The music video for The Weeknd's "Call Out My Name" was directed by Grant Singer and produced by Nina Soriano through Anonymous Content. It follows Abel Tesfaye on a journey through vast landscapes as he processes a relationship breakup. The video features abandoned locations like a ghost town, theatre, and apartment complex. Frank Dukes, who has worked extensively with The Weeknd, co-wrote two songs on the EP and contributed to its somber tone through his songwriting. The video utilizes ambitious sets and cinematic visuals on a larger budget than Shawn Mendes' simpler "Stitches" video to amplify the feelings of loss and loneliness.

1. Call out my Name
TheWeeknd
PRODUCTION COMPANY : ANONYMOUS CONTENT
Written by : Abel Tesfaye, Frank Dukes Directed By : Grant Singer

2. IMVDB LINK
https://imvdb.com/video/the-weeknd/call-out-my-name

3. A B E L T A K E S U S O N A J O U R N EY T H R O U G H H I S R E L AT I O N S H I P A N D
H E A R T B R E A K W I T H T H E V A ST O P E N L A N D S C A P E S D I S P L AY E D I N T H I S
V I D E O F R O M A N E M P T Y G H O ST T OW N T O A V AC A N T T H E AT R E T O T H E
R U G G E D T E R R A I N O F A M O U N T A I N O U S R E G I O N L E A D I N G U P T O A “ 2 0 0 1 : A
S P AC E O DY S S EY ” I N S P I R E D S P AC E S H I P A N D E N D I N G I N A W I D E S H OT O F
W H AT S E E M S T O B E A N A B A N D O N E D H I G H - R I S E A P A R T M E N T C O M P L E X .
Concept Line

4. ✦ A B E L H A S A M A S S E D A N E N O R M O U S F O L L OW I N G
OV E R T H E Y E A R S A N D M A I N T A I N E D H I S I M P AC T O N
T H E R & B G E N R E EV E R S I N C E H I S F I R ST 3
M I X T A P E S R E L E A S E D I N 2 0 1 1 W H I C H H E
EV E N T U A L LY M A D E I N A C O M P I L AT I O N C A L L E D
“ T H E T R I L O G Y ”
✦ T H E P R O J E C T W A S P R A I S E D M Y M A N Y O F A B E L S
F A N S D U E T O I T S P R O D U C T I O N G I V I N G T H E M A
N O ST A L G I C G L I M P S E I N T O T H E P A ST W I T H A
S O U N D A N D ST Y L E T H AT F E LT ST R I K I N G LY S I M I L A R
T O H I S F I R ST 3 M I X T A P E S
A R T I S T
” T RY M E ” & “ A F T E R H O U R S ”
TheWeeknd aka Abel Tesfaye

5. ✦ G R A N T S I N G E R I S A H I G H LY AC C O M P L I S H E D F I L M
M A K E R W I T H A C A R E E R D AT I N G B AC K A S F A R A S
2 0 1 2 . S I N C E T H E N H E H A S WO R K E D W I T H M A N Y O F
T H E T O P T A L E N T S I N T H E M U S I C I N D U ST RY S U C H
A S A R I A N A G R A N D E , F U T U R E , L O R D E , A N D S A M
S M I T H .
✦ G R A N T A N D A B E L H AV E H A D A V E RY S U C C E S S F U L
C O L L A B O R AT I V E R E L AT I O N S H I P OV E R T H E Y E A R S .
G R A N T H A S D I R E C T E D S O M E O F T H E W E E K E N D S
M O ST S U C C E S S F U L V I D E O S , I N C L U D I N G T H E 2 0 1 5
M E G A H I T, “ T H E H I L L S”
D I R E C T O R
“ M A M A C I TA ” “ H O W D O Y O U S L E E P ? ”
Grant Singer
Tavis Scott Sam Smith

6. ✦ N I N A S O R I A N O I S A N L A B A S E D P R O D U C E R &
M A N AG E R AT A N O N Y M O U S C O N T E N T W I T H A
C A R E E R G O I N G B AC K A S F A R A S 2 0 1 5 . S H E I S S A I D
T O H AV E R EV I V E D T O M U S I C V I D E O S C E N E A N D
H A S WO R K E D W I T H I N D U ST RY M A I N ST AY S S U C H A S
R E D H OT C H I L I P E P P E R S , E D S H E E R A N, L O R D E ,
A N D A R I A N A G R A N D E
✦ S H E H A S WO R K E D W I T H T H E W E E K N D O F M A N Y
O C C A S I O N S D AT I N G B AC K T O 2 0 1 5 O N P R O J E C T S
L I K E “ ST A R B OY ” A N D “ B E AU T Y B E H I N D T H E
M A D N E S S”
P R O D U C E R
“ S H A P E O F Y O U ” “ W E L C O M E T O T H E PA R T Y ”
Nina Soriano
Ed Sheehan Diplo

