Detailed Analysis 2 - We Used To Wait, Arcade Fire

A new music video by Arcade Fire...

The indie band Arcade fire have taken technology to it's newest extreme. With the song 'We Used to Wait' off their new album The Suburbs they have converged a normal music video with the use of internet/web 2.0, HTML5, Google Maps and music.

This new kind of music video gives the audience their own personal experience. By using Google Chrome and going to "The Wilderness Downtown" web page the viewer can type in the post-code of their childhood home and watch a video of their own making as a band member runs through the streets. The story-line of the video shows how time is slipping away as trees shoot up from nowhere on the personalized street, then the opportunity to write a letter to your younger self appears which makes the video more personal. The song is also about childhood so it fits in well with the video.

The video uses timed playback, synchronized effects and custom window sizes for the video and animated content. The audio, video and canvas tags are used in HTML5 to create the fullest effect. The product just how well the video works and what's possible with HTML5 and emerging web standards.