How the ‘No Answer’ German Thriller Encourages Safer Driving
Let’s set the scene. You call – there’s no answer. They left hours ago… they were supposed to be here by now. Your palms are sweaty with the thought of what happened, surely they didn’t run into traffic at this time of night? Nonetheless, you should have heard from them. So you call the police, there’s a search party but no one can find them.
Finally, they turn up at the door. You embrace them.
Turns out, they were just safely driving without picking up the phone! No need to worry.
That’s what the tumultuous thriller ‘No Answer’ directed by François Rousselet and agency Scholz & Friends Berlin explores. A father anxiously waiting and searching for his daughter, only to find out that she was just sensibly not picking up her phone at the wheel. Commissioned by the German Road Safety Council and the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, the spot aims to show viewers just how vital it is for them to get home and how people are 50% more likely to have an accident when they pick up their phone.
To talk LBB’s Nisna Mahtani through the spot, Scholz & Friends Berlin’s creative director Philipp Siegwardt explained why François Rousselet was the perfect match to be director and how they created that all important ambience and suspense throughout.
LBB> A cinematic thriller wasn’t something we expected from the German Road Safety Council. How did the idea first come about?
Philipp> When we started thinking about texting while driving, we identified a particular social behaviour as a potential problem: the pressure to be constantly available at work and in our private lives. A very unhealthy pressure that radically intensified in recent years. Through studies we found out that this social behaviour has fatal consequences on the road: In Germany, the number of motorists who text or read messages while driving increased by almost 70% between 2016 and 2022. Based on this insight, the idea of ‘No Answer’ was born – an absurd thriller aiming to disrupt this trend by highlighting how irrational our reaction can be when someone does not text back fast enough.
LBB> What were some of the insights that the client gave you to inform the direction of the campaign?
Philipp> We have been provided with the latest statistics showing that more and more Germans are using their smartphones while driving, putting them at risk of accidents. In fact, people who text while driving are over50% more likely to have an accident. Based on these studies, the German Road Safety Council and the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport asked for an impactful film, which encourages viewers to #donttextanddrive.
LBB> The audience is taken on a real journey throughout the spot, what was it like to create the narrative and what were some of the elements you were keen to infuse into the piece?
Philipp> We had so much fun – especially with all the little things. To make the most of the cinematic potential of this drama, we had to be very deliberate about our narrative. That is why we wrote all the information in such a way that it could easily be misinterpreted, to play with the audience's expectations of thriller films. And though there is complexity and nuance in the writing, nothing is complicated or convoluted. Our story moves simply and directly.
LBB> During the casting process, what were you looking out for from the actors?
Philipp> This was huge. We could not have cinema-worthy images with advertising-level actors. And François was truly clear in his philosophy to show rather than tell and avoid too much dialogue. So, we specifically cast actresses and actors who had experience in theatre or film – not in advertising.
The dad was our main window into this thrilling journey - It is through his eyes we see the world, and through his heart that we feel the drama. Our empathy towards him makes us lose the sense of time and begin to believe that Lisa is actually missing. While we were extremely specific about acting quality, we were open regarding looks. We wanted to create a truthful representation of what Germany looks like today, bringing people from all walks of life together, including those who only recently came to the country and still have accents.
LBB> When did François Rousselet come on board and what was his approach to directing?
Philipp> We handed this script over to a few production houses – and immediately had the honour to speak to the crème de la crème of the industry’s finest directors. One of them was François Rousselet, who has set the benchmark internationally for particularly zeitgeisty and simply good-looking storytelling films (like ‘Francesca’ or ‘Cash in, Cash out’) – always chic and nuanced. That was extremely important to us. Because the film thrives on the fact that it feels like a carefully crafted thriller right to the end. And not like a commercial blockbuster. Also, he was just very fascinated by this unusual road safety approach – and we were very fascinated by his cinematic approach. Match!
LBB> In terms of the details, what was the trickiest element to get right during the filming process?
Philipp> The film passionately plays with genre conventions and the assumptions we make based on the stories we have all grown up watching. But as much as the script is leaning into high-end thriller and suspense films, we didn’t want to mimic a style but make a gripping piece of genre work. The approach: making the viewer an active participant, deeply engaged in the story. The more we make our audience care about the characters and the mystery surrounding Lisa (protagonist driving), the more we make them realise how so many of us are in the same mental trap as the father – expecting immediate answers to our every message, even when the other person might be driving. This also means we needed fewer cuts – hanging on shots a bit longer, upping the tension and setting a filmic pace that we could raise through very subtle, precise movements.
LBB> There’s a sense of suspense throughout the piece. Talk to us about the setting and how it contributed to the ambience.
Philipp> We wanted this to feel like a sophisticated, carefully crafted thriller. Neither done in a brash, blockbuster style nor in lo-fi. Together with François and Matias (Boucard - DOP), we wanted to create chic, richly nuanced and timeless images with a clear philosophy. Looking for the right shot at the right time that most efficiently tells the story and maximises the emotion. Therefore, we deliberately let the film take place in the evening/nighttime to create this sense of tension and claustrophobia and play with contrasts of warm and cold tones - representing the warmth of the family respectively the coldness of the unknown. To support that we created a dreary, autumnal world and composed a condensed colour palette with a slightly overcast sky and atmospheric fog. Even in-room scenes followed this concept with just the glare of screens and colourful ambient light or moody strip lights. This absence of natural light made the viewer lose orientation and increased suspense throughout the film.
LBB> Of course, the sound behind thrillers is vital to create the mood. What was the process of voicing and sound designing the spot?
Philipp> François wanted to create something completely unheard recorded exclusively with real instruments. So, we asked the amazing musicians from Stare Crazy to compose something unique for this piece: They treated every frame like it would be a feature film and crafted a crazily detailed score for it that we fine tuned together in their studio in Berlin.
LBB> In terms of timings, how long did it take to film, edit and release the campaign?
Philipp> We shot for three nights in Germany, close to Hamburg. Between PPM and nationwide release, we had about three months' time, where we passionately edited, colour graded with the magician Jean-Clément from Company 3, and composed the score.
LBB> How have the German and international markets reacted to the spot?
Philipp> German press was really enthusiastic, the spot even got aired on RTL (one of the biggest German TV channels) for free – and the client received a lot of social media reactions and comments. This captivating road safety film hits a social nerve by not only inspiring people to take an example from the main protagonist Lisa, who doesn't reply to messages while driving but also by making us all reflect on our social behaviour. It opens our eyes to the absurdity of our constant availability, how and when we use our smartphones and what, perhaps unhealthy, things are expected of us.
