Motion Pictures was a Santa Cruz band (1981) involving Michael Been and Greg Freeman. It formed after their previous band Air Tight broke up. They added Scott Musick and Dickie Dirt. In January 1982, they became The Call.

While still performing as Motion Pictures, they were asked by Phil Seymour to be his back-up band. Phil was a lifelong friend of Scott's. One night Phil was watching Motion Pictures play at the Crow's Nest and called Lenny Cordell (a rock producers) on the phone. Phil held the phone out so Lenny could hear the music. Lenny liked what he heard so much, that he flew to California and signed the band as backups for Phil and for themselves.