Method for generating a composition of audible and visual media

Abstract

One variation of a method for distributing a composition of audio and visual media includes: at a first computing device, generating a first meta file for a first composition, including pointers to an audio track and pointers to, positions and durations of video masks for, and an order for a set of videos; storing the first meta file and a portion of a private video, in the set of videos, in a remote database; serving the audio track and the set of videos to a second computing device for playback at the second computing device according to the first meta file; in response to modification of the first composition at the second computing device, generating a second meta file for a second composition defining a modified arrangement of the first composition; and storing the second meta file for local playback of the second composition at a third computing device.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method for distributing a composition of audio and visual media comprising:
 at a first computing device executing a native composition application:
 receiving a selection of a first set of videos comprising a first video stored locally on the first computing device; 
 for each video in the first set of videos, defining a video mask for the video in the first set of videos comprising a start point of the video in the first set of videos and a duration of the video in the first set of videos based on the selection of the first set of videos; and 
 generating a first meta file representing a first composition and comprising a pointer to each video in the first set of videos, a first set of video masks corresponding to the first set of videos, and a first order of the first set of videos; 
   at a second computing device executing the native composition application:
 receiving a selection of a second set of videos comprising a second video stored locally on the second computing device; 
 for each video in the second set of videos, defining a video mask for the video in the second set of videos comprising a start point of the video in the second set of videos and a duration of the video in the second set of videos based on the selection of the second set of videos; and 
 generating a second meta file representing a second composition and comprising a pointer to each video in the second set of videos, a second set of video masks corresponding to the second set of videos, and a second order of the second set of videos; 
   at a remote computer system:
 receiving, from the first computing device:
 a first portion of the first video; and 
 the first meta file; 
 
 receiving, from the second computing device:
 a first portion of the second video; and 
 the second meta file; and 
 
 storing in a remote database:
 the first portion of the first video; 
 the first portion of the second video; 
 the first meta file; and 
 the second meta file; 
 
   at a third computing device executing the native composition application, transmitting a request for public media to the remote computer system;   at the remote computer system, in response to receiving the request for public media, serving to the third computing device:
 the first portion of the first video; and 
 the first portion of the second video; 
   at the third computing device:
 receiving a selection of a third set of videos comprising the first portion of the first video and the first portion of the second video; 
 for each video in the third set of videos, defining a video mask for the video in the third set of videos comprising a start point of the video in the third set of videos and a duration of the video in the third set of videos based on the selection of the third set of videos; and 
 generating a third meta file representing a third composition and comprising a pointer to each video in the third set of videos, a third set of video masks corresponding to the third set of videos, and a third order of the third set of videos; and 
   at the remote computer system:
 receiving the third meta file from the third computing device; and 
 in response to receiving a request for the third composition from a fourth computing device, serving the third composition to the fourth computing device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 :
 further comprising, at the first computing device, receiving a selection of a private audio track;   further comprising, at the remote computer system:
 receiving the private audio track from the first computing device; and 
 storing the private audio track in the remote database; and 
   wherein receiving the first meta file from the first computing device comprises receiving, from the first computing device, the first meta file further comprising a pointer to the private audio track stored in the remote database.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, at the third computing device, for each video in the third set of videos, defining the video mask further comprises:
 rendering a linear representation of the portion of the first video;   rendering a representation of the video mask over the linear representation of the portion of the first video;   receiving a drag input modifying a position of the representation of the video mask over the linear representation of the portion of the first video; and   defining the video mask based on the position of the representation of the video mask over the linear representation of the portion of the first video.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, at the remote computing device receiving, from the first computing device, the first portion of the first video comprises:
 receiving the first portion of the first video;   receiving a first buffer sequence of frames prior to the first portion of the first video; and   receiving a second buffer sequence of frames succeeding the first portion of the first video.   
     
     
         5 . A method for distributing a composition of audio and visual media comprising, at a remote computer system:
 receiving, from a first computing device executing a native composition application:
 a first meta file:
 representing a first composition comprising a first portion of a first video in a first set of videos; and 
 comprising a pointer to the first video, a first video mask corresponding to the first portion of the first video, and a first order of the first set of videos; and 
 
 the first portion of the first video; 
   receiving, from a second computing device executing the native composition application:
 a second meta file:
 representing a second composition comprising a first portion of a second video in a second set of videos; and 
 comprising a pointer to the second video, a second video mask corresponding to the first portion of the second video, and a second order of the second set of videos; and 
 
