Solve the following math problem efficiently and clearly:

- For simple problems (2 steps or fewer):
Provide a concise solution with minimal explanation.

- For complex problems (3 steps or more):
Use this step-by-step format:

## Step 1: [Concise description]
[Brief explanation and calculations]

## Step 2: [Concise description]
[Brief explanation and calculations]

...

Regardless of the approach, always conclude with:

Therefore, the final answer is: $oxed{answer}$. I hope it is correct.

Where [answer] is just the final number or expression that solves the problem.

Problem: Let $\mathbf{a} = \begin{pmatrix} 7 \\ -4 \\ -4 \end{pmatrix}$ and $\mathbf{c} = \begin{pmatrix} -2 \\ -1 \\ 2 \end{pmatrix}.$  Find the vector $\mathbf{b}$ such that $\mathbf{a},$ $\mathbf{b},$ and $\mathbf{c}$ are collinear, and $\mathbf{b}$ bisects the angle between $\mathbf{a}$ and $\mathbf{c}.$

[asy]
unitsize(0.5 cm);

pair A, B, C, O;

A = (-2,5);
B = (1,3);
O = (0,0);
C = extension(O, reflect(O,B)*(A), A, B);

draw(O--A,Arrow(6));
draw(O--B,Arrow(6));
draw(O--C,Arrow(6));
draw(interp(A,C,-0.1)--interp(A,C,1.1),dashed);

label("$\mathbf{a}$", A, NE);
label("$\mathbf{b}$", B, NE);
label("$\mathbf{c}$", C, NE);
[/asy]
user