Music Video Analysis: Radioactive

This music video is a Narrative that also involves performance. It includes the artist themselves as characters; however they are not the main focus of the story. A young girl is used to present innocence within society, and is put up against a group of men who represent Evil. The use of side profile positions create the sense of mystery and hiding something - not giving the audience a head-on view of the situation. Editing is used to cut to certain scenes just before others reach their climax; for example the audience are shown a Mid-shot of a side profile bringing down their hand to bang on a drum, but the clip is cut before the audience are able to see this. This use of Editing creates for a more immersive watch and leaves the audience feeling tense.

Furthermore, the use of Mise En Scene presents the idea of innocence and evil. The fact that the protagonist and seemingly "good" characters wear casual and cheaper looking clothing such as jeans and hoodies suggests the idea of normality and what the audience will be able to relate to. The costumes of the "Evil" characters look significantly more expensive and formal. This could be used to imply the privileges they have in society and what they have taken from the innocent, regardless of how their actions are affecting others and leaving them with very little.

The video conforms significantly to the lyrics written, with Editing superimposing bright lights and glowing eyes to represent supernatural powers and "radioactivity". It helps to emphasise the lyrics and the message they portray: standing against evil, with willpower and emotional strength being represented as supernatural powers in this video.

This music video does not target a particular audience, however the use of a female protagonist could suggest that there may be a bigger proportion of females that consume Imagine Dragons' content than males. The lyrics do not evoke ideas of love and romance, which stereotypically may be more appealing to males - females are usually seen as more sentimental and find interest in songs regarding love. Imagine Dragons' genre may play a role in this too: their Alternative style challenges most music genres; the use of a female character could show their ignorance to what many call "the norm", with strong males taking the leading roles and the women playing the victim.