5:46 AM

cacole

There have already been other incidents of people trespassing on railroad bridges and almost being hit by a train.  You just can't fix stupid.

You can't fix stupid, but stupid sometimes fixes itself.  Unfortunately in this accident that didn't happen, and an innocent women died because of the bosses stupidity.  Why couldn't the idiot who decided to film on the live tracks have died.  Somehow, stupid people have good luck and surviveSigh

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, August 21, 2014 7:20 AM

Kyle
Why couldn't the idiot who decided to film on the live tracks have died.

Really?  Had to go there?

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Posted by Kyle on Friday, August 22, 2014 4:01 AM

tree68

Kyle
Why couldn't the idiot who decided to film on the live tracks have died.

Really?  Had to go there?

It would have been better than having a poor innocent young women die.  Plus it would save the government money by not having to have a trial to convict the producer.

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Posted by gardendance on Friday, August 22, 2014 8:14 AM

Kyle, for what it's worth I feel your wishing death on anyone is in poor taste.

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Posted by Kyle on Friday, August 22, 2014 4:25 PM

gardendance

Kyle, for what it's worth I feel your wishing death on anyone is in poor taste.

I am not wishing death on anyone.  I am simply stating that if someone has to die, it should be the one who is responsible, instead of an innocent person.

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Posted by rdamon on Wednesday, September 3, 2014 2:57 PM

http://www.ldnews.com/ci_26459408/csx-film-crew-denied-track-access-before-crash

CSX: Film crew denied track access before crash

"Railroad company CSX Transportation says it twice denied producers of a movie about singer Gregg Allman the permission to shoot on the company's tracks before a freight train slammed into the film's crew in south Georgia, killing one worker and injuring six."



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