The Office director Ken Kwapis' new book details how he keeps his sets non-toxic

Entertainment Weekly

Kwapis' newly released book But What I Really Want to Do Is Direct offers the nitty-gritty of Hollywood, but he also explains how easy it is to avoid toxic workplaces. "When you're in film school, you learn a lot of stories about tyrannical directors," he says. "Enshrined in film lore are stories about angry eruptions, about directors working a crew to death to get a shot. I feel like there's a huge misunderstanding (in the industry). Obviously, we see it in every endeavor — politics, show business. There are a lot of people who truly feel that the crew and cast do their best work when they're confused. When they're being punished. It's honestly not that hard to create an atmosphere where people actually feel like they're able to contribute and feel acknowledged and respected."