A New Mexico county sheriff has released video of actor Alec Baldwin rehearsing with an old-west style revolver on the set of the film Rust before the gun went off in his hand, killing a cinematographer.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza also made public crime scene photos and videotaped interviews with cast members of Rust, including Baldwin, but said a formal decision on criminal charges would depend on further forensic work.

“Various components of the investigation remain outstanding, including FBI firearm and ballistic forensics along with DNA and latent fingerprint analysis, [coroner’s] findings and the analysis of Mr Alec Baldwin’s phone data extracted by Suffolk County Sheriff’s investigators,” Mr Mendoza said in a statement on Monday (local time).

The state of New Mexico last week fined Rust Movie Productions the maximum amount possible, $US137,000 ($191,000), for “wilful” safety lapses leading to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Ms Hutchins, 42, was killed during filming in October when the revolver Baldwin was holding fired a live round that struck her in the chest and lodged in the shoulder of director Joel Souza. Mr Souza survived his injury.

Mr Baldwin, 64, has denied responsibility for Ms Hutchins’ death and said live rounds should never have been allowed on the set of the western film at Bonanza Creek Ranch.

The footage released on Monday, with no accompanying sound, shows Mr Baldwin in costume as an old west gunslinger and practising with what appears to be the gun that went off in his hand, killing Halyna.

Separate video shows the actor being questioned by officers on the set and at a police station.

Baldwin, a producer on the film, has been named in several lawsuits filed in connection with Hutchins’ death, including one by her husband, Matthew.

– AAP