We’ve talked a lot about rhythm in this course, because obviously a hugely important part of music video is being able to visually represent the beat of a song. Often, this is done through rapid editing. This makes it all the more astonishing when we see a one-take music video. Notoriously hard to film, the one-take can nonetheless produce a stunning effect.

I was inspired to write this post after re-watching the hugely popular video clip for the Black Keys’ Lonely Boy.

Internet legend says this music video was planned out as something entirely different with a regular budget and editing in mind, but when the director saw this extra dancing behind the scenes, he decided it would be perfect for the video. This is perhaps one of the most well-known one-take music videos, but of course there are some other favourites:

1. Taylor Swift’s We are Never Ever Getting Back Together

I’m guessing from the prop and costume changes that there’s a little bit of cheating going on here, but I think Taytay (TayTay? Tay-tay?) can be forgiven. The elaborate set and crazy extras give the whole video a playful theme that suits the way Swift kind of mocks herself in the song itself.

2. Lorde’s Tennis Court

Much like the Lonely Boy video, this one-take works because the central character it focuses on is so engaging. Where the Black Keys’ dancing man was comical and endearing, Lorde brings an intensely raw and emotional performance to this video that’s so mesmerising it doesn’t even matter that she’s singing very few of the words. This is aided by clever lighting and cinematography but also the beautiful and haunting costuming of Lorde from her winding braid to her mulberry lipstick.

3. The Spice Girls’ Wannabe

This for me would have to be an example of where one-take has really failed. I mean, I’m not the biggest Spice Girls fan to start off with but I really feel like this video has nothing going for it but the fact that it is a one-take (which might not even be the case if you believe some internet sources claiming it’s actually clever editing). The video simply shows the girls running around a hotel room, which without any edits to me gets boring very quickly, and there are some issues regarding the syncing of the dancing and singing to the track (Mel B, I’m looking at you).

4. OK Go’s Here it Goes Again

Probably the most famous one-take music video of all time, this video deserves all the kudos it gets. The skill in choreographing this and then the rehearsal required to get it right in one go must have been incredible and it’s really fun to watch. The video’s also iconic not just because of its one-take nature but because of its place as one of the world’s earliest viral sensations. Although the video now on YouTube was uploaded in 2009, it was originally posted in 2005, at the very dawn of shareable online video.

PS. Cheers to this Mental Floss article by Rudie Obias for pointing out some of these videos.