Deconstruction of Music Promo 1

How Deep is Your Love – Calvin Harris and Disciples

This music video fall under the form: Concept

How Deep Is Your Love is a song by Calvin Harris and English production trio Disciples. It was released on 17 July 2015. It features uncredited vocals by Norwegian singer and songwriter Ina Wroldsen. Calvin Harris is a Record producer, DJ, singer, and songwriter who has received ten Brit Award nominations—three for Best British Male, and four Grammy nominations, winning a Grammy for Best Music Video in 2013. He received the British Academy's Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year in 2013 and at the 2015 Billboard Music Award was named Top Dance/Electronic Artist.

I want you to breathe me in
Let me be your air
Let me roam your body freely
No inhibition, no fear

How deep is your love?
Is it like the ocean?
What devotion? Are you?
How deep is your love?
Is it like nirvana?
Hit me harder, again

How deep is your love? [x3]
Is it like the ocean?
Pull me closer, again
How deep is your love? [x2]

Open up my eyes and
Tell me who I am
Let me in on all your secrets
No inhibition, no sin

How deep is your love?
Is it like the ocean?
What devotion? Are you?

How deep is your love?
Is it like nirvana?
Hit me harder, again

How deep is your love? [x3]
Is it like the ocean?
Pull me closer, again
How deep is your love? [x3]

So tell me how deep is your love? Can it go deeper?
So tell me how deep is your love? Can it go deep?
[x2]

(How deep is your love?)

So tell me how deep is your love? Can it go deeper?
So tell me how deep is your love? Can it go deep?
(How deep is your love?)

So tell me how deep is your love? Can it go deeper?
(Pull me closer, again)
So tell me how deep is your love?
How deep is your love? [x3]

So tell me how deep is your love? Can it go deeper?
So tell me how deep is your love? Can it go deep?
(How deep is your love?)
So tell me how deep is your love? Can it go deeper?
So tell me how deep is your love? Can it go deep?

The use of repetitive lines throughout the song make the works stand out creating an impact on the listener as if they are being asked the question. By making the song repetitive makes it catchy and memorable so everyone will sing. It also links to the music video use of repetitive patterns.

The song follows a regular structure of verse then chorus. Though, there are only verses and they are uncommonly shorter than the chorus is meaning there is more emphasis on the questions asked in the chorus.

The use of command words and instructions such as ‘tell me’ engages the listener further as it's telling them to do something, to imaging what the singer wants. This also creates an intensity and seriousness throughout the video which would be found in a relationship with someone.

Mise-en-scene in this music video:

Lighting: The lighting in the video changes regularly between barely any light, bright white contrast and bright coloured lighting. Because the shots are fragmented and jump around different settings, the lighting changes with them.

Every form of lighting is used throughout this music promo starting with a white lit room followed by natural lighting from the sun during the beach and ocean scenes. But also, a mixture of bright colorful lighting in the club as expected to be seen in this genre of music that is reflected upon close up shots of Gigi’s face creating shadows and a ‘ghosting’ effect.

Make-up: The makeup of the featured actress, Gigi Hadid is very natural. She doesn’t wear a lot of makeup throughout the music promo. Her face is kept pure and clear, making her look younger, giving her innocence throughout the video. Looking at glimpses of other women in the background, they don’t seem to be wearing much make up either, maybe slighting bolder than Gigi’s character to make her stand out more. I’d suggest that she has minimal products on her face and a golden shadow on her eyelids and bronzer on her cheeks to help emphasis her facial structure. During the pool shots, the surprising people have got a lot more makeup, brighter lip colours etc. which Gigi is inspired by when wearing her black dress pairing with glamourous curls and a seductive red lip.

Costume: Gigi Hadid clothing during the music video changes. She is firstly seen wearing white underwear, laying in a simply designed room. This backs up my suggestion of her being shown as pure and innocent. She is later captured in a night club/corridor wearing black underwear/bikini underneath a beige natural midi dress. Her next change is after she dives into the pool and her dress becomes see through showing off her slim figure. This could suggest that she is coming out of her comfort zone and losing her purity. Although the shots jump around, her facial expressions show that she is developing her confidence. Gigi wears a black dress that’s short and floaty more often towards the end of the video along with just the back bikini to contract the white at the beginning almost suggesting her evolution in society and in love.

