Google and Arcade Fire Partner to Deliver HTML5 Experiment
Showing what's possible with HTML5 video, Google has created an arresting online experiment with the band Arcade Fire. More immersive than a standard music video, viewers are pulled into an interactive video that combines music, animation, and clips of their childhood neighborhood.
The experiment is called The Wilderness Downtown. At the start of the video, viewers are asked to input the address of their childhood home. Google then creates a multi-window experience that combines video of a child running with views of the viewer's childhood home and neighborhood. When combined with Arcade Fire's song "We Used to Wait" and animations of bird and trees, it creates an experience that's dreamy and personal.
Google recommends using the Chrome browser to view the experiment, although other browsers will work.
"These modern web technologies have helped us craft an experience that is personalized and unique for each viewer, as you virtually run through the streets where you grew up," says Thomas Gayno, Google Creative Lab, as quoted by BBC News.
In one part of the experiment, viewers are asked to write or draw a postcard to a younger version of themselves. They can later submit that postcard to be used in Arcade Fire tour visuals or sent to another viewer.
Related Articles
A new survey-based report by StreamingMedia.com's Jan Ozer reveals just how widespread iPad and HTML5 Video support is today, and how prevalent it will be in the next 18 months.
08 Jun 2010