List of one-shot music videos

A "one-shot" is any music video which consists of action, continuous in time and space, from the perspective of a single camera — a single long take. In order to be able to make one shot videos several special techniques are used. Most commonly the stage props which are not currently not caught on cameras are changed during the shot. For other videos some parts are filmed before the final shot and then replayed on screens in the video. One of the most famous music video directors for this genre is Michel Gondry, who has done many of his videos in this style.

Music video examples

Music videos by Michel Gondry

• Lucas - Lucas With The Lid Off, 1994
• Cibo Matto - Sugar Water, 1996
• Radiohead - Knives Out, 2001
• Kylie Minogue - Come Into My World*, 2002
• The White Stripes - The Denial Twist,2005
• Gary Jules - Mad World, 2006

Other Examples

• Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues, 1965
• Split Enz - Message to My Girl, 1984
• Shakatak - Down On The Street, 1984
• Tommy Shaw - Girls With Guns, 1984
• John Fogerty - The Old Man Down The Road, 1985
• Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush - Don't Give Up, 1986
• Los Prisioneros - Sexo, 1986
• Bruce Springsteen - Brilliant Disguise, 1987
• Pixies - Velouria, 1990
• Vaya Con Dios - Nah Neh Nah, 1990
• Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy, 1991 (directed by Baillie Walsh)
• Guns N' Roses - Garden of Eden, 1992 (directed by Andy Morahan)
• Primus - Mr. Krinkle, 1993
• U2 - Numb, 1993
• Die Krupps - To The Hilt, 1994
• Gin Blossoms - Allison Road, 1994
• Nine Inch Nails - March of the Pigs, 1994
• Video Search Video Search, 1994
• Tom Petty - You Don't Know How It Feels 1994
• Lisa Loeb - Stay (I Missed You) 1994
• Weezer - Undone - The Sweater Song, 1994 (directed by Spike Jonze)
• Wax - California, 1995 (directed by Spike Jonze)
• Madonna - Love Don't Live Here Anymore, 1996 (directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino)
• Alanis Morissette - Head Over Feet, 1996
• Spice Girls - Wannabe, 1996
• The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony, 1997
• Ben Folds Five - Kate, 1997
• Green Day - Redundant, 1997
• The Tea Party - Babylon, 1997
• Tic Tac Toe - Bitte küss' mich nicht, 1997
• Die Ärzte - Rebell, 1998
• Semisonic - Closing Time, 1999 (two continuous shots playing simultaneously)
• Smashing Pumpkins - Ava Adore, 1999
• D'Angelo – Untitled (How Does It Feel), 2000
• Coldplay – Yellow, 2000
• Green Day - Macy's Day Parade, 2001
• Hawksley Workman - Jealous of Your Cigarette, 2001
• R.E.M. - Imitation Of Life, 2001
• Kylie Minogue - Come Into My World, 2001
• Utada Hikaru - Hikari, 2002
• Ayumi Hamasaki - Daybreak, 2003
• Ayumi Hamasaki - Heaven, 2003
• Christina Aguilera - The Voice Within, 2003
• Jack Johnson - Sitting, Waiting, Wishing, 2005
• Wir sind Helden - Nur ein Wort, 2005 (forwarts and backwarts)
• Gimma (rapper) - Superschwiizer, 2006
• OK Go - Here It Goes Again, 2006
• Hawksley Workman - Jealous of Your Cigarette, 2006
• Sportfreunde Stiller - '54, '74, '90, 2006, 2006
• Feist - My Moon My Man, 2007
• Feist - 1234, 2007
• Kaiser Chiefs - Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning), 2007
• Linkin Park - Bleed It Out, 2007
• The Matches - Salty Eyes, 2007
• Melanie C - The Moment You Believe, 2007
• Miley Cyrus - Start All Over, 2007
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - Desecration Smile, 2007
• Spoon - Underdog, 2007
• The Weakerthans - Civil Twilight, 2007
• Dana Nalbaru - Tu, 2008
• Duffy - Warwick Avenue, 2008
• Feist - I Feel It All, 2008
• Janet Jackson - Rock with U, 2008
• The Last Shadow Puppets - Standing Next to Me, 2008
• Lil Wayne - A Milli, 2008
• Pigeon. Horse. Sex. Tennis. - Bottle of Wine, 2008http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/09/new-ok-go-video-is-awesome-full-of-awesome-dogs/
• Vampire Weekend - A-Punk, 2008
• Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma, 2008
• The Vines - He's a Rocker, 2008
• Young Righchus and Max Berry - Ridin', 2008
• Metric - Gimme Sympathy, 2009
• Myriam Fares - Ayam El Shety, 2009
• Electric Indian - Kids These Days, 2009
• Dilated Peoples - Back Again, 2006
• Roller Coaster - Prospect Hill, 2009
• OK Go - WTF, 2009
• Die Roten Punkte - Burger Store Dinosaur, 2010
• Air - So Light Is Her Footfall, 2010
• Erykah Badu - Window Seat, 2010
• Liam Frost - Good Things Are Coming Our Way, 2010
• J. Cole - Who Dat, 2010
• OK Go - White Knuckles, 2010
• Säkert - Dansa fastän, 2010

Videos Mistaken for One Shot

• U2 - Sweetest Thing, 1998

The Video for The Sweetest Thing appears to be one continuous shot; however, in a Channel 4, documentary discussing the Greatest Pop Videos of all time, the director Kevin Godley revealed that it was filmed in 3 shots, each shot transition hidden by a lens flare.

• OK Go - This Too Shall Pass, 2010 - Rube Goldberg Machine video

The Rube Goldberg Machine was filmed as three continuous takes which were spliced together in post production. In interviews, Band member Damian Kulash and Machine Builder Hector Alvarez both admit to a cut at 2:27 when a curtain opens. This was done because each of the three shots was marred, by the camera in the wrong position or crew members being visible in shot.

• Coldplay - Christmas Lights, 2010