eli5: What are “acts” in a movie/film and how are people able to figure out where they start/end? Are there always three acts? More? Less? Please explain.
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an ‘act’ is phase of a story, generally bracketed by a particular inciting or concluding incident.
a three act structure is a method of story structure, and is extremely common in english-language media, not just films. the first act is the setup, the second act is rising action, and the third act is climax/resolution.
the three act structure is not the only narrative structure there is. a narrative structure is a method a creator uses to construct a plot; they are helpful skeletons upon which to build an outline for a story. there are a wide variety of narrative structures, and what method is used depends on medium, genre, length, creator preference, and many other factors besides.
the narrative structure is a useful tool in the creator’s toolbox, but it can change wildly depending on the work. one way to get a feel for different kinds of narrative structures is to take a work (a book, a film, a video game) and examine the major plot points and story beats. when does character development happen? what incidents spur the main plot (if there is one)? are there side plots or b plots? when does the climax occur? is there a climax? is there a resolution?
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