# Music videos that appear to be shot entirely in one take. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 11, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298 "2009-02-11T00:19:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![eno801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@eno801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eno801)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/21 "2009-02-11T05:01:45Z")
> [@](#): > > There were a bunch of cuts in that one. > > \*\*\* Ponder yeah but it seemed to be all one take. probably 2 or 3 cameras running at once?? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/22 "2009-02-11T05:08:23Z")
I can’t for the life of me remember the group or the song, but I recall a video where the band members walk through multiple sets along a soundstage, then the camera pans to the other side of the soundstage, in the process showing the track the camera is mounted on, then goes back along the track once more following the band along various sets. I recall it being metal-ish or gothy, with the lead singer being a baldheaded creepy sort of guy. I want to say Staind or Disturbed, but neither one seems correct. Anyone got a clue? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/23 "2009-02-11T05:39:59Z")
The Spike Jonze-directed video for [“California” by Wax.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXt818BLBwU) The video for [Goldfrapp’s “Happiness”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So93Iny2HWI) appears to be shot in one take even though it really wasn’t. (As a game, see how many times you can spot lead singer Alison Goldfrapp.) > [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > I seem to remember a song not too long ago where, in the video, it followed a bunch of wires around a big house. It went from room to room just tracing the wires of the band members instruments and various other lights and stereos and stuff. Anyone know what video I’m talking about? It was a rock-ish song. That wouldn’t be the video for [“Allison Road” by the Gin Blossoms?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-UBnjzJMQ0&feature=related) Or maybe it was the video for [“The Underdog” by Spoon?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LenPKPqvdJA) ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/24 "2009-02-11T05:49:37Z")
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eZo1LQ9EEs) …“Sophie” by Goodshirt. Fantastically funny! ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/25 "2009-02-11T05:56:14Z")
[Mr. Krinkle](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtrmbfS_Vuc) by Primus. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/26 "2009-02-11T07:01:24Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > That wouldn’t be the video for [“Allison Road” by the Gin Blossoms?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-UBnjzJMQ0&feature=related) That is it, indeed. 🙂 You’re good. ---
**Author:** ![parthenokinesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@parthenokinesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parthenokinesis)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/27 "2009-02-11T12:13:55Z")
[Back Door Lover](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwykvrwvWW4&feature=related) by Du Jour (from the special features on the J[osie and the Pussycats](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0236348/) DVD). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/28 "2009-02-11T13:09:31Z")
[Someday](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2KPTA2pMXU) by MLTR appears to be shot in a single take. Ah, 90s nostalgia. I was younger then, and my musical tastes were a lot less evolved. This song still makes me strangely nostalgic, though. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/29 "2009-02-11T13:34:39Z")
“March of the Pigs” by NiN “Bittersweet Symphony” by the verve “No Surprises” by Radiohead ---
**Author:** ![VanLandry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/eb9ed0/32.png) [@VanLandry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VanLandry)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/30 "2009-02-11T14:06:03Z")
Beatles - Free as a Bird [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D196-oXw2k](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D196-oXw2k) ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/31 "2009-02-11T15:35:26Z")
[Smashing Pumpkins - Ava Adore](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYnihTlVuzQ) They even have a shot of the dolly track in the middle to show how they did it. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/32 "2009-02-11T20:55:36Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > Jack Johnson - [Sitting, Waiting, Wishing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0u-0X8sPe0) This one is not only performed in one take, but they **performed the whole thing backwards** in one take. Impressive. I wonder how many takes it took them? J. ---
**Author:** ![Shawn1767](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shawn1767](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn1767)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/33 "2009-02-11T23:59:22Z")
Janet Jackson’s “When I think of you” appears to be one take, but they use the same kind of “Rope” trick of zooming in on people’s backs and such to hide the cuts. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwVVxlmYOok) ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/34 "2009-02-12T00:24:56Z")
> [@Shawn1767](#): > > Janet Jackson’s “When I think of you” appears to be one take, but they use the same kind of “Rope” trick of zooming in on people’s backs and such to hide the cuts. > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwVVxlmYOok](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwVVxlmYOok) If you go to 3:18, you can see that the background (especially that group of sailors) has completely changed from before and after the flashbulb goes off, making the cut fairly conspicuous. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298/35 "2009-02-12T07:43:25Z")
Gondry is fond of sequences that either are or _appear to be_ one take. One video where it’s obviously impossible for it to have been done in one take is his video for [Kylie Minogue](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T71HikKux_E), but the appearance of seamlessness is what makes it so cool. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-that-appear-to-be-shot-entirely-in-one-take/485298.md?page=1)