Interactive animation of sprites in a video production

An apparatus for animating a sprite in a video production comprising a plurality of video frames, said apparatus comprising:

• means for selecting, in one of said video frames, a feature with which the sprite is to be composited;
• means for applying a feature tracking process to the video production to thereby output, for a series of said plurality of video frames containing the feature, a temporal-spatial record for the feature;
• and
• means for compositing, dependent upon the temporal-spatial record, to each frame of the series of video frames, a corresponding instantiation of the sprite.

A method of animating a sprite in a video production, said method comprising the steps of:

• selecting a sprite and a feature in a video frame of the video production in relation to which the sprite is to be animated;
• applying a feature tracking process to the video production to thereby output a trajectory for the feature;
• and
• compositing instantiations of the sprite with the video production depending upon the trajectory to thereby form a first animated production.

A computer program for directing a processor to execute a procedure for animating a sprite in a video production comprising a plurality of sequential video frames, said program comprising:

• code for selecting, in one of said video frames, a feature with which the sprite is to be composited;
• code for applying a feature tracking process to the video production to thereby output, for a series of said plurality of video frames containing the feature, a temporal-spatial record for the feature;
• and
• code for compositing, dependent upon the temporal-spatial record, to each frame of the series of video frames, a corresponding instantiation of the sprite.

A computer program for directing a processor to execute a procedure for animating a sprite in a video production comprising a plurality of sequential video frames, said program comprising:

• code for selecting a sprite and a feature in a video frame of the video production in relation to which the sprite is to be animated;
• code for applying a feature tracking process to the video production to thereby output a trajectory for the feature;
• and
• code for compositing instantiations of the sprite with the video production depending upon the trajectory to thereby form a first animated production.

An apparatus for animating a sprite in a video production comprising a plurality of sequential video frames, said apparatus comprising:

• a memory for storing a program;
• and
• a processor for executing the program, said program comprising:
• code for selecting, in one of said video frames, a feature with which the sprite is to be composited;
• code for applying a feature tracking process to the video production to thereby output, for a series of said plurality of video frames containing the feature, a temporal-spatial record for the feature;
• and
• code for compositing, dependent upon the temporal-spatial record, to each frame of the series of video frames, a corresponding instantiation of the sprite.

A Graphical User Interface (GUI) system for editing a production having a plurality of media clips, said GUI system comprising:

• (i) a clip editing process;
• (ii) a GUI comprising:
• a graphical representation of a selected one of said plurality of media clips, wherein manipulation of said graphical representation enables the clip editing process to be applied to the selected media clip;
• and
• a presentation means configured to present said one media clip and any editing changes made thereto;
• and
• (iii) a production editing process which is applied to said production to thereby form, dependent upon the selected media clip and said any editing changes made thereto, an edited production, wherein the application of the production editing process is synchronously dependent upon the application of the clip editing process.

A Graphical User Interface (GUI) system for editing a production having a plurality of media clips, said GUI system comprising:

• (i) a clip editing process;
• (ii) a GUI comprising:
• a graphical representation of a selected one of said plurality of media clips, wherein manipulation of said graphical representation enables the clip editing process to be applied to the selected media clip;
• and
• a presentation means configured to present said one media clip and any editing changes made thereto;
• and
• (iii) a production editing process which is applied to an EDL of said production to thereby form, dependent upon the selected media clip and said any editing changes made thereto, an edited EDL, wherein the application of the production editing process is synchronously dependent upon the application of the clip editing process.

A method of editing, using a Graphical User Interface (GUI) system, a production having a plurality of media clips said method comprising the steps of:

• selecting one of said plurality of media clips;
• manipulating, using a GUI, a graphical representation of said selected media clip to thereby apply a clip editing process to the selected media clip;
• presenting said one media clip and any editing changes made thereto using a presentation means;
• and
• applying, synchronously with said application of the clip editing process, a production editing process to said production to thereby form, dependent upon the selected media clip and said any editing changes made thereto, an edited production.

A method of editing, using a Graphical User Interface (GUI) system, a production having a plurality of media clips said method comprising the steps of:

• selecting one of said plurality of media clips;
• manipulating, using a GUI, a graphical representation of said selected media clip to thereby apply a clip editing process to the selected media clip;
• presenting said one media clip and any editing changes made thereto using a presentation means;
• and
• applying, synchronously with said application of the clip editing process, a production editing process to an EDL of said production to thereby form, dependent upon the selected media clip and said any editing changes made thereto, an edited EDL.

A computer program product including a computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program for directing a computer to execute a method for editing, using a Graphical User Interface (GUI) system, a production having a plurality of media clips said program comprising:

• code for selecting one of said plurality of media clips;
• code for manipulating, using a GUI, a graphical representation of said selected media clip to thereby apply a clip editing process to the selected media clip;
• code for presenting said one media clip and any editing changes made thereto using a presentation means;
• and
• code for applying, synchronously with said application of the clip editing process, a production editing process to an EDL of said production to thereby form, dependent upon the selected media clip and said any editing changes made thereto, an edited EDL.

A computer program for directing a computer to execute a method for editing, using a Graphical User Interface (GUI) system, a production having a plurality of media clips said program comprising:

• code for selecting one of said plurality of media clips;
• code for manipulating, using a GUI, a graphical representation of said selected media clip to thereby apply a clip editing process to the selected media clip;
• code for presenting said one media clip and any editing changes made thereto using a presentation means;
• and
• code for applying, synchronously with said application of the clip editing process, a production editing process to an EDL of said production to thereby form, dependent upon the selected media clip and said any editing changes made thereto, an edited EDL.