So...What?

Office relationships and politics are perplexing. Not like lovey-dovey relationships, but just the ties that bind the director with his/her assistants, and the assistants (secretaries, even though that's not PC anymore) in regards to the rest of the office, their role being the first line of defense in keeping the average-joe worker away from the director aside from a handy little invention called the door. But whatever. Here's what I'm trying to get at:

We filmed a bunch of interviews today. I went to go help out. It went okay. Get back to the office. In talking with my editor, letting her know what happened as I had been gone for a few hours, I start talking about the interviews. She asks me about photo release forms, and did we hand any out. Now, I know there were stacks of papers present. Were they photo releases? I don't know, most likely not. She asks me to talk to the creative director and assistant director about whether or not we should track down the people we interviewed to ask them to sign a photo release. They happen to be next door. I go to see them.

The question is asked. "Do we need photo releases?" One says yes. One says no. The yes vote shows uncertainty. What is the next logical step? Ask the director himself. His office is across the way. Would I be able to go and call him into the office we are all gathered in? Sure I can. Off I go.

In the director's office, the director is sitting with his administrative assistant, who is eating lunch. I tap innocently enough on the door, which is open, and ask if he could come over to the other office about this matter. I guess I interrupted a meeting between the two, because the admin ass't just about flipped shit at the interruption and started yelling at me to come in, which, when getting yelled at, is the last thing I wanted to do, and I tried to walk away. The yelling continued, that I should just come into the office, and eventually attracted the attention of the creative director that sent me over. This action also added fuel to the fire, with the admin ass't storming about, me having no clue what I did, the director sitting at his desk watching this entire thing, and the creative director trying to diffuse whatever happened. The admin ass't is still making a fuss. Somehow, the situation is diffused, but I'm just stuck there: I'm not allowed to leave, but I really don't want to stand there any more. Eventually it ends with the admin ass't storming off, the director just looks tired, the creative director is apologizing profusely, and the only thing that I can say is:

"I feel bad." And I did. I felt guilty for whatever I did (which I still didn't know, and don't know, so don't look for any kind of resolution at the end.) I was just bitched out for no apparent reason. How am I supposed to feel? The creative director asks if I can get the names of the interviewees, and I say okay. She says sorry again, and I say that it's okay, when it's obviously not.

On my return trip, the director is waiting for the elevator, and he tells me not to worry about it, saying something about people being in their own thing, or something like it. But mostly not to worry about it. Doesn't stop me from still being upset by it. And embarrassed.

A couple of hours later, the admin ass't comes by the writer's section and asks to speak with me privately. Fine.

She apologized. Said something about me getting caught in the crossfire (whatever the hell that is supposed to mean) and that none of that was supposed to be directed at me. Even though, when I look back on it, half of it, before anyone else stepped in, was directed at me. By name, even. But whatever. The apology was genuine enough. The outburst was quite unusual, even by her standards, since she never has a problem with me, especially when I go out of my way to ensure that I do not cross her.

So what the eff goes on in the office that gets an intern caught in the crossfire?