Interactive Web videos hit with bands

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The "interactive video" appeared after several weeks of cryptic missives from the band, urging fans to stay tuned to the URL beonlineb.com (an anagram for "Neon Bible").

Featuring shots of singer Win Butler's head and hands on a black background, the clip is among the first of its kind, possibly paving the way for the proliferation of more individualized music videos in the near future. And now, Bristol, U.K.-based interactive media firm Coull is making clickable clips accessible for virtually anyone.

November 19 marks the official launch of coull.tv, a YouTube-like site that enables users to convert any traditional video to an interactive format and publish it for free. A beta version of the site has hosted clickable concert footage by Kylie Minogue and U2, among others, for several months, pioneering interactive video as a medium for sharing and promoting music.

TAILORED TO THE TECHNOLOGY

In Arcade Fire's case, the decision to make a Web-functional video was a matter of technological forward thinking.

"Traditional videos are mostly viewed on YouTube now," says creator Vincent Morisset, who also develops the band's Web sites. "I thought, 'Why spend $200,000 on a production and finish with this tiny pixilated thing? Since it will end up on a computer, let's take advantage of the possibilities that medium offers.'"

The move made sense for an indie-label band (Merge Records) that built its fan base largely on the viral power of the Internet. For a total production cost of about $15,000, Arcade Fire reinforced its image as a cutting-edge act by engaging its indie-minded fans in new and interesting ways.

In the United Kingdom, major labels have experimented with interactive video strategies for mainstream pop acts for the past few years. RCA Label Group (U.K.) created a "personalized video experience" to promote the Simon Cowell-created group Westlife's cover of "The Rose" from 2006's "The Love Album." Made interactive by "responsive advertising" firm 20:20 London, the video, parked at mywestlife.com, begins with a screen where users plug in their first and last name. During the wedding-themed video that follows, users' monikers pop up on stationery and in text messages as if they are part of the plot.

"Videos made specifically for the Internet are catching on, because they really get fans engaged," says Londoner Marc Connor, who manages Canadian opera crossover act RyanDan.

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