Comparing TV Spots - 'Nosferatu' and 'A Complete Unknown'

Both 'Nosferatu' and 'A Complete Unknown' had a series of TV spots released in the week before each film came out in cinemas.

'A Complete Unknown' - TV Spot

The TV spot starts immediately with a diegetic song performed by Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan (instantly indicating genre) accompanied by the Searchlight Pictures logo/ident. 

This is followed by a medium shot of the main character walking with a guitar in hand, whilst at the top of the frame is the name of the film - 'A Complete Unknown' - and the release date of the film (Christmas Day).

The next shot is a long shot of Dylan playing the guitar on a large stage with a large crowd, with the titles 'From Academy Nominee James Mangold'; references to awards are common in TV spots, used as a means of making the film more attractive to spectators by giving it gravitas.

This image then fades to black (a typical editing transition of TV spots), before titles appear on the black screen which read 'From The Director Of Walk The Line and Ford Vs Ferrari'; referencing other successful films, made by personnel involved in the creation of the film being marketed, is another common technique. The editing of shots from this point on is quick, and we see a sequence of shots, a montage, of various moments from the film, including ones of screaming fans emphasising Bob Dylan's fame and notoriety. 

The montage includes shots of most of the characters with text highlighting that they are all Academy Nominated actors (references to awards again). Finally, the title 'A Complete Unknown' appears in large copy, with credits after it again highlighting the cast and Oscar nominations. At the bottom of these title cards is the rating which is an 'R' (often trailers, particularly those later in the marketing cycle, such as TV spots, feature the film's certificate). The final title card references the director and the release date - 'Only In Theatres Christmas Day'. 

'Nosferatu' - TV Spot

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The TV spot for 'Nosferatu' begins with the production company logo/ident - 'Focus Features' - accompanied with sinister, loud non-diegetic music, which helps highlight the horror genre immediately (along with the low-key lighting). The first shot is a close up of Lily Rose Depp's character gasping in fear.

This is followed by a review on a title card (a very common convention of TV spots, which come out late in a film's marketing cycle, once the film has been reviewed just before its general release) that also connotes genre. The appearance of these title cards is timed with the loud and sinister music, giving their appearance greater impact. Alongside the genre-specific music there is a voiceover (again, a typical convention found in lots of trailers, of all types) of Depp's character saying repeatedly 'He is Coming', followed by an ominous extreme long shot of the shadow of  a creature's hand reaching over an entire town (again, typical genre iconography). This suggests his control and the fact that the story revolves around this monster. 

All of these shots are edited incredibly quickly and in time with the music, and this montage style seems to be the typical format of TV spots which are generally thirty seconds in length. Throughout, the images are punctuated by reviews, many of them also referencing the genre of the film. It is clear that the TV spot is centered around promoting and pushing the horror aspects of the film and drawing the spectator to the positive reviews the film has received, as a final push to try to make the film 'unmissable' and to drive viewers to the cinema.

Shots of the film and reviews on title cards are edited rapidly with lots of the shots containing implied violence and the images flickering rapidly alongside one word quotes, such as 'Sinister', which creates more thrill for the audience.

This is followed by a title card which reads 'One Of The Best Horror Films Ever Made', and the film's title in large copy. The TV spot finishes with further title cards - 'Written And Directed By Robert Eggers' and 'Only In Cinemas Christmas Day', with reference to the format it is shown in, for example, IMAX.