Method and apparatus for editing media

Abstract

The system and method according to the invention is a prudcution-autoring that allows users to manipulate and edit visual and audio media elements that are stored on a server. Thus the user can select, alter and order the media elements, but does not download the media elements to the user's computer in a form that can be used independently of the authoring application. A media aggregator and authoring application allows users to combine text, images and video into their own multi-media narratives. The system according to the invention includes the following components:

1 . An authoring system, implemented as a distributed computer system, the authoring system comprising:
 an authoring subsystem that runs within an execution context of a web browser on a user computer system and that displays indications of authoring-subsystem-accessible content files, receives indications of content-file selection and ordering, compiles selected and ordered content files into an authored production, and renders the authored production for presentation on one or more of a display screen and loudspeakers connected to the user computer; the selected content files inaccessible to computational entities that do no execute within the execution context of the web browser on the user computer system and that are not authorized to access the selected content files; and   a media server that aggregates content files and that stores content files, the media server transmitting content files to the browser on the user computer system for rendering and presentation.   
     
     
         2 . The authoring system of  claim 1  further including:
 remote content-storing computer systems from which the media server requests and receives content files that the media server stores in a database. 
 
     
     
         3 . The authoring system of  claim 2  wherein the content files include one or more of:
 video files; 
 audio files; 
 application-data files; and 
 text files; 
 
     
     
         4 . The authoring system of  claim 2  wherein the authored production is one of:
 a video production; 
 an audio production; 
 an audio-visual production; and 
 a multi-media production. 
 
     
     
         5 . The authoring system of  claim 2  wherein the authored production, including content files combined to produce the authored production and one or more authored-production files, are stored within the media-server and, when accessed by the authoring system, are cached within the browser running on the user computer system. 
     
     
         6 . The authoring system of  claim 2  wherein the authoring system provides a visual drag-and-drop authoring interface to users. 
     
     
         7 . The authoring system of  claim 2  wherein the media server transmits files that include computer instructions that encode the authoring system to the browser on the user computer system.