'Midnight Rider' Movie Accident News: Film Industry Workers Rally for More Safety in Wake of Camera Assistant's Death
The film industry may begin to take crew safety more seriously following the death of a 27-year-old camera assistant and the indictment of three producers of the independent film "Midnight Rider."
Sarah Jones was killed in February while working on the set of the movie in Georgia. The crew was filming a scene on a railroad bridge when a train unexpectedly raced toward them, injuring six others, The Los Angeles Times reported.
According to authorities, producers Randall Miller, Jody Savin and Jay Sedrish were not permitted to shoot their movie on the bridge. A George Grand jury charged them Thursday with criminal trespass and involuntary manslaughter.
Miller was the director of "Midnight Rider" and is also a co-owner of Unclaimed Freight Productions Inc. alongside Savin. Sedrish was an executive producer of the film.
Long-time film producer Marty Katz told The Times that Jones' death has sparked a greater concern for crew safety on both movie and TV sets.
"What will change -- particularly if these people are prosecuted heavily -- is that people will pay more attention to safety issues," Katz said. "The reality is, no shot is worth a life, and safety has to be the primary concern, whether it is a $100,000 production or a $100 million production."
Since Jones' death, her father Richard has also raised concerns for worker safety in the industry and in a statement he and his wife, Elizabeth, demanded better work conditions.
"Elizabeth and I are comfortable that the authorities were both careful and meticulous in investigating and bringing charges related to the incident that took our daughter's life," Jones said. "We must allow the criminal justice process to proceed unhindered. Our mission remains the same: to ensure safety on all film sets. Safety for Sarah."
Jones' death has rallied several of Hollywood's production workers together, who insist that cost cutting in the industry and production has put workers at an even greater safety risk. The industry's workers have also been urging union leaders to get other states to adopt the same safety standards as California. They argue that low-budget productions need more safety requirements.
"Not a day goes by that we at Local 600 aren't reminded of the tragic death of our sister and member Sarah Jones," said Steven Poster, a president of the International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600.
The producers could face a 10-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter, while criminal trespass in Georgia carries a jail sentence of up to a year, according to The Times
"Midnight Rider," a film about the life of rock singer Gregg Allman, was being filmed in Wayne County, Georgia, on Feb. 20 when crew members were told to set up production on an old trestle above the Altamaha River. The crew was also told there would be no more trains running through the tracks that day, but while preparing the shot, a train came barreling through.
The crew rushed to get their equipment and props from the tracks, but the train hit a metal-frame bed that was to be used in the scene. Pieces of metal shards were flung into the air, which struck and killed Jones, who was eventually hit by the train as well, according to witnesses and a police report.
In March, hundreds people marched in a candlelight vigil in Los Angeles in honor of Jones, and more than 50,000 people signed a petition on Facebook demanding Jones' name be included in the Academy Awards "In Memoriam" tribute. A photo of Jones was displayed during the broadcast, The Times reported.
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