Katie's Notes

Strategic Input Brief___________________________

Scope/Assignment
A 10 minute narrative video, which uses strong story structure to communicate a key persuasion.

Budget
Resources provided by the Compass Arts Film Academy, the creativity of the group, and the pity of those around us.

Objectives
To capture the hearts and minds of our target audience, to convince them that change is needed, and to provide them with the emotional motivation to fuel their quests.

Target
People of all ages who have allowed fear of failing to dominate their life decisions.

Mindset
Security – No good reason exists to change or confront fears because life is currently comfortable.
Self-Deception – Many assert no fear of failure but are just being savvy about life and the decisions that lie ahead.
Avoidance – Those who acknowledge their fear of failure find it easier to avoid that fear than to risk further failure, which would only increase the fear.
Hidden Desire for Change – Those who are not deep in self deception know that taking steps to conquer their fear is the better course of action.
Support System – A lack of encouragement form a strong support structure.
Archetypal Past Experience – Fear is usually birthed by a single horrible experience or repetition of an experience in the past (e.g.: a child is ridiculed for stuttering all through grade school, so he/she avoids public speaking and works a job that does not require much talking).
Pain – Avoiding fearful situations protects against painful blows to self-confidence.

Human Insights
Imagination – The fear of failure is almost always nourished by highly unrealistic exaggerations and worst case scenarios in the imagination of the fearful one.
Universal – Fear of failure is not limited to any one personality type but is merely handled differently depending on personality types.
Support – If the people encounter their fears and are conquered by them, what support is under them to “break the fall?”
Evaluation – People make decisions based on risk evaluation, whether the call to action is worth the risk involved.
Good and Bad – Fear of failure is only negative when it hinders positive advancement or potential. The difference between good and bad fears:
1. Good fear is when fear pushes the person into a good decision (e.g.: a fifteen-year-old falls in love and wants to get married but fears doing so because he/she is so inexperienced. Fear of failing in marriage in this case is good, for the time being).
2. Bad fear is when potential for good is destroyed because of fear (e.g.: one of the fastest runners in the world may choose not to tryout for the Olympics because he/she cannot bear the thought of losing in front of the whole world).

Biblical Insight
1. God’s original plan did not include fear in the negative sense. Only after the fall did fear become an oppressive force (e.g.: the ability to enjoy loving relationships was not destroyed but just became more difficult).
2. I John 4:18 – “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” In a setting of perfect love, pain is far from the mind and there is a large cushion to fall back on if something were to go wrong.
3. God routinely forced his heroes into situations in which they had to risk everything (e.g.: the children of Israel in the wilderness, Gideon and his men, Christ, etc.). Only when the heroes faced their fears and risked everything did they learn God could be trusted. Important here are the following: unconditional love is the ultimate support system (God), and fear as a hindrance of good is not part of God’s plan.
4. In the biblical narrative, overcoming fear is almost always accomplished for the sake of others; to overcome fear for oneself is not as powerful as overcoming fear for the sake of another.
5. James 1:2 – “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” We are encouraged to persevere, even through fear.

Barriers
Proof – We must prove that it is better to move towards confrontation than to stay put
Risk – We must show that risk is legitimate, but that the possibility of pain cannot be the determining factor.
Problem – We must convince those who fear failure that their fear does exist.
Potential – We must show the potential for the good and the growth people are missing.
Driver – We must show people that fear is the driver in their lives, not them.

Strategy
Convince those who are imprisoned by the fear of failure that if they choose to confront their fear, they can experience the freedom of knowing and becoming who they are meant to be.

Key Persuasion
When people who fear failure watch this video, they will be encouraged to face that fear, and they will learn from the process even if the outcome is not a success.