Indicating activeness of clips and applying effects to clips and tracks in a timeline of a multimedia work

A system for indicating activeness of a clip to a user composing and/or editing a multimedia work that includes a plurality of clips, comprising:

• (a) a monitor for displaying the multimedia work and for displaying screens used to compose and edit the multimedia work;
• (b) a memory for storing a plurality of machine instructions defining a software program for composing and editing the multimedia work;
• and
• (c) a processor, coupled to the memory and to the monitor, for executing the machine instructions stored in the memory, said machine instructions causing the processor to implement the following functions:
• (i) display a timeline for at least a portion of the multimedia work on the monitor, said timeline graphically representing the portion of the multimedia work and graphically illustrating a plurality of tracks for a time interval corresponding to that represented by the timeline;
• (ii) enable the user to make a clip as active, indicating that said clip does not contribute to an output comprising the multimedia work, or inactive, indicating that said clip does not contribute to said output;
• and
• (iii) mark the clip selected by the user as active with a visual indicator shown on the monitor, so that by inspection of the visual indicator and a position of the clip on one of the plurality of tracks that are visible on the monitor, the user can determine a time during which the clip contributes to the output comprising the multimedia work.

A method for indicating effects applied to a specific portion of a multimedia work when composing and/or editing the multimedia work, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) displaying a timeline for at least a portion of the multimedia work, said timeline graphically representing the portion of the multimedia work and graphically illustrating at least one track for a time interval corresponding to that represented by the timeline;
• (b) enabling the user to select an effect that will apply to the multimedia work and to select a time interval over which the effect will be applied, said effect being associated with a selected track of the timeline by the user and being applied to only a selected portion of the track;
• and
• (c) providing an effect indicator that indicates the portion of the track to which the effect applies and the time interval of the effect.

A system for indicating effects applied to a specific portion of a multimedia work when composing and/or editing the multimedia work, comprising:

• (a) a monitor for displaying the multimedia work and for displaying screens used to compose and edit the multimedia work;
• (b) a memory for storing a plurality of machine instructions defining a software program for composing and editing the multimedia work;
• and
• (c) a processor, coupled to the memory and to the monitor, for executing the machine instructions stored in the memory, said machine instructions causing the processor to implement the following functions:
• (i) display a timeline for at least a portion of the multimedia work, said timeline graphically representing the portion of the multimedia work and graphically illustrating at least one track for a time interval corresponding to that represented by the timeline;
• (ii) enable the user to select an effect that will apply to the multimedia work and to select a time interval over which the effect will be applied, said effect being associated with a selected track of the timeline by the user and being applied to only a selected portion of the track;
• and
• (iii) provide an effect indicator that indicates the portion of the track to which the effect applies and the time interval of the effect.

A method for indicating a plurality of effects that are applied to clips comprising a multimedia work, when composing and/or editing the multimedia work, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) displaying a timeline for at least a portion of the multimedia work, said timeline graphically representing a portion of the multimedia work and graphically illustrating at least one track on which is disposed at least one clip;
• (b) enabling the user to select a plurality of different effects that will apply to said clip of the multimedia work and to select a portion of the clip to which each effect will be applied;
• and
• (c) providing an effect indicator for each effect that indicates the portion of the clip to which the effect applies and the time interval during which the effect applies.

A system for indicating a plurality of effects that are applied to clips comprising a multimedia work, when composing and/or editing the multimedia work, comprising:

• (a) a monitor for displaying the multimedia work and for displaying screens used to compose and edit the multimedia work;
• (b) a memory for storing a plurality of machine instructions defining a software program for composing and editing the multimedia work;
• and
• (c) a processor, coupled to the memory and to the monitor, for executing the machine instructions stored in the memory, said machine instructions causing the processor to implement the following functions:
• (i) display a timeline on the monitor for at least a portion of the multimedia work, said timeline graphically representing the portion of the multimedia work and graphically illustrating at least one track on which is represented at least one clip;
• (ii) enable the user to select a plurality of different effects that will apply to said clip of the multimedia work and to select a portion of the clip to which each effect will be applied;
• and
• (iii) provide an effect indicator to be displayed on the timeline that indicates the portion of the clip to which the effect applies and the time interval within that of the clip, during which the effect applies.

An article of manufacture adapted to be used with a computer for indicating activeness of a clip to a user who is composing and/or editing a multimedia work that includes a plurality of clips, comprising:

• (a) a nonvolatile memory device;
• and
• (b) a plurality of machine instructions stored on the nonvolatile memory device, said machine instructions, when executed by the computer, causing it to:
• (i) display a timeline for at least a portion of the multimedia work, said timeline graphically representing the portion of the multimedia work and graphically illustrating a plurality of tracks for a time interval during the multimedia work corresponding to that represented by the timeline;
• (ii) enable the user to make a clip active, indicating that said clip is to contribute to an output comprising the multimedia work, or inactive, indicating that said clip does not contribute said output;
• and
• (iii) mark the clip selected by the user as active with a visual indicator, so that by inspection of the visual indicator and a position of the clip on one of the plurality of tracks, the user can determine a time during which the clip contributes to a content of the multimedia work.

An article of manufacture adapted to be used with a computer for indicating effects applied to a specific portion of a multimedia work when composing and/or editing the multimedia work, comprising:

• (a) a nonvolatile memory device;
• and
• (b) a plurality of machine instructions stored on the nonvolatile memory device, said machine instructions, when executed by the computer, causing it to:
• (i) display a timeline for at least a portion of the multimedia work, said timeline graphically representing the portion of the multimedia work and graphically illustrating at least one track for a time interval corresponding to that represented by the timeline;
• (ii) enable the user to select an effect that will apply to the multimedia work and to select a time interval over which the effect will be applied, said effect being associated with a selected track of the timeline by the user and being applied to only a selected portion of the track;
• and
• (iii) provide an effect indicator that indicates the portion of the track to which the effect applies and the time interval of the effect.

An article of manufacture adapted to be used with a computer for indicating a plurality of effects that are applied to clips comprising a multimedia work, when composing and/or editing the multimedia work, comprising:

• (a) a nonvolatile memory device;
• and
• (b) a plurality of machine instructions stored on the nonvolatile memory device, said machine instructions, when executed by the computer, causing it to:
• (i) display a timeline for at least a portion of the multimedia work, said timeline graphically representing a portion of the multimedia work and graphically illustrating at least one track on which is disposed at least one clip;
• (ii) enable the user to select a plurality of different effects that will apply to said clip of the multimedia work and to select a portion of the clip to which each effect will be applied;
• and
• (iii) provide an effect indicator for each effect that indicates the portion of the clip to which the effect applies and the time interval during which the effect applies.