What is it about the lighting that appeals to you? Describe it – what do you think the light source is?

I love the heavy red, blue, and yellow lighting because of its high drama and atmosphere. The light include coloured flood LED lights being diffused. There are lights under the pool and additional lights to emphasise the waves’ reflection on the walls – plus some projected effects as well since the waves are consistent with different versions that feature varying sizes and speed of movement.

The yellow/gold bathroom sequence features a spotlight where you can see the light’s round edges on the walls and a tight rectangle light with hard edges.

What is it meant to be in the context of the video/film? (i.e. what the source of the light appears to be in the world of the video, vs how the lighting effect was actually achieved)

The video is set in an indoor swimming centre. Though the lighting in the pool sequences feel more natural because of the blue wash and the wave patterns, the video embraces the theatricality of the lighting.

In moments where a bright/harsh blue light is tightly featured, it appears to be from some sort of “outside world”, as if the harshness of reality is penetrating the hazy world of the pool. A similar effect occurs with the gold bathroom sequences where the lighting is reminiscent of golden sunset/sunrise but is not trying to be super natural.

What effect does the lighting produce in the viewer – how does it make you feel? How does it affect the interpretation of the work? What does it conceal and reveal?

The lighting is crucial to the emotional stakes of the video. Without it, Selena Gomez is just writhing around on the floor of an abandoned public recreational centre. The lighting plays a dual role in concealing the drabness of a pool atmosphere whilst also revealing its dramatic potential, emphasising its eerie vastness and emptiness. It elevates the setting to match the painful lyrics and dramatic tension, offering insight to the character’s psyche. The lighting also highlights Selena’s physicality and sexuality through its placement of brightness and shadow, accentuating curves and flattering shapes/angles.

Look Around You is a BBC show running from 2005-2007. It is a series that satirises educational programs from the 70s and 80s.

Find a piece of video with an interesting soundtrack – describe it carefully and think about how it works with the images. 

Is it naturalistic/diegetic/non-diegetic?

The sound is barely naturalistic. It features an excellent synthesised score, building excitement for the potential scientific wonders the viewer might witness. The foley deliberately brings attention to its contrived quality through the sound not being mixed in accordance to spatial relationships. The foley also drops in and out, sometimes objects would be interacting onscreen but without a diegetic sound.

 

Humorous usage of sound include the finger skate board accompanied by the sound of a car backing up, the disposal of a bunch of items and only hearing one large clank, and the very modern/clear gun sound that is obviously a stock sound.

Is it emotional or unemotional? What is the pace, volume, musicality etc.?

The music builds excitement and wonder through its synths. The narrator’s voice, though not emotional, is definitely energised and expressive to an extent. The sound moves at an engaging pace. The voice’s tone uses a deliberately contrived British accent with exaggerated pronunciations as well as an undulating musicality in his phrasing to mimic those of documentary narrators. The voice, aside from being informative, leads the viewers’ anticipation and excitement.

The music does not have a steady rhythm for the most part, more like incidental music than a song. However the music becomes rhythmic at the climax when the magnet/sulphur relationship is being tested.  It is then comically cut off by the narrator when the experiment and excited tension proves futile.

What effect does the soundtrack produce with the images? Watch the same footage without sound and compare the effect.

The soundtrack elevates the image, granting it dignity and value – in fact, it grants it ALL of its value. Without the sound, we notice how poor the quality of the props are and furthermore, how amusing it looks for the hands of grown adults to be playing with these makeshift science tools. Without sound, the very slow deliberation of hands suddenly becomes even more exaggerated and melodramatic. The video’s satire is even more heightened without sound because we notice the awkwardness and disjointedness of physical movement – movements that are only suitable if underscored by an equally camp soundtrack.