 the first portion of the second video; 
   storing in a remote database:
 the first portion of the first video; 
 the first portion of the second video; 
 the first meta file; and 
 the second meta file; 
   receiving a request for public media from a third computing device executing the native composition application;   in response to receiving the request for public media, serving, to the third computing device:
 the first portion of the first video; and 
 the first portion of the second video; 
   receiving, from the third computing device executing the native composition application, a third meta file:
 representing a third composition comprising a second portion of the first video, a second portion of the second video in a third set of videos; and 
 comprising the pointer to the first portion of the first video, the pointer to the first portion of the second video, a video mask corresponding to the second portion of the first video, a video mask corresponding to the second portion of the second video, and a third order of the third set of videos; 
   in response to receiving a request for the third composition from a fourth computing device executing the native composition application, serving the third composition to the fourth computing device based on the third metafile, the first portion of the first video, and the first portion of the second video.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 :
 wherein receiving the first portion of the first video comprises receiving the first portion of the first video stored locally on the first computing device; and   wherein receiving the first portion of the second video comprises receiving the first portion of the second video stored locally on the second computing device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 :
 wherein receiving the request for public media from the third computing device comprises receiving the request for public media from the first computing device;   wherein serving, to the third computing device the first portion of the first video and the first portion of the second video comprises, in response to receiving the request for public media, serving, to the first computing device, the first portion of the first video and the first portion of the second video; and   wherein receiving, the third meta file from the third computing device, comprises receiving the third meta file from the first computing device.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein receiving the request for public media from the third computing device comprises receiving the request for public media from the third computing device different from the first computing device, the second computing, and the fourth computing device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein receiving the first metafile further comprises a pointer to an audio track. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein receiving, from the third computing device, the third meta file comprises receiving, from the third computing device, the third meta file:
 representing the third composition comprising the first portion of the first video, the first portion of the second video in the third set of videos; and   comprising the pointer to the first portion of the first video, the pointer to the first portion of the second video, the video mask corresponding to the second portion of the first video, the video mask corresponding to the second portion of the second video, and the third order of the third set of videos.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein receiving, from the third computing device, the third meta file comprises receiving, from the third computing device, the third meta file:
 representing the third composition comprising:
 the second portion of the first video comprising a subportion of the first portion of the first video; and 
 the second portion of the second video comprising a subportion of the first portion of the second video; and 
   comprising the pointer to the first portion of the first video, the pointer to the first portion of the second video, the video mask corresponding to the second portion of the first video, the video mask corresponding to the second portion of the second video, and the third order of the third set of videos.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein serving the third composition to the fourth computational device comprises:
 serving the second portion of the first video to the fourth computing device;   serving the second portion of the second video to the fourth computing device; and   serving the third meta file to the fourth computing device for local assembly of the second portion of the first video and the second portion of the second video into the third composition at the fourth computing device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 5 :
 further comprising:
 in response to receiving the first meta file, storing the first portion of the first video in a public media database; and 
 in response to receiving the second meta file, storing the first portion of the second video in the public media database; and 
   wherein serving the first portion of the first video and the first portion of the second video to the third computing device comprises serving the first portion of the first video and the first portion of the second video to the third computing device based on a presence of the first portion of the first video and the first portion of the second video in the public media database.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 5 :
 wherein receiving the third metafile further comprises receiving, from the third computing device, the third metafile:
 representing the third composition comprising the second portion of the first video, the second portion of the second video, and a first portion of a third video in the third set of videos; and 
 comprising the pointer to the first portion of the first video, the pointer to the first portion of the second video, the video mask corresponding to the second portion of the first video, the video mask corresponding to the second portion of the second video, and a video mask corresponding to the first portion of the third video, and the third order of the third set of videos; and 
   further comprising:
 receiving the first portion of the third video; and 
 storing the first portion of the third video in the remote database. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein receiving the first portion of the first video comprises
 receiving the first portion of the first video;   receiving a first buffer sequence of frames prior to the first portion of the first video; and   receiving a second buffer sequence of frames succeeding the first portion of the first video.   
     
     
         16 . A method for distributing a composition of audio and visual media comprising, at a remote computer system:
 receiving, from a first computing device executing a native composition application:
 a first meta file:
 representing a first composition comprising a first portion of a first video in a first set of videos; and 
 comprising a pointer to the first video, a first video mask corresponding to the first portion of the first video, and a first order of the first set of videos; and 
 
 the first portion of the first video; 
   storing in a remote database:
 the first portion of the first video; 
 a second video; and 
 the first meta file; 
   receiving a request for public media from a second computing device executing the native composition application;   in response to receiving the request for public media, serving, to the second computing device:
 the first portion of the first video; and 
 the second video; 
   receiving, from the second computing device executing the native composition application, a third meta file:
 representing a third composition comprising a second portion of the first video, a first portion of the second video in a third set of videos; and 
 comprising the pointer to the first portion of the first video, the pointer to the second video, a video mask corresponding to the second portion of the first video, a video mask corresponding to the first portion of the second video, and a third order of the third set of videos; and 
   in response to receiving a request for the third composition from a third computing device executing the native composition application, serving the third composition to the third computing device based on the third metafile, the first portion of the first video, and the first portion of the second video.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein storing, in the remote database, the second video comprises storing, in the remote database, the second video comprising branded content. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein storing the second video in the remote database comprises, in response to receiving the second video from a fourth computational device, storing the second video in the remote database. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein storing the second video in the remote database comprises, in response to receiving the second video from a fourth computational device, storing the second video in a public media database. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein receiving the first portion of the first video comprises:
 receiving the first portion of the first video;   receiving a first buffer sequence of frames prior to the first portion of the first video; and   receiving a second buffer sequence of frames succeeding the first portion of the first video.