Analysing "Stan" by Eminem ft. Dido

Long Version Length: 8.10 minutes
Short Version Length: 3.43 minutes approx.
Video was made in 2002 by Aftermath Entertainment/Interscope Records, after the song being released on 9th December 2000.

The video starts from a black fade transition shot to a low key lighting set, beginning with a window in centre frame, showing the establishing shot.

Diegetic noises are heard of thunder and lightening to reflect the mood of the song. A zoom in movement is shown into the room, followed by continuous weather formats of thunder and lightening, to see "Dido" lying on a bed in a dark room. Soft music sounding is then introduced from a high angle to see her lifestyle and pregnancy. The camera angle moves to a medium shot showing from her face to stomach, after the shot cuts to a side shot of "Stanley" in the bathroom, next to a sink. Low key lighting and broken wall tiles emphasizes the kind of social class and lifestyle they have. A close up of "Stanley's" face to see his expressions followed by a side shot as he dips his hair in the sink and cover's his hair in bleach. A slight wonder appears about this as a close up of his face is shown to see the passion to look like his idol really is obvious, and his face shows this expression via a kind of possessive appearance. Looking at his appearance himself is a vest top, baggy black trousers, a necklace and tattoos up his left arm, which again shows the genre of person he is, and the lifestyle he is creating. The shot then cuts to Dido running to the bathroom for the toilet which is shown via a long but low angled shot, showing her need and appearance at the same time: pyjama's which are shown as a blue vest top followed by white trousers and a blue jacket. This is used as continuous editing as the shots are showing what every person in the set is doing, and telling a story so that it makes sense to the viewers. The shot cuts back to "Stanley" who is still looking vainly at himself in the mirror. Special effects are used to show the colour of his hair changing from brown to blonde/white following from the bleached effects, whilst the camera also shows a possessive and evil smirk across his mouth.

Again, the lightening flashes and the shot hears Dido knocking furiously at the door, needing to go to the toilet, to which the first line of dialogue is used "Stanley, open the door, I've gotta go!" A medium shot is used with continuous low lighting of the rattling on the door, to which "Stanley" ignores, as he'd rather star intensely at himself in the mirror, which shows a passion for his idol rather than his pregnant girlfriend, which also gives a insight to their relationship. "Stanley's" anger is then shown when "Dido" keeps repeatedly bashing on the door with the words "Let me in, Stanley!" to which the door is angrily opened to allow us to get a clear insight to the bathroom of no painted walls with no possessions. A over the head shot is then shown to shown the aggression of when "Dido" calls him "Stanley" which he then replies to "Don't call me that!" "Dido" then asks awkwardly "Don't you think your taking this too far?" talking about his obsession and him dying his hair to look more like his idol. He then ignores the comment and leaves the room, slamming the door using diegetic sound to emphasize this, leaving her scared and worried.

The establishing shot is then again shown, with the low key lighting and the window in centre frame, and the weather flashing and taking effect. This is where the music and lyrics start, where "Dido" is left confused slightly to the left of the frame, as she is shown from a high angle looking down on her sitting on the toilet thinking. Another transition shot is shown as a fade to black and then to "Stanley's" idol, Stan, where the atmosphere is completely differentiated as he has so many possessions and is sitting in a luxury tour bus, wearing a white top and read trousers, sat to the left of the shot.

The fade transition is again used to take the shot back to "Dido" showing a side shot of her face, still on the toilet, whilst the camera moves downwards towards the floor, and under the floorboards to see "Stanley" in the basement. More instruments are then introduced, whilst the chorus is again repeatedly, after hearing a thunder noise, reminding us of the weather, whilst "Stanley" is shown centre frame, walking down the stairs to show a view of the room with photographs and memories of his idol everywhere, covering the whole room in low key lighting, obsessive. Another fade transition is shown to see the possessions in the room, photo's of his idol, a television playing concerts of Stan, and only one light bulb in the room. A fade transition is used again to show a close up of all the photographs pinned up on the walls, shown by a horizontal movement across the wall of a newspaper articles, posters and magazines. Both a fade transition and a focus pull is used to influence the letters and pens sitting on the table, with envelopes already written to the correct address. There is then a camera view of "Stanley" walking towards the table to sit down, followed by a fade transition to view the room, with flashbacks to the photos on the wall, with the lyrics "But your picture on my wall, it reminds me that its not so bad, its not so bad" plays.

The first verse starts with "Stanley" beginning to write a letter to Stan, his idol, picking up a pencil and blowing on it to make sure its sharpened and OK to write in, whilst the weather is still miserable and thunder, giving a insight to the mood in the whole house. A medium shot of "Stanley" writing is shown, while the camera movement is used to circle around him and around the table. "Dear Slim, I wrote you but you still ain't calling" showing anxiety about waiting for a reply. "I sent you two messages in Autumn, you must not of got 'em, there was probably a problem in the post office or some in" The lyrics relate to the music video of his huge obsession with his idol, and does not want to admit that his idol is not writing back to him, so is making excuses.