Surrounding characters in the music promo were more common clothing fir the scene they appear in, for example: at the night club, the women are wearing bright colours and more revealing clothing. The costumes of the male characters are of ‘normal’ clothing trends of jeans, polos/t-shirts, swimwear as expected to see in everyday situations.

Location and setting: The location differs between several different locations throughout the music video. Each set around the same time period in modern day, contrasting day time and night time, indoor and out. Gigi is captured on a yacht sailing on bright blue, clear seas somewhere peaceful and luxurious which most people dream of, giving desire from the viewer. The nightclub scenes gets the audience want to go out, get up and dance which is an concept of EDM music videos.

Timeline: Here, I will discuss the stages in which the music video is carried out and highlight the camera work used in the promo.
0:00 - 0.13: Fade into a side ways pan (left to right) of a women laying on a table lit through bright white LED. Cut to soil and muddy water. A regular transition used it a glitch effect accompanied by a scathing sound effect. Cut back to close up of body, neck and chin. Close up of women lips creating the male gaze. Cut to arm with a hospital tag creating a miss-en-scene and context to the shot. The white clothing suggests her innocence and purity. 
0.14 - 0.24: Cut to blue ocean pan, cut back to women on the mental table followed by a zoom out to show the scene. Cut to a blue splashing wave. Cut/glitch transition of women sitting up and laying on the table, medium long shot. Glitch back to close up of waves, fade to back, cut to flock of free birds on beach location. Natural shadowing on the face of women protagonist. Quick cuts to beach, birds and ocean used as establishing shots. 
0.25 - 0.30: Close up of women lips. Lip syncing to the music. Light and dark contrast on the face followed by a distrusted sound. Black background with a women lit by different coloured fluorescent lights pans hands through her hair. Same shot jumps through different colours to match the sound effects applied.

0.31 – 0.45: Fast zoom into corridor followed by tracking zoom through a door. The camera rotates anticlockwise to a black screen. Female appears with close up shot. Blue artificial lighting is added to create highlights on the protagonists face. Cut to a medium close up of a dark setting. Cut to tracking shot of protagonist in a brighter lighting, cut to eye line view of female from in front. Cut to people surrounding her, medium close up, female centred. Close up and use of green tone lighting. These fluorescent lighting features are a convention of this genre to create a dancing/night club theme.

0.46 – 1.02: Medium long shot of female walking towards camera, cut to tracking shot. Change to use of bright natural lighting contrasts the dark setting whilst still incorporating blue lights. Cut to close up of protagonist’s face, she looks into the camera giving direct address to the audience. Natural lighting creating highlights and shadows. Extreme close ups used to draw attention to female’s facial features. Quick shots and varying shot sizes allows exploration of the women. Lighting fluctuates from light to dark and flashing lights are used on close ups of the female.

1.03 – 1.10: High angle shot of clubbing scene, another convention of EDM music videos. Close ups of females dancing creating a comparison of the protagonist standing still. Lighting changes rapidly juxtaposing the slow motion edits.

1.11 – 1.18: Protagonist starts dancing, close up shot cut to medium close up. Faster shot duration and cuts between protagonist and other dancers in the nightclub. Light bleach helps transition the shot fade to white.

1.19 – 1.33: Fade back in to female, close up of her shown in new location. Cut to medium long shot of protagonist on a boat in the middle of the ocean. Natural lighting used. Medium close up of others on the boat, laughing and drinking. Cut to glamorous women and gazing males. The cut back to protagonist shows contract in class through mise-en-scene. Zoom out, high angle shot as well as shot of the ocean, dolphins swimming and the boat all are establishing shots to show off wealth and luxury, things the female protagonist doesn’t have.

1.34 – 1.50: Close up of new pool location, light bleach transition to fade to white. Fast shot duration to match music. Female runs hands through hair, rotating close up shot. Cut to black background with people displayed under different fluorescent spot lights completing the same action. Cut back to mid shot, protagonist looking around at setting. Cut back to black background with female centred under coloured light. This shot is used regularly throughout the music video varying in colours and duration occasionally accompanied by lip-syncing. Use of background and foreground blurring creates a change in focal point for the audience. Close up of protagonist from the side and back.

