Creative Brief

ACT 3 CREATIVE BRIEF

“What happens next?”

🎥 WATCH FIRST

This is where the story currently ends, technically the end of Act 2. We ran out of time to shoot our ending.

So, "Pray v Prey" is currently incomplete, and there's no redemption that matches the tag line; "It's hard to love your enemy when he's trying to eat you." 

Also, not all actors are avaiable for reshoots, so that's a creative challenge to consider for a new Act 3.

Now you take it from here.

🧠 THE CHALLENGE

✍️ Redeem the story by pitching a new Act 3 scene.

📍 WHERE WE ARE IN THE STORY (END OF ACT 2)

Inside a house at night, a group of teens is under attack by Mason—a bully who has overdosed on a violent, unpredictable drug.

Now:

• They are trapped inside

• Mason is outside—and wants in

• One of them is injured

• Fear is escalating

They must decide:

Do we fight him… or try to spare him?

👥 KEY CHARACTERS

MASON

• The antagonist

• Former bully working on his reputation, now transformed by the drug

• Dangerous, erratic, possibly still human underneath

• Cousin to Dylan

LUCAS (might not be available)

• Thoughtful, conflicted

• Wrestling with what it means to “love your enemy”

• Not naturally violent, but has PTSD from Mason's bullying

KAT (might not be available)

• Practical, strong

• Injured (bleeding toe)

• Survival-focused

DYLAN

• Reactive, intense

• More willing to fight, but Mason is his cousin

CARLOS (might not be available)

• Physically vulnerable

• Self-sacrificial

FERN

• Emotionally shaken

• Processing trauma and loss

🎯 THE CORE THEME

“Love your enemy.”

Not abstract. Not preachy.

It must be:

• Tested under pressure

• Almost impossible

• Costly

❗ THE TENSION

If they:

• Fight Mason → they may survive, but lose something deeper

• Spare Mason → they risk everything

👉 Your ending lives in that tension.

🧩 YOUR OBJECTIVE

Create an ending that is:

• 😱 Suspenseful

• 💥 Emotionally impactful

• 🙏 Redemptive (but not easy or cheesy)

• 🎬 Visually playable on screen

⚙️ PRODUCTION CONSTRAINTS (VERY IMPORTANT)

Your idea must be achievable with:

🎬 Location

• The same house (interior + immediate exterior)

⏱️ Time

• Equivalent of ~2–3 minutes screen time

• Shootable in one day

👥 Cast

• Same core group

• Some roles may be recast with doubles

• If Lucas isn't available, then his best friend Dylan will represent the "spare Mason" camp.

• If Kat isn't avaialble, then Fern will represent the "fight Mason" camp.

🔧 Resources

• Practical effects preferred

• Limited VFX (no Ai)

• No large-scale set pieces

💡 THINK:

“Could this realistically be filmed next weekend?”

✍️ PITCHING THE ENDING

Submit:

• 2-3 sentence version (required)

• Optional 300-word version

Focus on:

• A clear turning point

• A decisive action

• A strong final image

• Keep it PG-13

🎨 ALLOWED

Suggest how to:

• Re-arrange existing footage

• Add sound design or voice

• Suggest minimal pickup shots

Focus on:

• Making what exists work better

• Or bridging gaps creatively

⚠️ IMPORTANT NOTES

• The ending may be adapted or combined with other submissions

• Not all elements need to come from one person

• The final filmed version may differ from your exact submission

• It's possible multiple people will suggest similar endings

• All decisions made by producer is final

🔥 WHAT MAKES A GREAT SUBMISSION?

• Simple, clear idea

• Strong emotional payoff

• Feels inevitable—but surprising

• Works within constraints

❌ AVOID:

• Overly complex action

• New locations

• New characters

• “It was all a dream”

• Easy moral answers

🎬 FINAL IMAGE TEST

Ask yourself:

What is the last image of the film?

If that image is powerful…
you’re on the right track.

🚀 READY?

👉 Return to submit your ending:
FilmFreeway [Link]

🎯 FINAL THOUGHT

You’re not writing a full scene.

You’re solving the moment that defines the story.