A mixture of close up shots and medium shots of his face, followed by a diegetic noise of a pencil scribbling on the paper. "If i have a daughter, guess what I'm gonna call her, Imma name her Bonnie" This is a reference to one of Eminem's older songs in 1997 named "Bonnie and Clyde." A continuous shot is then shown as a fade transition is shown to relate back to "Dido" upset on the bed. The name of the girlfriend is never mentioned by "Stanley" showing her as being important, whereas his idol is named many times throughout the 8 minutes. "Dido" shows a face expression of upset showing passion, whilst a sound over is used of "Stanley's" lyrics of the letter to "Stan" saying "I know you hear this everyday, but I'm your biggest fan" whilst a reflection of his idol is standing in a mirror looking at him, whilst the lyrics are shown "I got a room full of your posters and your pictures man" proving his obsession and the want to hear from Stan. "Hit me back, your biggest fan, this is Stan." Repeatedly calling himself the biggest fan to emphasize the meaning and importance Stan is in "Stanley's" life. The shot flashes back to "Dido" on the floor holding her stomach, wondering what's going to happen when the baby is born, whether he/she is going to be neglected like herself by her partner, (Stanley) whilst the chorus is played. A fade transition is used to shoot back to "Stanley" running up the stairs, and then another fade to the kitchen to show their lifestyle, and how "Dido" is pregnant and is still made to do everything for "Stanley" whilst he watches television. A fade is shown to change the atmosphere to the post office, when the letter falls out of the trolley full of letters, and is left on the floor, as a close up of the letter is shown, before a fade again is shown to view the house again, and a close up of "Stanley's" face in the basement, about to write another letter to his idol.

"I just think it's fucked up you don't talk to fans!" This shows both hes anger and need for a reply, in his unhappy mental state, whilst a fade/flashback is shown from the concert, with both "Stanley" and his brother shown at the front of the crowd, while the sound over is shown "We waited in the blistering cold, for four hours and you just said no, that's pretty fucked up man." "Stanley" is releasing his anger through a letter to show whats happened and why he is mad at his idol, and just wants a reply in return.

The whole second verse is shown again in the basement, but with flashbacks to memories and times "Stanley" shared with his idol, Stan. "I even got a tattoo with your name across my chest" shown and then a close up of "Stanley's" face is shown to show a possessive expression. "She don't know you like i know you Slim, no one does!" showing his passion for him, and telling that he knows everything about him. "You gotta call me man, I'll be your biggest fan you'll ever lose." This lyric is very powerful and relates to the ending of the song, and makes the viewer ponder about whether he is thinking of killing himself. Suicidal? The chorus restarts and the camera shot then changes to a high angled shot of them both in bed, with the weather STILL flashing. "Dido" is shown via camera angles and movement to move into the basement whilst she thinks he is still sleeping, so that she can see whats happening in the basement. Anger and a poor relationship is again shown when "Stanley" puts his strong hand over "Dido's" mouth and then a continuous shot is shown from when this shot is taken from when the fade transition changes to in the car for the third verse.

The third verse changes to a speeding car on the freeway, whilst the weather is pouring and still thunder and lightening, and again, "Stanley's" anger has risen more and more in each verse. A close up of "Stanley's" face emphasizes his anger and expression, as he is driving dangerously whilst trying to multitask by talking into a cassette, angrily, and this is how the third verse is shot.

The first diegetic dialogue that is used from the third verse is "Dear Mr I'm too good to call or write to my fans" whilst a zoom is used to emphasize a photograph hanging from "Stanley's'" interior mirror in the car. "Hey Slim, I drunk a fifth of vodka, you dare me to drive?" Showing threatening behavior whilst telling the viewers and his idol that he is intoxicated and could do something stupid. By this time, the tension is built up and the viewers ponder about whats going to happen next, and it is still unclear where the girlfriend is or whats happened to her. The camera moves to a shot out of the front windscreen, showing a blurred view of the road ahead thanks to the heavy rain and bad weather, before another oncoming car drives past, and the noise of a beeping horn is heard during the lyrics, emphasizing the danger, whilst the car skids to avoid it. "You could have rescued me from drowning-but now its too late" Panic strikes when the lyrics are written and the video is played as the viewer knows he is going to do something stupid.

