Act 1:
- Has to be tight and grip the audience
- Supposed to set up your world maybe with character introductions and scene descriptions
- A good example is Saving Private Ryan where in addition to the gripping Omaha beach scene, we understand the stakes of the film, Tom Hanks’ position, and get a preview of the end of the film
Act 2:
- Confrontation portion
- Oftentimes the most difficult part to write
- The map between the beginning and ending you had thought out
- Where you explore your extra stories, answer questions from Act 1, and ask new questions for Act 3
- It ends when your characters suffer the worst loss imaginable
- Where the character should be trying for what he really wants
- Ends when your character suffers the worst loss imaginable, or the “Oh Crap” moment
Act 3:
- Where characters confront their feelings, desires, and goals
- The character faces their biggest challenge or runs into a huge problem
- Dealing with and coming to terms with their consequences
- Sixth Sense is a good example
- Cole’s arc is completed as he finally gets his mom to believe him that he can see ghosts
- With the B story of Malcolm’s crumbling marriage, it is resolved with him being a Ghost
Citation: Hellerman, Jason. “Three Act Structure: Breaking down Acts One, Two, & Three in Movies.” No Film School, No Film School, 12 Mar. 2022, https://nofilmschool.com/Three-act-structure.