There are a lot of really great things about working with my friend, Robert Meyer Burnett. Among them are his stories - and he's got hundreds of them - which are expertly told with a level of enthusiasm that's contagious. Today, he shares a great one about one of his very first, in-depth interviews.

Still a student at USC, Rob was given the opportunity to conduct an on-stage, one-on-one interview with James Cameron. I won't spoil the story here, but let's just say things don't start out the way Rob planned. But unsurprisingly, he persevered and the outcome is tremendously gratifying and informative.

Cameron is an auteur on a level unlike many filmmakers of his era. He not only knows how to do whatever might need to be done to get his film made, he actually does it.

And these aren't garage band-level projects, either. The man has built and sunk ocean liners, designed entire planets from scratch and staged running skirmishes with alien armies in no space more than a typical school hallway.

But the fact that a person has the knowledge, wherewithal and natural talent to persevere and jump through the hoops to get the job done isn't the part that fascinates me. As Rob points out in our 45-minute conversation today, Cameron (and other directors at his level), has a clear vision of the "reality" they're trying to create in their film and they won't sacrifice that sense of verisimilitude in order to get a cheap high from a stunning visual.

Just because something looks or sounds "cool" is no reason to break the rules that have been constructed for the world you're depicting in your film or show.

It's a lesson that seems to have passed by a large number of filmmakers and showrunners. These people are sacrificing the integrity of their characters and franchises in order to get the "cool shot" or provide a little something extra for "fans" to show they understand the franchise.

It's especially ironic when you consider that so many of the "little extras" these producers and directors throw in break some fundamental (and often unwritten) rule of the franchise as to upset older fans who take such blatant ignorance as a sign of disrespect. That frustration is so often expressed as rage that the fans who vent are often labeled as "gate keepers" and their concerns are dismissed as irrelevant because of other (often financial) considerations.

What can be done to encourage the growth and development of new ideas and new franchises? Is that a possible solution and area of growth. I'd like to think so, because that's just the kind of stuff that Rob and I are working on for the future.

And you're a part of it here. By listening to our podcast and letting us know what you think.

Go to our website: www.postgeeksingularity.com, click on the "Contact Us" link in the menu and then send us a message to let us know how we're doing and what's on your mind.

We look forward to hearing from you.

I invite you to listen in on my weekday conversations with my friend and business partner, Robert Meyer Burnett, as we talk about the things we love: great movies, inspiring television programming, nostalgic genre entertainment, and pop culture.

- Mike Bawden, co-host of the ROADTRIPPIN' Podcast

This is an original show produced for the PGS podcast network and was recorded on April 19, 2022.