Frank Daniel

František "Frank" Daniel (April 14, 1926 – March 29, 1996) was a film director, producer and screenwriter born in Kolín, Czechoslovakia (the present day Czech Republic). He is known for developing the sequence paradigm of screenwriting.

František Daniel entered film after earning a master's degree in music. Before emigrating to the United States he produced and directed over 40 films in the former Czechoslovakia, including Ján Kadár's Oscar-winning The Shop on Main Street (Obchod na Korze) (1965). Frank was involved in the movie as a producer, but in the Czech movie industry at the time everyone worked together on almost all the films done. This was a time of communism where rank and social standing were considered western evils. The film community rallied together against the bureaucracy to get each other's films financed and made. Frank was not especially interested in screen credit and lent a hand in every production that needed help. In addition to producing films, Daniel also directed two films.

His biggest contribution to cinematography, particularly American cinema, has been as a teacher and as the head of some of the world's most prestigious film schools. Daniel taught film making – screenwriting in particular— around the world.

Daniel was the first foreigner to be allowed entry into the prestigious All-Union State Institute of Cinematography, now known as Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography in Moscow.

Upon his return home, Daniel founded his own production company and also served as dean of the Faculty of Film and Television – FAMU part of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Prague's famous film school. While in charge, he was liberal in allowing such blossoming filmmakers as Miloš Forman and Jiří Menzel leeway to make their own types of films, regardless of Communist government sanctions, which helped lead in the liberalization of his country in the 1960s.

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