I know it's really cool that film production here has grown amazingly in less than a decade, but with that comes a lot of little changes people don't really think about.
This change in particular is a matter of etiquette.
If someone you know mentions that they're working on a film or a TV project, yet don't mention the title, please do not ask, "What movie?" or "what show?"
9 1/2 times out of 10, they can't (or at least shouldn't) tell you.
Especially don't ask in an open forum like a Facebook thread.
In some cases, this is just a matter of industry courtesy.
In a growing number of cases, it's a legal obligation involving signed NDA's with penalties for leaks that can and do outprice a decent house.
Don't put your loved one in the position of awkwardly turning you down or looking bad to their colleagues at best.
I know it sounds weird, but think about it for a sec.
How a show gets presented has a lot of effect on how big an audience it draws, and subsequently how much it makes.
And major studio projects are gambles involving multiple millions of dollars, betting that an audience wants to see.
Which means the marketing and publicity bubbas want as much control as possible over what gets revealed and when.
And, as petty as it sounds, they're not above coming down harshly on below-the-line folk who screw up that control, however innocently.
(see above: several million dollars, other people's money)
Rest assured, when an episode airs or a film is released, then they can talk.
It's cool having loved ones in showbiz.
Please do your part to ensure they continue to be in showbiz.
Thanks,
J.
((P.S. This goes double for those of you who have actually been on a set before. The sheer level of background bubbas ignoring this advice when they should know better is fucking depressing. You've had the lectures, why the fuck do they suddenly not apply to you?
Fucking kids, get off my lawn.
Grumble growl fee fie foe fum.))