How do you write silence into your films? With finesse...

I have an entire lecture in my Core V: Dialogue class: Subtext Through Silence. The study script is Jerry Maguire. Here is an excerpt from that script: SUGAR I came here to let you go. JERRY Pardon me? SUGAR Came here to fire you, Jerry. For a long moment there is only silence. They study each other. These are two smart boys, each one anticipating the other's next three or four moves. SUGAR (continuing) It's real, Jerry. You... you should say something. Suddenly he's flushed, a little embarrassed. Often the BEST dialogue is NO dialogue. The silence in the moment or between characters can speak volumes.

Scott, A few weeks ago you referred to writing such as “These are two smart boys, each one anticipating the other’s next three or four moves.” The writer is “writing” the actor’s thoughts. You seemed to have a term of art for this and now that term slips my mind. Is there a term for this commonly used in the industry? Thanks.

That's a valuable lesson. I always thought the scene was the best scene on corporate backstabbing I've ever seen...and the subsequent race to retain clients was more exciting than anything involving car chases, explosions, monsters.... Just phone calls. Often scenes involving competition, character flaws and struggle with an adversary is a lot more thrilling than manufactured excitement like cgi effects, action, etc.