The further adventures of an earthbound alien

The show is over. All of the little artists have left and are working on other things.  And a new show is slowly taking over our space.  But, we still have work to do.  Well, four of us do.  Retakes, is where you watch the animation and fix it before the show airs. Apparently, the process is to watch the show an and bitch about everyone who isn’t in the room.  

I can explain.

I transferred over to retakes near the end of the show, when the directing was done. And, as the new guy in that department, I’m a little depressed at the routine they have fallen into. When the show was being made, we would shoot out ideas, talk about story points, sharpen up the jokes and basically, have fun. Animation is fun! Work was fun!! But, there is no fun in retakes. I don’t think they know they are in animation.  Every little comment that isn’t directly related to the clip we just watched, is met with a librarian like disciplinary reprimand. There is no joy in the room. If there was, they would kill it.

One person in particular is constantly mad at everyone who isn’t her, which leads me to believe the one she’s really mad at IS her.  What can be done? 

Here’s the double standard:

If it were a dude, I’d say, “Either lighten the fuck up or get the fuck out. It’s important for the show that we analyze and punch up the humor as we go and you make it very hard to do that when you shit on everything.”

But she ain’t, so I can’t. HR is right down stairs and I can’t risk her making a stink about me.

I can’t just ignore this person because, it seems to me, her behavior is a direct response to someone ignoring her at some point in her past.

I can’t make friends, because she doesn’t want any.  That is the mistake the other three retakes directors made with her.

I think the best thing to do is just stay out of there and find my joy somewhere else.  She wins!