Spy Game in 25 words

Spy Game in 25 words or less:

Truly a good story well told. More enjoyable on the second viewing for me, probably because the narrative frame was less a surprise. Grade: B+

Note: "A good story well told" is jargon coined by Frank Daniel, USC film school screenwriting guru. It refers to the idea that you can have a great story, but if you do not arrange it for film in a way that also makes it "well told," you've got nothing. That is to say, a good story does not necessarily make a good film. I've been re-reading The Tools of Screenwriting, by David Howard but based largely on Daniel's theory. It's probably pound-for-pound the best screenwriting book out there, but I wouldn't want to try to put it to use without having had the coursework up front. It's not a beginner's volume.

Posted on Sep 15, 2003

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