Rhys Trimble
Same Night Out, Different Pressure
February 2026
Same Night Out, Different Pressure
February 2026
As part of Nor·Mal Magazine’s first issue, collaborator Jake Carrol and I took to the streets of Galway City to conduct interviews with people about to go on a night out. We felt that, between the binary genders, there was a disparity in how much effort they felt was required to look their best. We asked people their experiences with that pressure and the process of getting ready in order to obtain some quantitative data on the matter. I had the task of conducting the interviews and post-production on this video.
As part of Nor·Mal Magazine’s first issue, collaborator Jake Carrol and I took to the streets of Galway City to conduct interviews with people about to go on a night out. We felt that, between the binary genders, there was a disparity in how much effort they felt was required to look their best. We asked people their experiences with that pressure and the process of getting ready in order to obtain some quantitative data on the matter. I had the task of conducting the interviews and post-production on this video.
The Process
First and foremost, we visited Galway’s City Centre and conducted the interviews, asking everyone the same questions. We asked them why they enjoy going on nights out, if they feel pressured to look a certain way on a night out & how long it takes them to get ready.
The Process
First and foremost, we visited Galway’s City Centre and conducted the interviews, asking everyone the same questions. We asked them why they enjoy going on nights out, if they feel pressured to look a certain way on a night out & how long it takes them to get ready.
The first challenge we would face is, of course, informed consent to appear in the video. We needed to make sure we approached people who weren’t under the influence & maintain the anonymity of anyone who was. We applied this to anyone who made somewhat incriminating statements regarding consumption of substances on nights out. This was generally a difficult environment to get people to partake in a Vox Pop, so we spent a lot of time trying to find willing participants, an endeavour which would eventually pay off.
The first challenge we would face is, of course, informed consent to appear in the video. We needed to make sure we approached people who weren’t under the influence & maintain the anonymity of anyone who was. We applied this to anyone who made somewhat incriminating statements regarding consumption of substances on nights out. This was generally a difficult environment to get people to partake in a Vox Pop, so we spent a lot of time trying to find willing participants, an endeavour which would eventually pay off.
Considerations while shooting included being aware of light and audio. Shooting at night presents very obvious exposure difficulties, but we needed to accommodate for any shopfronts or lights that contrasted with the darkness. Compromises had to be made and the raw footage was expetedly grainy. Thankfully, as Nor·Mal afforded us the creative freedom to work with a grittier, alternative style, I preserved this in post production, supporting the grain with VHS effect overlays and confining it to a 4:3 frame (This aspect ratio is consistent with most of the video content for Nor·Mal.) Using this 4:3 aspect ratio allowed me to play with the scale of the footage. I could zoom in on individual subjects without worrying about loss of visual clarity.
Considerations while shooting included being aware of light and audio. Shooting at night presents very obvious exposure difficulties, but we needed to accommodate for any shopfronts or lights that contrasted with the darkness. Compromises had to be made and the raw footage was expetedly grainy. Thankfully, as Nor·Mal afforded us the creative freedom to work with a grittier, alternative style, I preserved this in post production, supporting the grain with VHS effect overlays and confining it to a 4:3 frame (This aspect ratio is consistent with most of the video content for Nor·Mal.) Using this 4:3 aspect ratio allowed me to play with the scale of the footage. I could zoom in on individual subjects without worrying about loss of visual clarity.
Without a doubt, the visuals are one of my favourite things about this Vox Pop. The colour grading was inspired by Nor·Mal’s brand colours, but it also suited Galway City and the lights on Shop Street extremely well. I believe it does a very good job in highlighting the sleazy, indulgent nature of a night out in Galway far more than the raw footage was capable of.
Without a doubt, the visuals are one of my favourite things about this Vox Pop. The colour grading was inspired by Nor·Mal’s brand colours, but it also suited Galway City and the lights on Shop Street extremely well. I believe it does a very good job in highlighting the sleazy, indulgent nature of a night out in Galway far more than the raw footage was capable of.