1.51 – 2.05: Female performs a dive into the pool, shown in slow motion through editing. Shot taken from underwater, low angle. Sideways tracking shot of swim, still shown underwater. Cut to birds flying in the sky, symbolism of her being free. Bright lighting. Mid shot of female in see-through dress, again referring to the male gaze as she walks out of pool slowing taking off her dress revealing a black bikini. Yellow glow of sun used behind protagonist. Cut to close up of males watching her. Cut to clos up of protagonist walking, mixture of upwards pans and tracking shots accompanied by natural sun lens flare.

2.06 – 2.11: Repeated shots are used to jump between locations creating a clear contrast. One shot is naturally lit close up of protagonist in the shower and in an open environment, the other, cuts back to black background close up of protagonist alone running hands through hair followed by a ghosting effect using colours.

2.12 – 2.21: Cut to white, fade in. Close up to protagonist’s face, her lips are painted red sexualising her. Repeated black and coloured close up of protagonist, cut back to naturally lit close up complemented by a lens flare overlay. Cuts back and forth between the 2 shot settings. Fade to white.

2.21 – 2.35: Close up of protagonist’s face, bright coloured lighting. Dancing setting, luminous lighting. Black background, coloured protagonists shot. Inner shadow creases the effect of lighting behind protagonist. Different colour overlays. Camera rotates anticlockwise round protagonist in new location. Close up of people tattooing other individuals. Change in lifestyle and class being represented. Ghosting close up of protagonist on black background. Fade to white.

2.36 – 2.52: Fade in to close up tracking shot of female walking towards camera. Establishing shots of a man spraying plants, cut to zoomed out shot of protagonist and same male. Black and coloured ghosting shot used again. Same shot but background changes to white contrasting black background. Again, cutting between these shots and tracking shots of protagonist in other locations previously shown.

2.53 – 3.08: White and black ghosting effect, faster with more layers. Cut to green lit club, again including another convention to encourage people to dance. Cut to close up of protagonist with hands in hair moving at a faster speed. Jumpy cuts matching the pace of music. Includes some slow-motion shots too contrasting music.

3.09 – 3.22: White background ghosting shot. Swap to black background and coloured ghosting followed by the inversion of white and colour. Fast and slow-motion mix. Cut to club, cut to opening shot of female on medical table panning right to left, shows difference between her then and now. Fade to white, fade in to white ghosting shot. Fade to black followed by dancing in the club. Regular use of zooming shots, in and out as well as reverse shots to keep audience engaged.

3.23 – 3.40: Fade to black, fade in to close up of protagonist. A smoky transition accompanied the fades in and out of shot. Final location, extreme long shot/establishing shot. Night time, long shot of motor bikes, suggesting more danger and excitement. Light beams across the frame added in post-production. Faster cut durations from a distance (ELS, MLS, LS). Transition fade to white. Cut to day time shot of protagonist surrounded by bright colours juxtaposing the dark setting. Light bleaching the shots, cut to protagonist’s hands in hair, low angle shot showing her increase in power and the blue sky behind. Black background with coloured ghosting of the protagonist. Cut back to blue sky, flashing lights aid transition.

3.41 – 3.52: Close up of protagonist, warm tones reflecting, zoom out. Cut to people dancing, high angle shot. Close up of protagonist in previous locations shown. Black background, coloured ghosting close up of female. Mid shot of protagonist dancing in the day followed by long shot of her dancing in the night setting. Faster shot duration, shots cut in time with the music. More eye contact made with the camera.

3.53 – 4.10: Bright lights, dancing, sparkling back drop. Protagonists placed in front, mid shot. Tracking shot of protagonist walking to the camera, dark lighting with a fluorescent coloured glow. Cut between different location shown through a variety of angles and shot sizes. Rotational transition with protagonist central showing her in different locations is especially effective. Black and white, black and coloured ghosting shots filter within location.

4.11 – 4.20: Music fades. Female protagonist walks off, camera tracks behind, medium long shot. Fade to black. Fade in to protagonist close up, black background, fluorescent lit. facial expressions shows her increase in confidence and personal development. Fade to black as music finishes.