BBC’s Dracula Billboard Confuses People During The Daytime But Grabs Attention At Night
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BBC’s new series Dracula, which debuted with the new year, is already bound to draw lots of curiosity just by virtue of being written by the same team that brought us Sherlock and some recent incarnations of Doctor Who. But in order to really catch potential viewers’ attention, the network’s creative team constructed an inventive advertisement with a twist that only comes out when the sun goes down.
On the billboards, placed at busy intersections in London and Birmingham, the real stakes protruding from their surface create a shadow that looks like much more than the sum of the objects casting it. What would you say if you saw this at night?
These innovative billboards were put up in London and Birmingham
Image credits: bbccreative
Time-lapse shows what happens when sun goes down and the lights come on
Image credits: bbccreative
Image credits: bbccreative
Image credits: bbccreative
The miniseries, consisting of three episodes that aired in a whirlwind over the first few days of the new year, didn’t quite manage to draw the premiere crowd that its successors did. Critics gave numerous explanations, such as the media viewing habits that people prefer in 2020 (the whole series in one sitting alone on Saturday night, baby,) or the fact that horror is by nature a polarizing genre for mainstream audiences.
Dracula is a three-episode mini-series that aired on BBC
Viewers were split over how the display works, with some claiming that you can’t possibly control where shadows end with that much precision when casting light across a flat surface, and there had to be a backlighting trick under the billboard’s surface. If you look at the photos of the billboard from a different angle, though, you will notice that the light source is positioned in front of the billboard, further away than the length of any of the stakes, casting light diagonally upon it rather than straight across its surface. The finer details like the teeth are 2D protrusions from the stakes, intended not to be noticeable when viewing the billboard head on.
Commenters like the ad, but have mixed reviews of the show
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the billboard is so cool.. the 3rd episode not.
The first 2 episodes were fantastic, but I honestly don't think the 3rd was as bad as many were making it out to be, sure, it wasn't great, and I don't understand the modern day twist or whatever, but it wasn't outright terrible, just "eh" compared to the other 2. Though the scene with that girl being cremated was scary, I was thinking she'd turn into a pile of sentient ash and that would have been really effed up :/
watching that episode, I gave an audible WHAT THE FUCK every 10 minutes
The show was unbelievably fantastic. Spellbinding and frightening. The ending was mesmerizing.
This is genius! But how many commuters only saw it during the day and never at night?
More than made up by people who don't even live nearby but see it online because people are talking about it. Also, England doesn't get much daylight this time of year.
That's some genius idea and work from the marketing people. I love it. And a great idea for the Dracula on the billboard to only appear at night, very appropriate
I don't care how cool the billboard is, I still resent paying the license fee
They do that so you don't have to watch ads. I think they should just put ads on.
I don't watch the BBC at all. So I would rather they played ads so I can stop paying for something I don't watch
Brilliant
cool!
dracula didn't shows at daylight.. they only appears at night.. really awesome
Some people havent heard of sun dials? The shadow of something will always be in the same spot based on the time of day and where the sun is in the sky.
Nicely done. I love it.
that was a amazing
The show was really good, the opening to it is disgusting though. Episode three was the best one.
Creativvveeeee......
The show was great, I want Sister Agatha to be my friend. There should have been more of these billboards put up around the country though. Most people (not all!) who are dissing the show have probably not read the book, but have judged by snowflake standards.
I was surprised they did another Bram Stoker version. I barely got through the first ep, just didn't like it, also Harker was attractive so that really effected me too hahahaha
Very clever. Dracula is supposed to come out at dead of night and his image is very cleverly designed to be more pronounced in the dead of night.
loved this new series!
Cool to use wooden stakes (traditionally used to kill vampires in their coffins) to make the shadow of the vampire, along with the emergency sharpened stake behind glass—-though adding a mallet would complete the set.
This is some pretty awesome advertising. Too bad it couldn't save the show from the 3rd episode. I was so disappointed.
Why is this billboard so epic though?
Love how angry the first poster was when there is a light, strategically placed, to achieve the desired 'vampire head' at the desired time of night.
If this is the one on Netflix, it is nicely done!!
No, it was on BBC1. It's already finished, but you might be able to find it on iplayer.
Stunning! Whoever came up with this idea is genius.
That is actually amazing
Just Wow!
A funny story about Count Dracula and his castle in Transylvania: https://romaniaprivatetours.com/draculas-castle/
What?! Are they not making more than three ?!! I will cry
Don't watch this show, but I got to say this is really cool!
If it wasn't for the time lapse pictures, I wouldn't have gotten it either....
