Burn The witch

• What is the name of the English rock band that has been active since the mid-1980s?

  Radiohead
• What is Radiohead known for in their music style?

  Experimenting with a range of different styles
• What was the lead single released from Radiohead's 2016 album A Moon Shaped Pool?

  Burn The Witch
• Who is the lead singer and lyricist of Radiohead?

  Thom Yorke
• What motivates many of Thom Yorke's lyrics?

  Anger, political and environmental concerns
• How does Thom Yorke describe his writing style?

  As pithy and stream of consciousness
• Who directed the video for Burn The Witch?

  Chris Hopewell
• What is notable about Radiohead's history with music videos?

  They produce videos with a unique narrative hook or style
• How long did it take to animate the video for Burn The Witch?

  Two weeks
• When was Burn The Witch released on YouTube?

  May 2016
• What children's programmes does the video for Burn The Witch reference?

  The Trumptonshire Trilogy
• What does the Trumptonshire Trilogy depict?

  An idealised version of rural England
• How do some characters in the Burn The Witch video relate to the Trumptonshire Trilogy?

  They appear to reference characters from the series
• What film do the ritualistic aspects of the video reference?

  The Wicker Man (1973)
• What is the plot of The Wicker Man?

  A naïve policeman investigates a young girl's disappearance on a remote island
• How many views did the Burn The Witch video have at the time of writing?

  Over 40 million
• What campaign do the lyrics of Burn The Witch reference?

  A campaign by the News of the World to publish names of sex offenders
• How has the video for Burn The Witch been interpreted?

  As a criticism of authority and a warning against groupthink
• How does the video relate to right-wing politicians?

  It attacks the rhetoric of "traditional" values used by them
• What warning does the video convey regarding social media?

  About mass surveillance and self-policing users
• What did Thom Yorke tweet after Trump's election?

  Lyrics from Burn The Witch and a link to its music video
• How did animator Virpi Kettu interpret the song?

  As a comment on the European migrant crisis and scapegoating of Muslims
• What visual style did Radiohead want for the video?

  To contrast with the darker themes of the song
• What does the video depict during the May Day celebration?

  An inspector witnessing disturbing events in a rural village
• What happens to the inspector in the video?

  He is locked in a giant wicker man and appears to be burned alive
• What are the key themes and interpretations of the Burn The Witch video?

  • Criticism of authority and groupthink
  • Warning about mass surveillance
  • Attack on right-wing political rhetoric
  • Commentary on the European migrant crisis
• What is revealed at the end of the video regarding the inspector?

  He has escaped
• How does the video communicate multiple meanings?

  Through elliptical editing, symbolism, and connotation
• What narrative structure does the video follow?

  A linear narrative structure
• What does the opening and closing of the video feature?

  A bird singing
• How does the video foreshadow later events?

  Through shots like the gallows being dressed with flowers
• What does the mayor's character represent in the video?

  An archetypical authority figure
• How does the video reflect essentialist gender roles?

  The distribution of jobs in the village conforms to traditional roles
• What values are connoted by the traditional band and festivities in the video?

  Values of rural Britishness and pageantry
• What does the name of the inn, "The Speared Boar," reference?

  A possible reference to Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• How does the video create a juxtaposition between the mayor and the official?

  The mayor's pride contrasts with the official's shock
• What does the shot of the gallows dressed with flowers suggest?

  An ideological juxtaposition
• What perspective does the final sequence of the video create?

  A question of perspective regarding the villagers' actions
• How do the visuals relate to the lyrics in the video?

  The visuals do not directly relate but are thematically linked
• What genre does Burn The Witch fit into?

  Music video and narrative video as a genre