Lot.
Unless things actually got personal and purposefully damaging or hurtful, there’s one thing NOT to do while on a Studio Lot if you’re a director. If you’re a director who was politely “removed” from a project that is. And I really mean this:
Don’t scream from across the lot towards the producer who had to make the very tough business decision of pursuing a different director. In particular, don’t insult when you run into him and tell him that you don’t ever want to see or work with him again. And unless you’re Spielberg, or J.J. Abrams or Gus Van Sant or similar, if you, like the majority of people in Hollywood are simply a working, efficient but not spectacularly successful director making a living here, DON’T tell him he betrayed you and/or backstabbed you. Specially if that producer is the main producer in the film who has a track record of many Studio films and has hired you twice and has more projects coming up.
Bridge burning is sort of a hobby in this town. Surprisingly common when this is a town built almost entire on bridges. Granted sometimes they don’t go anywhere, but every phone number, script, cocktail, party, lunch, beach volleyball game and even random encounter in a super market can be and is a bridge to somewhere in this industry town.
Mind you, that wasn’t me who was accosted in the lot, it was a partner of ours on the thriller we’re working on, but when he told me I froze. You see, this town can be tough and competitive, but 95% of the time it is not personal. I know, weird combination when this town is built on disappointments, but true. That same person who fired you, would totally have a drink with you later that day. It’s never personal unless somebody makes it so.
It’s tough enough to produce as it is!