It's a fake illusion. Those spikes are not actually casting the shadow of the face. There is something else going on there to make that show up.
First poster is assuming the shadow is cast by the light of the moon or something, and so it should move over time, when it's obviously cast by the fixed light sticking out at the front. Dumbass
Nice idea, but fake. Shadows don't work like that.
You are right, they don't. If you look closely, you will see the actual shadows of the stakes cast along the left edge of the much larger shape of the head. Still, a very effective illusion.
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The Van Helsing character was interesting, but the Dracula on the billboard has more depth than the one in the series, even without the shadow effect. Meh.
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The billboard is neat, the first episode was ok and then it was awful. We didn't get past the second episode and were snarking at the tv the whole time it was playing. Such a shame!
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Kindly contact me on mail rkhobaib15@gmail.com i m founder of page that u wana to rent kindly contact me Sir Richard Jackson
the billboard is so cool.. the 3rd episode not.
The first 2 episodes were fantastic, but I honestly don't think the 3rd was as bad as many were making it out to be, sure, it wasn't great, and I don't understand the modern day twist or whatever, but it wasn't outright terrible, just "eh" compared to the other 2. Though the scene with that girl being cremated was scary, I was thinking she'd turn into a pile of sentient ash and that would have been really effed up :/
watching that episode, I gave an audible WHAT THE FUCK every 10 minutes
The show was unbelievably fantastic. Spellbinding and frightening. The ending was mesmerizing.
This is genius! But how many commuters only saw it during the day and never at night?
More than made up by people who don't even live nearby but see it online because people are talking about it. Also, England doesn't get much daylight this time of year.
That's some genius idea and work from the marketing people. I love it. And a great idea for the Dracula on the billboard to only appear at night, very appropriate
I don't care how cool the billboard is, I still resent paying the license fee
They do that so you don't have to watch ads. I think they should just put ads on.
I don't watch the BBC at all. So I would rather they played ads so I can stop paying for something I don't watch
Brilliant
cool!
dracula didn't shows at daylight.. they only appears at night.. really awesome
Some people havent heard of sun dials? The shadow of something will always be in the same spot based on the time of day and where the sun is in the sky.
Nicely done. I love it.
that was a amazing
The show was really good, the opening to it is disgusting though. Episode three was the best one.
Creativvveeeee......
The show was great, I want Sister Agatha to be my friend. There should have been more of these billboards put up around the country though. Most people (not all!) who are dissing the show have probably not read the book, but have judged by snowflake standards.
I was surprised they did another Bram Stoker version. I barely got through the first ep, just didn't like it, also Harker was attractive so that really effected me too hahahaha
Very clever. Dracula is supposed to come out at dead of night and his image is very cleverly designed to be more pronounced in the dead of night.
loved this new series!
Cool to use wooden stakes (traditionally used to kill vampires in their coffins) to make the shadow of the vampire, along with the emergency sharpened stake behind glass—-though adding a mallet would complete the set.
This is some pretty awesome advertising. Too bad it couldn't save the show from the 3rd episode. I was so disappointed.
Why is this billboard so epic though?
Love how angry the first poster was when there is a light, strategically placed, to achieve the desired 'vampire head' at the desired time of night.
If this is the one on Netflix, it is nicely done!!
No, it was on BBC1. It's already finished, but you might be able to find it on iplayer.
Stunning! Whoever came up with this idea is genius.
That is actually amazing
Just Wow!
A funny story about Count Dracula and his castle in Transylvania: https://romaniaprivatetours.com/draculas-castle/
What?! Are they not making more than three ?!! I will cry
Don't watch this show, but I got to say this is really cool!
If it wasn't for the time lapse pictures, I wouldn't have gotten it either....
It's a fake illusion. Those spikes are not actually casting the shadow of the face. There is something else going on there to make that show up.
First poster is assuming the shadow is cast by the light of the moon or something, and so it should move over time, when it's obviously cast by the fixed light sticking out at the front. Dumbass
Nice idea, but fake. Shadows don't work like that.
You are right, they don't. If you look closely, you will see the actual shadows of the stakes cast along the left edge of the much larger shape of the head. Still, a very effective illusion.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
The Van Helsing character was interesting, but the Dracula on the billboard has more depth than the one in the series, even without the shadow effect. Meh.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
The billboard is neat, the first episode was ok and then it was awful. We didn't get past the second episode and were snarking at the tv the whole time it was playing. Such a shame!
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Kindly contact me on mail rkhobaib15@gmail.com i m founder of page that u wana to rent kindly contact me Sir Richard Jackson