CMU School of Drama


Tuesday, March 17, 2020

‘Batwoman’ production assistant paralyzed in on-set accident

nypost.com: A production assistant working on the CW’s Batwoman has been left paralyzed from the waste down after suffering an injury on the set of the Warner Bros. TV-produced superhero drama series, which films in Vancouver.

Amanda Smith, 30, was working below the Georgia Viaduct in Vancouver during a location shoot setup on March 11 when “the bucket of a lift lowered onto her head,” according to a GoFundMe page created for Smith.

10 comments:

Alexa Janoschka said...

Wow. One wrong move can completely change someone's life in an instant (this is nothing new but it is always surprising when you read an article like this one). In the article, it says that it is uncertain as to whether this is temporary or terminate (I really hope after extensive therapy she regains the use of her legs) I would be absolutely devastated if something like this happened to myself or someone I knew. It is crazy to think about America's medical system and how people like Amanda not only have to worry about their recovery but how she will pay for the surgery that will hopefully give her the use of her legs back. The final paragraph of the article is also interesting because what if the virus had shut down the production sooner?? It would be interesting to see a second article about this story once the investigation is finished. Could someone have prevented this? It says that the lift hit her head and that is all the information we are given so it would be nice to better understand what really happened.

Elizabeth Purnell said...

The fact that this happened is truly terrifying. My heart goes out to Amanda Smith, as well as her family and the rest of the crew as they go through this time - being unsure is probably the worst feeling (I can say this with confidence now whilst living through this COVID confusion time). Reading about what happened really put into perspective how important verbal communication is on sets. Here at CMU, they always stress that you should yell loudly and clearly while moving linesets, while carrying heavy loads, and you should especially yell Heads if something is dropped. It’s also important to be aware of your surroundings at all times, because it sounds like on both ends of this accident, environments were not forgiving in the safety department. Hopefully crews will take note to make sure this doesn’t happen again, but for now I just hope that Amanda feels better and stronger soon.

Reesha A. said...

This is indeed a very sad incident that has happened. I cannot even imagine the pain and sadness that the victim and her closed ones are experiencing. As the article mentions, the injury is not an easy one to get through by and I really hope that the victim comes out of this better and stronger.
What this incident highlights is the dangerous and somewhat unsafe environment that production people are involved in. This is a big incident to take place and could have been a life threatening one if immediate care was not provided.
I really hope that after this incident, safety measures and precautions are enhanced and made to prove sufficiently safe for all personnel involved so as to ensure the utmost safety and health of these employees. In addition, it is necessary for the companies to establish sufficient workers compensation too for these employees too just in case any injury does take place.

Bahaar Esfahani said...

Reading things like this seriously makes me so, so sad. My heart goes out to this poor woman who was just at work, doing what she loved, whose life path has completely changed within a second. I feel like the details of this incident are lacking. I'm just confused how this could have happened. It's really scary to think about the dangers of a production environment, and all the things around us that can cause us injury. At CMU, I really love and appreciate the emphasis on safety. We all have to wear hard hats on deck, we have to call out everything we do (and I'm pretty sure "Coming down!" is one you yell from a lift, yes?), and we have to wait for an acknowledgement before we proceed. Were precautions like these in place when this incident happened? Regardless, I think what happened to Amanda Smith is just so tragic and heartbreaking. I wish a speedy recovery for her from her surgeries and physical therapy.

Jillian Warner said...

Ugh I am so upset to read about this awful incident! And what a time to have such a terrible accident in the midst of a global health crisis. The last place I would want to be right now is in a hospital having a surgery done. My heart goes out to Amanda Smith and her loved ones. My hope is that after a lengthy period of physical therapy she will be able to regain feeling in the lower half of her body and be able to walk again. Hearing stories like hers reminds me just how lucky I am and how easily your life can change in a second. I think everyone needs to remember how lucky we all are. There are always going to be people out in the world who are struggling more than we are. I’m sure that the doctors are doing their best to help Amanda. It’s so wonderful that people are donating money to help her too!

Kathleen Ma said...

What a heartbreaking story. Sounds terribly painful too. How terrifying it is to realize that the course of your life, your livelihood, and your health and wellbeing could change in an instant like this. What is even more terrifying is knowing that this is the industry that I and all my friends intend on going into. Furthermore, the specific area of entertainment that I plan to pursue is exactly the type to deal with machinery and lifts and lots of heavy movement. I can be careful and follow protocols and always be vigilant, but still, accidents happen. I can only hope that they don't happen to me. My heart goes out to Amanda Smith, her family, her friends, and the doctors who work so hard to help her return to normalcy. Hopefully, she will have a speedy and full recovery so she may continue with her life as energetically as before.

Elena DelVecchio said...

This is really, really scary and sad. The idea that something so commonplace that we don't think twice about can change our life in a second is very upsetting. It really reminds me that safety is so incredibly important on a movie set or at a work call. People often take safety less seriously than we all really need to. We are all so lucky to have our health and abilities. I'm so incredibly sorry for Amanda and her family. I'm glad that people have been touched by this story and have supported Amanda emotionally and financially. I also hope that the production is being supportive, especially financially. I don't know if this was due to their negligence, as there isn't a whole lot of information, but I imagine there will still be some support for Amanda from the film/company. I am really hoping Amanda can make a full recovery from this and that this reminds us to be as careful as possible in a dangerous situation.

Samantha Williams said...


Oh my...god. This is like something straight out of a work-call-anxiety dream I have had. I truly have always been worried about something like this happening to me or someone I know, but I do not think I ever expected to see it being real. I guess that saying about regulations being born of real accidents is unfortunately true. This tragic accident is a glaring reminder why you should ALWAYS yell “lift going down” and get someone to verbally and clearly confirm that the space is clear before moving. I hope from the bottom of my heart that Amanda Smith recovers. The uncertainty and stress she must be enduring right now are things I cannot begin to imagine understanding. I am glad that someone organized a GoFundMe page for her medical expenses, and I hope that this extra financial assistance allows Smith access to the best care possible to help her recover.

Emily Marshburn said...

I am always so, so shocked when accidents like this one happen. I know that, statistically, there is no way that anything can be one hundred percent safe but, especially with the type of safety training I feel is emphasised at CMU, there is something that really shakes me to my core about a lapse in safety in the professional realm. My heart goes out to Amanda Smith and her family, especially in the current global health crisis. It would be more than enough to have to worry about walking and paying hospital bills in a normal setting, but when hospitals are being flooded across the globe and the very industry you worked in has been shut down indefinitely, I am sure that the added stress is immeasurable.

Ari Cobb said...

It’s crazy how suddenly everything in your life can get turned upside down in such a short moment. Amanda Smith must be going through so much; I really hope that her surgery was successful and that she gains use of her legs again. I can’t imagine what it would be like to all of a sudden be paralyzed and not be able to work or do the things that I love. I’m glad her gofundme is gaining a good amount of money to at least take some financial burden off of her. When thee article states that the bucket of a lift lowered onto her head, I thought of all the times I’ve gone in or under a lift at CMU or my high school and how important safety is when working with anything. Like other people have said, CMU takes safety pretty seriously and I completely understand why and I’m thankful for all of the precautions.