Modern special effects are so special entire films can be shot entirely on a green screen.
If a stunt is too difficult, actors and stunt men can be replaced with CGI copies of themselves, but that hasn’t always been the case.
Back in the early days of the silver screen, actors and stunt men literally put their lives on the line to make a film. Live ammunition was often used in the days before pyrotechnics. Even after the advent of squibs, some directors preferred the use of live ammunition through the 1930s and 40s.
Special sharp shooters were hired to fire around the actors to make the scenes as realistic as possible. Sadly, things didn’t always go as planned and lives were lost in the process.
Hear more about a few specific examples in the video below.