METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR REMOTE MOTION GRAPHICS AUTHORING

• US 20070277108A1
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mark S. Orgill, Michael G. Orgill
• Original Assignee: Mark S. Orgill, Michael G. Orgill
• Inventors: Kayo, David, Suzuki, Mugen, McIntyre, Steven, Orgill, Mark, Orgill, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,601,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/730
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are presented concerning network-accessible services that provide post-production digital compositing and motion graphics authoring to users who provide their own core content, which the services supplement via a user-driven interface through the inclusion of digital still images, artwork, video, sound, and/or other supplemental content selected by the user. In one embodiment, following selection and sequencing of the various core and supplemental content components, the services automatically generate and make available to a user a finished product that integrates core and supplemental content. To simplify the compositing task, a series of pre-formatted motion graphics video templates may be made available. The end product provided by aspects of the present invention may be a professional-quality ensemble motion graphics video production that may be delivered in any popular format, such as AVI, JPEG, MPEG4 and the like to the customer and or to selected recipients via download or common carrier. To maximize user satisfaction while minimizing user learning curve frustration, the user may be directed to select from multiple skill level user interfaces. Such multiple skill level user interfaces may provide varying degrees of user control over content enhancement and automation or scripting. Other methods and apparatus are presented.

Claims

1. A method of producing a motion graphics presentation comprising:

receiving one or more multimedia assets from a remote client;

receiving a set of instructions from a remote client associating each said asset with a portion of a multimedia template; and

incorporating said assets into said template in accordance with said set of instructions and rendering a resulting motions graphics presentation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said incorporation and rendering are directed by an automated render controller.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user skill level indicator and transmitting a first asset incorporation interface to said remote client if said skill level indicator corresponds to a first skill level and transmitting a second asset incorporation interface to said remote client if said skill level indicator corresponds to a second skill level.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a first preview of said rendered presentation encoded in a first format to said remote client.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting a second preview of said rendered presentation encoded in a second format to said remote client.

4. A method of incorporating a multimedia asset into a motion graphics presentation comprising:

receiving a multimedia asset from a remote client;

receiving one or more instructions for modifying said asset from said remote client;

modifying said asset in accordance with said instructions; and

inserting said modified asset into a multimedia presentation template.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting said modified asset to said remote client.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said asset is a digital still image.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said instructions comprise image resizing instructions.

10. An apparatus for producing a motion graphics presentation comprising:

means for receiving one or more multimedia assets from a remote client;

means for receiving a set of instructions from a remote client associating each said asset with a portion of a multimedia template; and

means for incorporating said assets into said template in accordance with said set of instructions and for rendering a resulting motions graphics presentation.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said means for incorporating and rendering are directed by an automated render controller.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for receiving a user skill level indicator and for transmitting a first asset incorporation interface to said remote client if said skill level indicator corresponds to a first skill level and for transmitting a second asset incorporation interface to said remote client if said skill level indicator corresponds to a second skill level.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for transmitting a first preview of said rendered presentation encoded in a first format to said remote client.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for transmitting a second preview of said rendered presentation encoded in a second format to said remote client.

13. An apparatus for incorporating a multimedia asset into a motion graphics presentation comprising:

means for receiving a multimedia asset from a remote client;

means for receiving one or more instructions for modifying said asset from said remote client;

means for modifying said asset in accordance with said instructions; and

means for inserting said modified asset into a multimedia presentation template.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for transmitting said modified asset to said remote client.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said asset is a digital still image.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said instructions comprise image resizing instructions.

19. An apparatus for producing a motion graphics presentation comprising:

a front-end server that receives one or more multimedia assets and a set of instructions for associating each said asset with a portion of a multimedia template from a remote client; and

a render server that incorporates said assets into said template in accordance with said set of instructions and renders a resulting motions graphics presentation.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a render controller that directs said incorporation and rendering.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said front-end server further comprises means for receiving a user skill level indicator and for transmitting a first asset incorporation interface to said remote client if said skill level indicator corresponds to a first skill level and for transmitting a second asset incorporation interface to said remote client if said skill level indicator corresponds to a second skill level.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said render server transmits a first preview of said rendered presentation encoded in a first format to said remote client.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said render server transmits a second preview of said rendered presentation encoded in a second format to said remote client.

22. An apparatus for incorporating a multimedia asset into a motion graphics presentation comprising:

a front-end server that receives a multimedia asset and one or more instructions for modifying said asset from a remote client, and which modifies said asset in accordance with said instructions; and

a render server that inserts said modified asset into a multimedia presentation template.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said front-end server transmits said modified asset to said remote client.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said asset is a digital still image.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said instructions comprise image resizing instructions.

28. A method of modifying a multimedia asset at a network-accessible server, comprising:

receiving a multimedia asset from a remote client;

receiving one or more instructions for modifying said asset from said remote client;

modifying said asset in accordance with said instructions; and

transmitting said modified asset to said remote client.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said asset is a digital still image.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said instructions comprise image resizing instructions.

31. An apparatus for modifying a multimedia asset at a network-accessible server, comprising:

means for receiving a multimedia asset from a remote client;

means for receiving one or more instructions for modifying said asset from said remote client;

means for modifying said asset in accordance with said instructions; and

means for transmitting said modified asset to said remote client.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said asset is a digital still image.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said instructions comprise image resizing instructions.

34. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions adapted to produce a motion graphics presentation by receiving one or more multimedia assets from a remote client, receiving a set of instructions from a remote client associating each said asset with a portion of a multimedia template, incorporating said assets into said template in accordance with said set of instructions and rendering a resulting motions graphics presentation.

35. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions adapted to incorporate a multimedia asset into a motion graphics presentation by receiving a multimedia asset from a remote client, receiving one or more instructions for modifying said asset from said remote client, modifying said asset in accordance with said instructions, and inserting said modified asset into a multimedia presentation template.

36. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions adapted to modify a multimedia asset at a network-accessible server by receiving a multimedia asset from a remote client, receiving one or more instructions for modifying said asset from said remote client, modifying said asset in accordance with said instructions, and transmitting said modified asset to said remote client.