Ask A Genius 1549: Good Movie Dialogue: Cut Ruthlessly, Show Don’t Tell 

Rick Rosner tells Scott Douglas Jacobsen that sharp movie dialogue comes from cutting: show, don’t tell, and dodge clichés like “We’ve got company” or “Chop, chop.” Keep audiences oriented through action, not exposition. He riffs on Bond’s implausible durability and imagines alternatives—a centuries-old vampire spy, or a post–near-death Bond with OCD who grades every move—fresh premises that justify survival without speeches. Rosner cites The Accountant as adjacent but abrasive. Big franchises second-guess scripts for precision. Great actors prefer fewer, stronger lines; compress three sentences into one natural beat. Concision, novelty, and situational clarity make dialogue land and performances sing too.

Ask A Genius 1166: Technology Adoption and Sexy Choir Ladies

*Interview conducted in October-November, 2024.* Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What technology have you found hardest to adopt in your life? Rosner: One of the things I missed out on culturally is gaming. I’m not a gamer. I’ve never played Call of Duty or any of the popular games. My last major gaming experience was Tank Command …

Continue reading Ask A Genius 1166: Technology Adoption and Sexy Choir Ladies

Ask A Genius 1165: Session 16,021,000

*Interview conducted in October-November, 2024.* Scott Douglas Jacobsen: This is another session number... probably 16,021,000. Rick Rosner: I have a move on now. It’s a movie with Zac Efron and the guy you’ve seen in a zillion things. His last name is Adam Devine. He was in Workaholics. I know about that condition. Normally, it’s …

Continue reading Ask A Genius 1165: Session 16,021,000