Initial Planning Ideas

After completing my research, in preparation for creating a music video, I have decided to use the song 'Radioactive' as the music for the music video that I will be creating. Here is a screenshot of me emailing the executive producer of Imagine Dragon's 'Night Visions' album, asking for permission to use the song.

The song 'Radioactive', is recorded by American Indie Rock band, Imagine Dragons. Radioactive is an indie rock song with elements of electronic rock and dub step, while containing cryptic lyrics of apocalyptic and revolutionist themes. I feel that I could create an interesting and thought provoking music video with this song, whilst making it eye catching and intriguing to watch. My main aim is to hold the viewer's attention, in order to portray key ideas about breathing new life into a destroyed society.

Lyrics:

I'm waking up to ash and dust
I wipe my brow and sweat my rust
I'm breathing in the chemicals

I'm breaking in and shaping up
Then checking out on the prison bus
This is it, the apocalypse, Ohohoh

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my system blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Welcome to the new age, to the new age

Chorus:
Ohohohohohohoh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
Ohohohohohohoh, I'm radioactive, radioactive

I raise my flag, dye my clothes
It's a revolution I suppose
We're painted red to fit right in, Ohohoh

I'm breaking in and shaping up
Then checking out on the prison bus
This is it, the apocalypse, Ohohoh

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my system blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Welcome to the new age, to the new age

Chorus

All systems go, the sun hasn't died
Deep in my bones, straight from inside

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my system blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Welcome to the new age, to the new age

Chorus

Analysis of Lyrics:

The song itself, is kind of an empowering song about an awakening. Dan Reynolds said in an MTV News interview, "A lot of people probably see a post apocalyptic world when they hear 'Radioactive', understandably, but we wanted to deliver something that was maybe a little different from that". It appears to me that the band were trying to convey a deeper idea, than an obvious idea about a post apocalyptic world. In my music video I will try to recreate this idea, in order to make viewers think more about the actual meaning of the video.

He also said, "Radioactive, to me, is a very masculine, powerful sounding song. There is a lot of personal story behind it, portrayed through the lyrics. Generally speaking, it's a song about having an awakening; kind of waking up one day and deciding to do something new and see life in a fresh way."

I really want to play on the idea of breathing new life into a society and making people wake up and see how they could make their lives better. I will try to incorporate a character into the music video, who will represent this idea. I will need to create an character of innocence and vulnerability, in order to portray the idea of complete destruction being healed by something as simple as naivety. Also, the words, "new age" in the song, portray an idea of a new world emerging and creating a new and exciting life for themselves.

The original music video for 'Radioactive' is slightly strange and the puppet element to the music video defies audience's expectations of what the video could have been like. Although a serious song, the puppets provides a humorous aspect to the music video, which perhaps takes away from the message of the song. However, it does create an intriguing and eye catching video. Whilst, I want to incorporate the serious message of the song into the music video, I will try to use eye catching shots and ideas, to grab the viewer's attention.