radioactive analysed

1. Imagine Dragons
Radioactive

2. Genre characteristics
• The indie genre usually involves stereotypical iconography
• There is iconography of the instruments such as the drums as the artist is signing and
this shot is repeated to emphasis both the liveliness an powerfulness of the video as
well as the indie genre
• The drum is used to amplify the seriousness of the message in order for it to be heard
and to show the importance of the social issue which is then typical of indie music
• There is also narrative that’s normal for this genre as it can then visually explain the
issues and how we can overcome them
• There is also low lighting throughout the video until the revolution of the fight happens
to emphasis the change that needs to happen
• The typical social issues are also conveys through the setting including prisons and how
artist are just over looked and trapped whilst being put in their place which is under
those who have power over them

3. Relationship between lyrics and visuals
• The lyrics explain how there is suppose to be a revolution from ‘It’s a revolution I suppose’ so the
music video is illustrative
• This is typical of this genre of music by informing the audience of social, political and personal issues
which is shown through the visuals
• This is evident by the toys replicating humans and how there are people that believe they who
believe they can abuse their power over others and the only way to make a change is to start a
‘revolution’ through music
• This could also link to how people in the music industry are judged or looked down upon because of
their genre or background so the only way to change peoples opinion of them is to challenge them
• This is shown by the board saying ‘challenger’ as well as the toys fighting representing how the
artists as the toy is enabling his power to beat the society or the people who believe they are above
others
• The key is a signifier of control and by taking it away and being able to free the artist it connotes
how power is then given to them as it should be after all the time they have been oppressed

4. Relationship between music and visuals
• The music is illustrative because the sound is loud and powerful
which matches the pattern of the video and each scene
• The loud music is then trying to represent the power that the artist
are trying to gain back through energy and passion that is
represented by hitting the instruments as well as in their facial
expressions
• Its also conveys through the bins, used as drums to emphasis how
they are seen and treated, which is repeatedly hit so that the sound
of the song is representative of their feeling they are trying to convey
to the audience and also what the audience should then relate to or
sympathise with

5. Artist involvement and increased motifs
• There are close up of the artist in the video to show their identity
• This will then help the audience understand who they are in order for them
to make a marketing technique through people recognising their music and
buying into their other songs or albums
• The way in which the audience then recognise them through their style as
well as their identities so that the visual style of the music video and the
close up of them are associated together
• Their visual style is represented through the narrative which includes
typical iconography of the drums, low light and casual clothing
• There are then switched from the narrative to the artists in order for them
to create an identity for themselves as well as the audience buying into
other song and albums through recognition

6. Notion of looking and female portrayal• There is no notion of looking for females in the male gaze
• This is because the only woman in the video is fully dressed in a hoodie and
is not the main focus of attention for the video
• However she is the one that helps the artist gain back their power through
her knowledge and being able to get the key away
• The reason for the woman was then not to be sexualised for the male gaze
but instead be the hero that helps them with the fight against the higher
power and create a revolution
• This emphasises the power of woman so not only is the storyline about
gaining power back as artists but it also shows how they need help maybe
from their audience which she could be representing as well as it also
empowering women by her being the only saviour of these group of men

7. Intertextual references
• The intertextual reference is shown as it has cameos from actors such
as the main female drifter in the music video Alexandra Daddario
showing her as a straight, fearless character
• This is shown in most of the film she has featured in such as ‘Percy
Jackson and the Olympians’ and ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’

8. Performance or narrative
• The music video is both performance based from the artist signing whilst playing
the drums as well as narrative, however the main focus is of the storyline which is
shown through the use of actors and characters such as the toys to represent the
induvial being supressed and the people who own too much power over other
• The artists are also involved in the narrative storyline by them having to be saved
which could be to show how involved they are in the social issues they have
struggled with
• The storyline explains the revolution of artists over people who have more power
that artist need to gain back with the help of other such as their audience
because they can not gain back power alone
• This again then feeds back into the idea of social issues that most indie band or
artist express within their work which is an example of a personal issue for the
group itself but also a social issue for other bands that can relate to the same
struggle that the genre is going through to gain back power again

9. Narrative theoryTodorov
• The equilibrium is the opposite to the traditional story so its at the start for the evil man because the toys are fighting and
the champion is winning
• Then the disruption is the toy fighting but winning against the champion who is perceived as thee negative and evil
character within the storyline
• There is then restored order in the end for the band as they are saved
• So the whole storyline can follow Todorovs theory but in a distorted order as well as the hero’s causing the distribution on
order for there to be a restored order in the end
Propp
• The hero is the girl because the character she bring to the fight wins against the champion who has never lost a fight
against anyone
• This empowers women because she is the only one that was able to beat the other character and save the men
• The princesses are the bad because they are trapped and need to be saved showing them as weak so the storyline could
be conveying how artists music shouldn’t be ridiculed but the only way for there to be a revolution is to involve everyone's
help
Strauss
• There are binary opposites of the band and the villain because he holds them captive and locked away as he is the one
with control over them and power through the use of violence and money
• There is also binary opposites of men and women because of the woman has more power over the men as she is the one
that saves them while the are trapped and completely lack control