Research: Music video analysis 4 - Sam Smith

Sam Smith - I'm not the only one


This music video is 4 minutes and 40 seconds long so is I'm predicting longer than my music video will be and has only 80 shots in this music video, however does have a very long ASL and uses a lot of tracking and hand held camera. The sam director Luke Monaghan, also directed Sam Smiths - Writing on the Wall which was 4 minutes 43 seconds and only consisted of 60 shots.

This is the first establishing shot of the Music video, and it starts with one o the locations, and with the artists name written in his traditional font for synergy. At this point the camera is handheld so slightly shaky, i wonder if this signifies that behind closed doors the foundations are shaky.




The camera is then moving closer still shaking and has the directors name written on the house the same way that the artists is. The sound in the start of the music video, is not yet the song and is instead diegetic sound coming form the actors in the home and the couple.






It then cuts to an over the shoulder shot into the reflection of the mirror of the couple, matching the quote from the female "oh yeah ok thats fine, give me a kiss" this is an establishing moment for the rest of the music video and shows the relationship and the issues they have of how the male is holding back and the female desires his affection. The focus then changes from the female to the male when she leaves the shot to establish both characters individually.

This is breaking conventions as the diegetic sound is not conventional, however I do feel it is necessary in this instance, and I would like to incorporate diagetic sound into my music video, as I feel it helps to link a narrative music video to reality.



The camera tracks the female actor backwards and watches her emotions and facial expressions as she waves off her husband. Then for a sad shot of her when he husband does not wave back.



Before the lyrics begin there is slow motion of her walking back into their home and then cuts to her sat alone by the pool with a glass of wine and smudged mascara, representing she is a hurt, lonely woman who has been crying and is having alcohol to help her. . Once this is represented the lyrics begin and cut to the husband in a very dark gloomy atmosphere tracking backwards, the cuts and the lighting difference shows how much he two differ.

This shot shows how the female has essentially fallen apart, as she clenches on to her dress it shows how much anger she feels and how this has broken her.




There is links from the lyrics to the visuals as the actor then removes her wedding ring while sat on the floor just as the lyrics "you and me we made a vow, for better or for worse".


The next line is "cant believe you let me down, the truths in the way it hurts" this lyric is played while the female is sobbing on the floor and cuts to her husband with another woman and an establishing shot of this young happy female.

More links to visuals and lyrics are made here as it says "for months on end i've had my doubts, denying every tear" this shows that this has been an affair she has been aware of for a long time, there is a link to visual as she shows her in the car wiping her tear, not wearing her wedding ring, showing she has finally had enough and us accepting the truth and leaving.

It the cuts to the first shot of the artist in a performance type setting, however not singing directly into camera so not following Goodwins theory.

The lyrics then match the visuals again, as it says "you dont think i know what you done" then cuts to a shot of a camera at the end of the vehicle tracking her showing her emotions.

Then the next second being her husband with another woman, saying this is what she is supposedly unaware of. "but when you call me baby, you know i'm not the only one" and cuts quickly from her husband and new lady to her heartbroken in the car. As the chorus ends it cuts to a different location.

The different location is the a supermarket and the tracking backwards of the female who is turning to alcohol to ease the pain, as she goes round the corner of the shop, the male is going round the corner to toilets with his new girl and is cheating, showing they are both doing the wrong actions round the corner. The signs "no war" in the bar in which the male is in suggests that in there world and from there part it is all peace and happiness, and are unaware how much hurt they are causing others.

It cuts to the artist again for the chorus and shows a longer shot of him performing but with more and more passion. Sam Smith then sings "i have loved you for many years, maybe i am just not enough" showing how he is getting passionate with another female after all these years and now she has a look of strength and has realised she is worth more than that to walk away. The two are in a dark toilet with blue lights in a new location, being very sexual and close ups and tracking of the females naked back.

It then cuts from the sexual two in the toilets to the tracking and following upwards of the female finding her strength, and then cuts to a medium close up with the artist right of frame and the reflections of fire on the left hand side through the glass window of their home.
This may suggest that from the first establishing shot, the left side of the home was his as they did not match perfectly and the right side had flowers while the other side didn't, that is why she is burning his stuff on the left hand side.

I particularly like this shot, as although she is watching a fire of her husbands items, she is still put together from her hair. The shots continually cut from one another especially when the chorus line "because you don't think I know what you done".

 These two shots I find very interesting as she is looking pack at the pain she has suffered, this music video shows her journey well.

 The mise en scene in this shot is very interesting, as you see her in the centre of the room with one door open one door closed, one chair with two pillows on and the other chair with two pillows on. This theme runs throughout showing they are similar but they have strong differences which mean they dont match, and I feel this is representing the couple in this music video.



This long shot shows the male running and fixing himself, this is almost him running into reality. The camera is kept still and possibly on a tripod to keep it positioned well.

The camera then tracks him walking behind and is greeted by his now dressed and presentable wife.

This music ends with the two hugging at the doorway, despite "knowing what hes done" she is still taking him back.

How this research has influenced my planning

- it has shown me how successful a strong narrative music video can be
- with cuts to a performance of the artist. Also influenced my planning
- as a clever idea they used was introduce a new scene after the chorus and on a new verse
- I am also a fan of introducing a music video with first talking at the start and having silence and then cutting to the song.