‘Call Me Maybe’ – Carly Rae Jepsen

By Bronte Walker

The video opens on a mid-long shot of Jepsen, and a male can be seen walking in the background of the frame. It then cuts to an extreme close-up of Jepsen’s eyes – proving to audiences that she’s watching him. Jepsen begins to sing in a mid close-up, and her attraction to the male character is made evident by her performance: she fans herself, then is embarrassed when he looks at her.

The video then cuts to a different location: herself and her band rehearsing the song in the garage. This setting includes frequent close-ups of band-members playing their instruments, and the use of fast-pace cutting between shots allows the editing to be in sync with the music. Cross-cutting is used between the male character, and Jepsen performing in both long shots and close-ups. The use of high-key lighting enables the video to have a happy tone – which therefore matches the mood of the music heard.

The camera tracks towards the male who can be seen fixing his car, while audiences watch as the camera tracks out in a long-shot of Jepsen being forced by her band-members to wash the car. She continues to sing as she watches the male, with cross-cutting still being used of Jepsen performing in the garage. It then cuts to Jepsen washing the car in the background, with the male to the right of the frame in the foreground, but out of focus – drawing audiences view to her trying to attract the male’s attention. To prove he hasn’t seen her, a focus-pull is used: putting Jepsen out of focus, and him in focus, representing he isn’t paying any attention to her.

Jepsen continues to try for his attention as she sings – which is seen by audiences in mid-shots by the car, and close-ups and long shots in the garage. Jepsen finally gets his attention, only for her to fall onto the floor. Then an effect has been edited in to signify Jepsen starting to dream of her and the male together. An over-the-shoulder shot from the male’s perspective shows Jepsen acting out the dream, then it cuts to what appears a point of view shot from Jepsen’s view as she begins to wake up; the male character looking down at the camera goes from out of focus to in focus – another use of focus-pull.

Jepsen and her band perform the rest of the song in front of him, and once they finish, audiences see Jepsen walk over to him in a long shot, then in a close-up writing her number. The video then cuts back to the same long shot, and the male is seen walking towards a male band-member, and giving him a piece of paper. In an over-the-shoulder shot, it’s revealed the paper had the male’s number on it, the camera tracks up to display the member’s shock. From the male’s performance, it is evident that he is attracted to the band-member, rather than Jepsen, who is seen in the centre of the frame, in the background of the long shot. The video jump cuts to her expressing her disappointment and shock, until the video fades to black.