GB2587675A

GB2587675A - Video editing application

Info

Publication number: GB2587675A
Application number: GB2000074.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gable Dan; Greenwood John
Original assignee: Sprat Ltd
Current assignee: Sprat Ltd
Priority date: 2019-10-04
Filing date: 2020-01-03
Publication date: 2021-04-07
Also published as: GB202000074D0; GB201914377D0

Abstract

A method of creating a video comprises: receiving content instructions 1 from a first user, the content instructions include one or more instructions relating to the desired content of a video clip. Transmitting 2 a video clip request to a second user and receiving 4 a video clip from the second user in response to the video clip request. Editing instructions, including one or more changes to be applied to said video clip, are received 5 from the second user. The editing instructions are applied to the video clip to produce an edited video clip and a video is compiled 7 including the edited video clip. The method can enable user video product reviews and can input a review score. User interfaces may be accessible via the internet using a browser. The first user may provide compilation instructions that include static images, audio or music files, and branding to be applied to the video.

Description

Intellectual Property Office Application No. GII2000074.1 RTM Date:21 May 2020 The following terms are registered trade marks and should be read as such wherever they occur in this document:

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Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office www.gov.uk/ipo Video editing application The present invention relates to a platform for editing and combining video clips with, for example, text, images and sound, in a user-friendly and versatile way, and in particular to a cloud-based system which may be used by multiple remote users.

Background to the invention

There can no longer be any doubt that the Internet has well and truly 'caught on'. 10 The vast majority of citizens of economically developed countries have access to at least one Internet-capable device, and many people spend a large part of their daily lives making use of the Internet in one way or another.

One of the most popular ways of using the Internet casually is to share video content, either with friends and family or with anyone who cares to look. Many people who regularly use the Internet also have access to a device which is capable of recording sound and video, such as a smartphone. It is now relatively straightforward to record a video of oneself, for example, playing ingenious and embarrassingly over-engineered practical jokes on one's cat, and then immediately upload the resulting clip to a social media website or other sharing platform.

Less whimsical uses for this technology have also been found. More serious social media platforms exist for business networking and/or finding a romantic life partner. Recruiters are starting to sift candidates using brief videos of said candidates introducing themselves or answering questions. Advertisers like to show clips of satisfied customers praising their products.

Making a professional video is very expensive. Sophisticated camera and sound recording equipment is required, not to mention a crew of experts to operate it and 30 a set in which to use it. Software, equipment and expertise for post-production editing is also very costly, and the editing process can be time consuming.

Even a cursory inspection of most video sharing platforms will be enough to convince discerning viewers that the majority of 'home-made' video clips are terrible, both objectively and when compared with professionally produced video footage. There are a number of reasons for this, but among those reasons is the lack, in the home-made context, of competent editing and post-production enhancement.

Software exists, and is in some cases accessibly priced, to edit home-made videos and an expert user can produce very professional results with enough time and effort, but time and effort are scarce resources.

It would be preferable to have an easy to use system that makes editing user video content quick, easy and/or automatic. It would also be preferable for companies to have access to a single platform which can receive content from multiple remote second users without having to dispatch a film crew to the other side of the world.

The present invention seeks to meet these, and other needs.

Acknowledged prior art

The inventors believe that the following patent documents disclose the closest

prior art.

WO 2017/120221 discloses a system for automated video production and editing. The specification is written so as to have a very broad and consequently not very specific scope. It does not provide an enabling disclosure of, nor teach towards, a 15 system with the same features as the present invention.

US 2019/0180334 discloses systems and method for user-guided automated video production, including video testimonials and other forms of branded video content. This seems at first glance to be very similar to the present invention.

Nevertheless, it lacks and fails to teach towards the important functionality of the second user being able to edit the video before submitting it to the first user, as will become apparent below.

US 2010/0322589 discloses a script of prompts for e.g. a smartphonc to direct a 25 user to record video clips according to the prompts. This also seems similar to the present invention, having a user editing interface, but the editing function is available only to the first user rather than the second user.

Statement of invention

A first aspect of the invention is a method of creating a video comprising the steps of: receiving content instructions from a first user, wherein said content instructions include one or more instructions relating to the desired content of a video clip; transmitting a video clip request to a second user; receiving a video clip from the second user in response to the video clip request; receiving editing instructions from the second user, wherein said editing instructions include one or more changes to be applied to said video clip; applying said changes to the video clip to produce an edited video clip; and compiling a video comprising said edited video clip.

