Video composition method and apparatus for providing simultaneous inputting and sorting of video source material

Apparatus for composing image source material stored on at least one image storage, said source material being composed of a sequence of stored frames representing a time sequential visual image, sequences of said frames being associated to form a video segment, said composing apparatus comprising

• means for inputting said source material and for recording said source material in said storage medium,
• means for segmenting said source material as it is being input,
• means for digitizing frames of said source material, as said source material is being input, each segment having associated therewith at least one digitized frame,
• a plurality of pictoral display means arranged in an ordered array, each display means providing a visual presentation of a video label selected from a sequence of said digitized frames, said video labels, in sequence, representing a sequence of said video segments,
• means for storing said digitized frames,
• an operator control means, and
• a composing control means operative with said frame storage medium and said operator control means, said composing control means comprising
• means for selectively supplying each said pictorial display means, while said source material is being input, with electrical data signals representing a selected one of said sequence of labels, and
• means responsive to said operator control means for sorting the label sequence displayed by said plural pictorial display means while said source material is being input.