7. ✦ F R A N K D U K E S I S A N AC C O M P L I S H E D S O N G W R I T E R /
P R O D U C E R W H O ’ S WO R K E D W I T H M A N Y O F T H E T O
I N D U ST R I E S T O P A R T I ST S B E C O M I N G T H E G O - T O
P R O D U C E R F O R AC T S L I K E R I H A N N A A N D D R A K E
✦ G I V E N T H AT F R A N K I S A L S O F R O M A B E L’ S H O M E
C O U N T RY O F C A N A D A , I M A K E S A L OT O F S I N C E
T H AT T H E T WO H AV E WO R K E D W E L L T O G E T H E R .
F R A N K W R OT E O N T WO O F T H E S O N G S F O R T H E E P,
“ M Y D E A R D A R K M E L A N C H O LY ” A S W E L L A S S O M E
O F T H E W E E K E N D S OT H E R C O L L A B O R AT I O N S W I T H
A R T I ST S L I K E K E N D R I C K L A M A R
W R I T E R
“ B E C A R E F U L ” “ C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S ”
Frank Dukes
Cardi B Post Malone

8. The music video to Shawn Mendes’ Stitches draws has a few distinctive characteristics that make it a g
oo
d
video to compare to The W
ee
knd’s Ca
ll
Out My Name. Both s
ee
m to be about a girl and the artist are
a
tt
empting to visualize their failed relationships. They draw on the loneline
ss
of large echo inducing
landscapes that reflect the emptine
ss
they now f
ee
l as a result of lost love. The di
ff
erence betw
ee
n the two is
that the “Stitches” s
ee
ms to be a more toned down le
ss
ambitious production concepts taking place in only
one location. The directors of both projects used special e
ff
ects to amplify and a
dd
dynamics to the f
ee
ling
of lo
ss
and loneline
ss
. The W
ee
knd’s video was able to utilize more location and more ambitious set design
and vfx to make “COMN” reflect the cinematic aspects that a larger budget would a
ll
ow. For example, the
“2
00
1: A Space Ody
ss
ey” set design shown above.
Differentiating Factor

9. R E F E R E NC E S
Ghatasheh, A. (2019, July 13). Calm body of water during Golden Hour · free stock photo - PEXELS. pixels.com.
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https://thecreativeindependent.com/people/grant-singer-on-making-music-videos/
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https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8305210/
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https://imvdb.com/video/the-weeknd/call-out-my-name
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lters%5Bcontent_type%3Aphoto%5D=1&
fi
lters%5Binclude_stock_enterprise%5D=1&
fi
lters%5Bcontent_type%3Aimage%5D=1&order=relevance&safe_search=1&k=forest%2B
fi
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thestar.com. Retrieved September 4, 2022, from https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2019/07/12/meet-
torontos-frank-dukes-the-hit-machine.html
Mendes, S. (2015, June 24). Shawn Mendes - Stitches (of
fi
cial music video). YouTube. Retrieved September 4, 2022,
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbfpW0pbvaU
Nina Soriano. Clios. (n.d.). Retrieved September 4, 2022, from https://clios.com/clio_juror/nojs/2404
sebcat (Ed.). (n.d.). Frank Dukes. Second Hand Songs - A Cover Songs Database. Retrieved September 4, 2022,
from https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/107248
SongsLyrics.in. (2022, January 14). Stitches song lyrics – Shawn Mendes. Songs. Retrieved September 4, 2022,
from https://songs-lyrics.in/2022/01/13/stitches-song-lyrics-shawn-mendes/
The weeknd albums and discography. AllMusic. (n.d.). Retrieved September 4, 2022, from
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-weeknd-mn0002674162/discography
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from https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Xyo4u8uXC1ZmMpatF05PJ
VEVO, T. W. (2018, April 12). The weeknd - call out my name (of
fi
cial video). YouTube. Retrieved September 4, 2022,
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4ZoCHID9GI