The first user may further provide compilation instructions, and the step of compiling a video may comprise applying said compilation instructions to produce the video. The compilation instructions may include one or more of: * additional video or static images to include in the video; * additional audio or music files to apply to the video; and/or * branding to be applied to the video. The editing instructions include one or more of: * text to be overlaid on the video clip; * images to be overlaid on the video clip; * audio files to be applied to the video clip; and/or * frames to be cut from the video clip to reduce its duration.

* automatic subtitles from an external source such as Amazon 8 The content instructions may relate to a plurality of desired video clips. At the step of receiving a video clip, a plurality of video clips may be received from the second user. At the step of receiving editing instructions from the second user, editing instructions may be received for each of plurality of video clips. At the step of applying changes to the video clips, each of the received editing instructions may be applied to a respective one of the video clips received to produce a plurality of edited video clips. The video compiled at the step of compiling a video may comprise the plurality of edited video clips.

The step of transmitting a video clip request may be performed with a plurality of second users. At the step of receiving a video clip, video dips may be received from some or all of the plurality of second users. At the step of receiving editing instructions from the second user, editing instructions may be received from each of the second users of the plurality of users from whom a video clip has been received. At the step of applying changes to the video clips, each of the received editing instructions may be applied to a respective one of the video clips received to produce a plurality of edited video clips. The video compiled at the step of compiling a video may comprise the plurality of edited video clips.

The step of receiving content instructions may comprise presenting a first user interface to the first user. The first user interface may be accessible via the Internet using a browser.

The steps of transmitting a video clip request to a second user, receiving a video clip from the second user, and receiving editing instructions from the second user may comprise presenting a second user interface to the second user. The second user interface may be accessible via the Internet using a browser.

Brief description of the figure

The invention will be described by way of example only with reference to: Figure 1, which depicts a process at an end-user interface according to the invention.

Detailed description

Broadly-spealthig, a first user seeking, video content sets up a framework for the video content using the first user interface. The framework may include parameters for the automatic editing of videos which arc submitted, such as introductory sounds and images, end sounds and images, overlay sounds and images, aspect ratios, branding, inputs such as scoring for reviews etc. The framework may further include instructions to the second user about the nature of the video clip to be submitted. The first user interface provides a specific URL which the first user can provide to the second user. The second user is directed by the URI, to the second user interface, which provides any instructions from the first user and options to record or supply a pre-recorded video clip or clips. The second user video clip is uploaded by the second user interface to a remote server or cloud system. The second user interface then provides the second user with various options for editing the video clip before it is submitted to the first user. The editing options include, turning the camera and/or microphone off or on, cutting parts of the video, for example at the beginning and/or the end, adding text as an overlay or inputting or choosing a review score or sentiment. When the second user editing is completed, the first user instructions for editing are applied, and the finished video can be shared by the second user using the second user interface by various online means, either immediately or after it has been approved by the first user. The finished video is also available via the first user interface.

Figure 1 depicts an exemplary process of the invention.

At 1, a first user creates an account using the first user interface, and designs or selects a ready-made title sequence, music, review scores, and other graphic elements for the final video. The first user then sends a URL provided by the first user interface, to a second user.

The second user follows the LTRL and arrives at a second user interface, where he 40 or she is presented, for example, with a series of interview questions at 2.

Using a suitable device, such as a smartphone, the second user then records one or more video clips or selects one or more pre-recorded video clips at 3.

At 4, the one or more video clips are uploaded to the cloud and compressed.

The second user may then cut the video at 5, removing a portion from the beginning and/or the end (the 'trimming' process).

The second user is also given the option of adding text, fin example their name and job tide, review scores, or images etc. as an overlay to the one or more video clips, at 6.

Finally:, at 7, the final video is produced, combining the second user edited one or more video clips and the elements selected or uploaded by the first user at 1. The audio levels are normalised, music is set to fade at appropriate points and video dips are padded as required.

The invention will now be described in greater depth in terms of inputs, outputs, and processes.

