Hayden Panettiere-Wake up call - Hayden Panettiere-Wake up call

What this video is

Released in 2008, 'Wake Up Call' marks Hayden Panettiere's formal entry into the recording industry at the height of her fame from NBC's Heroes. The video exemplifies the late-2000s Hollywood machine that converted TV and film celebrities into pop acts — a trend pioneered by Disney Channel and extended to network television stars. Its warm, saturated, high-energy aesthetic aligns with the dominant visual grammar of…

Why it matters

Represents the apex of the 2000s actor-to-pop-star pipeline in mainstream American teen pop. Directed by Chris Applebaum — one of the defining architects of the MTV-era teen pop visual language — the video is a textbook example of the high-energy, narrative-inflected performance hybrid that…

The director

Los Angeles-born director (b. 1970) who studied film at Hampshire College, MA. Became youngest director signed to Satellite Films/Propaganda at age 21. Directed 250+ music videos; 30+ reached #1 on MTV. Won 2007 MTV VMA Video of the Year for Rihanna's…