"All I wanted was a lousy letter or a call, I hope you know I ripped all of your pictures of the wall." The camera then moves to a close up and a side shot of "Stanley" in the car with the heavy rain in the background in the night and the risk of danger is exaggerated. Quick pace editing is then used to show his stress and anger in the car to him smashing up his own room, full of his idol's possessions. This all happens in a low key lighting, showing his mood or feeling. The face expressions show him upset or in pain or anger and the weather is still flashing due to the thunder and lightening. The quick pace editing carries on to make the viewer wonder what is going to happen next. "I hope your conscience eats at you and you can't breath without me." This use of personification shows the lyrics and the passion relates to the hurt and neglection of the music and lyrics, as well as the video. He is speeding on a freeway before committing suicide with both his girlfriend and the unborn baby in the car, tied up. "Shut up bitch I'm tryna talk-that's my girlfriend screaming in the trunk." These lyrics add a sense of pain and panic, whilst "Stanley" sits in the front sit with a huge smirk on his face, planning on when he wants to crash the car, as if he is enjoying the pain and torture he is causing to his "Family." "Well, I gotta go, I'm almost at the bridge now. Oh shit I forgot, how am I supposed to send this shit out!" His face fills with panic at the realization that is was a bad idea, but by this point it is just too late, as he loses control of the car, and the camera movement is shown looking out the windscreen in the blurred weather to see road works to which he tries to swerve.

The next sound we hear is the wheels screeching and the the shot changes to the camera looking up to the bridge from the water, to see the car in slow motion falling off the bridge. Having the shot be in slow motion, the effect is shown to be in time with the music as the lyrics are cut out and the viewer can slowly see the car crash into the water, with a huge splash and no movement from passengers inside the vehicle. The front of the car firstly comes into the centre frame before the rest of the car falling slowly into the water, along with several marking signs. The camera angle is then shown underwater to see the impact the car is making and the danger that's involved. There is then a fade transition to black and the shot changes to Stan reading the letters that "Stanley" wrote, whilst the chorus plays.

The mise-en-scene transforms back to the luxurious tour bus, unaware of what has just happened. His face is shown in a medium shot but looks dazzled and confused at the letters, as well as being slightly worried. The shot changes back to the car accident, and the photograph of Stan that was hanging from the interior window slides down the centre frame vertically, to give the effect and sadness emotion.

The final verse then starts of Stan replying to one of his fans, oblivious of whats just occurred, and showing that its now too late to return any of his letters. The camera shows the car underwater, with no sign of life or movement, consquencing in either serious injury or death. The next shots relate and compare to the lyrics, for example "You said your girlfriends pregnant now, how far along is she?" whilst the sound over is showing the car underwater and divers looking for bodies in the car but with no movement, shows the girlfriends death. This is then repeated when Stan writes about his brother, and the shot is shown with the brothers feelings about "Stanley's" death, hiding away underneath a hoodie at his grave in the pouring rain, to transform to a long shot of both his mum and brother at his grave with flowers.

The scene is dark and upsetting, where sympathy is felt. A flashback from the concert is then shown whilst the lyrics are "I'm really sorry I didn't see you at the show, I musta missed ya, don't think I done that shit intentionally, just to diss you." This shows that Stan does care about his fans but due to a busy lifestyle he doesn't always have time. This is a contrast to "Stanley's" life as he has too much time on his hands due to the amount of mass sending of fan letters to Stan. Stan then writes advice to Stanley whilst flashbacks are playing to emphasise the lyrics "You got some issues, I think you need some counseling." "I really think you and your girlfriend need each other, or maybe you just need to treat her better." These lyrics translates to the video shots as they flashback to "Stanley's" possessive close up shots, and bleaching his hair to look like his idol, and then to him and his girlfriend arguing and shots to when "Stanley" is hitting and pushing "Dido." He then states "I hope this reaches you in time, before you hurt yourself" as the video movement closely zooms into the car accident that's just occurred on the freeway with them both and the unborn baby inside. Transition shots are used to differ the shots, as it shoots back to Stan looking uncomfortable about writing some of the things in the letter, but as well taking time to think about what to write. Towards the end, "Stanley's" brother shows his bleached blonde hair, as he dyed it to be like both "Stanley" and Stan, which devastates and upsets the mum more. The final lyrics are talking about the event that was shown on the news, about the accident

"I seen this one shit on the news a couple weeks ago that made me sick, some dude was drunk and drove his car over a bridge and had his girlfriend in the trunk, and she was pregnant with his kid" The video is the news story, with a slight bit of sound over from the news program to influence the impact of the crash. Meanwhile, the last few lines show the thinking and worrying about the crash, and Stan then finds out that it was "Stanley" and his family in the crash. "Come to think about it, his name was, it was you, damn." The video shows the gravestone with his name of "Stanley Mitchell" engraved and then back to Stan confused and dazzled, but sympathy is felt. A final flashing light of thunder is shown and the reflection of "Stanley" quickly flashes in the window of the tour bus.

The very final camera shot is shown with "Stanley's" brothers right hand resting on his gravestone, with his head down in a medium shot in the pouring rain, to show upset and devastation, to which a fade transition to black was used to end the video and song.