The emotional pain of a break-up is studied through a series of long takes in Mike Baldwin's video for Rhys Lewis. 

The video for When Was The Last Time starts by introducing the main characters in closeup shots, each in different settings but all connected by the tumultuous emotions that come with ending a relationship. Through slow, revealing zooms, each vignette unfolds to reveal their partner, and we realise we are witnessing the crucial moment of a break-up in each case.

Intimate and heartwrenching performances capture the mood of the track without revealing too much information. We never find out any backstory to these scenarios - we don't have to. DoP Benedict Spence utilises simple composition and camera movement to keep the focus on the heart of the concept, and the leisurely pace of the edit allows viewers to linger on each moment.

In each case its clear that the person we initially focus on is digesting the news that they are no longer loved. But in Rhys Lewis's own situation, Baldwin adds another twist. This is an emotional and very satisfying video for a sad song.  

MIKE BALDWIN: 

It was a brilliant opportunity to use the mother of anamorphic zooms. It looks more like a rocket launcher than a camera lens.

"Rhys’ song is beautiful and incredibly sad, [so] I wanted to make a video that was beautiful and incredibly sad. Having long, lingering zoom shots was to allow scenes to slowly, almost painfully slowly, unravel to capture the moment of a breakup and silence between couples.

"That hollow feeling of emptiness when time seems endless. It was also a brilliant opportunity to use the mother of all anamorphic zooms, which looked more like a rocket launcher than a camera lens."