TEL AVIV – Interlude, the Israel and New York-based startup created by Israeli rock musician Yoni Bloch, has produced an interactive video platform that turns viewers into co-directors by offering choices throughout the video that shape the way it plays out. Viewers click within the video player to make choices and create their own experience in real time.

The company’s clients include Microsoft, Nokia, Old Navy, Fox’s New Girl, and Intel, as well as bands including Chairlift and We The Kings.  Their interactive music video for Andy Grammar’s ‘Keep Your Head Up’ took home the award for Most Innovative Video at the 2011 MTV O Music Awards.

We sat down with VP Creative Alon Benari at Interlude’s offices in Tel Aviv.  He told us a little bit about the company’s background and shared some statistics about the retention rates that Interlude is seeing.  He says, "On music videos we have an average of over 200 percent retention time, meaning people watch them on average more than twice.  If you compare that to regular online video numbers, which are lower than 100 percent, it’s actually really amazing."

Check out the full video interview to find out more.

Megan O’Neill