Inputs The first user uses the browser-accessible dashboard web application to create a 'set'. When second users record a video for a particular set there will be content unique to the second user, and content that is the same for all the videos. In the creation of the set, the first user will decide the template for the video and can choose, among other things: * The name of the set; * The logo of the set (unique to the set, or just the first user's logo); * The intro and outro videos, or any other video content that will be the same in every finished video, any images that will be overlaid on these videos (such as a logo), and any text that will be overlaid (such as an interview question); * How many videos the second user will record, and for each video: o The minimum and maximum duration; o Instructions regarding whether the second user should face the camera or not; o Questions they would like the second user to answer; o Notes for the second user that may help when recording the video; o A static image overlay, that will be the same for all users, and its position on screen (e.g. in the fonn of x-andy coordinates); o Instructions regarding an image overlay to be uploaded by the second user, and its position on the screen (e.g. in the form of x-andy-coordinates); o Instructions regarding captions to be provided or selected by the second user, their positions on the screen (e.g. in the form of x-and y-coordinates), and their sizes, colours and fonts, the captions being either: * Creatable as a free text input, the maximum length of which is decided by the first user; Selectable from a drop-down menu, the options for which arc decided in advance by the first user; * The music that will play throughout the finished video, its volume and the duration of the fade at the end; * The fonts that will be used to display any text captions; * The authentication method for recording videos, selectable from: O Open: anyone can record a video; O Invitation only: second users need to receive an email invitation in order to record a video; O PIN access: a facilitator will need to enter a private pin number for the second user; * Whether the second user should remain logged into the second user interface in order to view the finished video when automatic processing is complete, or whether the second user should instead receive an email providing a link to the finished video; * Whether the set can be found by searching for it in the video viewing application; * The design and content of any email that may be sent to the users upon completion of the video; * Various settings for the finished video fileincluding: o Size (width and height in pixels); o Aspect ratio; o Constant rate factor (video quality/ file size); o Video codec; o Audio codec.

This information is stored in a database and accessed when creating a new video. A list of email addresses will also be inputted in the case of 'invitation only' authentication, such that invitations will be sent to each address on the list, each email invitation containing a unique link by means of which the recipient (second user) can record a video.

Once the set has been created, second users can then record videos. They will be guided through the recording by the recording application, a web application accessed by the browser. Each video segment specified in the set can have one or more inputs from the user. Some video segments (such as intros and outros) will not have inputs from the user and these will be ignored by the application. The possible inputs from the user for a particular video segment include: * A video file; * Two pieces of data representing where the video should begin and its duration (obtained from the 'trimming' process); * A still image;

* Text entered into a form field;

* A piece of text selected as an option from a predetermined list.

It is possible for any combination of these inputs to be required by the organisation, including none and all.

The trimming process is a visual process which presents the uncut video dip to the user in a first screen segment, and presents a horizontal bar beneath the video clip displaying segment, each point along the bar from left to right representing consecutive time segments of the video clip. The time segments may be, for example, one second long, or three seconds long, or half a second long depending on the desired sensitivity. The video clip plays when presented to the second user, and a vertical mark progresses along the horizontal bar according, marking the time segment on the horizontal bar which corresponds to the time segment of the video currently being presented. At any time, the second user can drag a 'start indicator', using a cursor or touch screen interface, from the far left of the horizontal bar to a position on the horizontal bar representing the time segment which the second user wants to be the first time segment of the video clip, or to the time segment immediately before the time segment which the second user wants to be the first time segment of the video clip. The position of the start indicator can be changed as many times as required by the second user. Every time the position of the start indicator is changed, the video clip may restart from the time segment currently indicated by the start indicator.

Similarly, an 'ending indicator' can be repositioned from the far right of the horizontal bar to a position representing the time segment which the second user wants to be the last time segment, or to the time segment immediately after the time segment which the second user wants to be the last time segment of the video clip. This can be done as many times as required. I '',very time the ending indicator is moved, the video may restart from the time segment currently indicated by the start indicator, and, if allowed to progress to the end, end at the time segment currently indicated by the ending indicator.

The captioning process also provides a live preview of what the finished video will look like with the overlaid captions, updated as the second user types or selects a caption.

The second user will also be prompted to enter their email address after all inputs have been completed. They can also add their specific thashtag' for social media sharing. Several other pieces of data will be recorded when the request to generate the video is sent to the server, including:

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* The date and time of the beginning of the video recording process; * The date and time of the end of the video recording process; * The second user's IP address; * The second user's 'user-agent' HTTP header (usually containing information on the user's device and browser).

This information is stored in a database and accessed when creating the finished video.

Outputs The finished result is a single video file, and a single thumbnail image. A completed video viewing application is used to display finished videos. When the URI. of a finished video is accessed, the completed video viewing application reads the relevant information about the video, and the set to which it belongs, from the database. The viewer is then presented with a page containing: * The finished video, in a viewable HTML5 video element; * The thumbnail image, used as a placeholder for the video element, visible until the video is played; * A single number score incorporated in the video derived from any review answers submitted from the second user; * The current 'view count' for the video (the number of times more than three seconds of the video has been viewed by an individual [a cookie is used to avoid multiple views being registered by the same individual]); * A series of buttons the purpose of which is to share the video with other potential viewers, including: o A button to copy a link to the video to the device clipboard; o A link to the video file itself so that a viewer may download it; o A button that will allow the video to be shared on l'acebook; a A link to share the video on Twitter; o A link to share the video on LinkedIn; o A mailto link with only the subject and the body of the email specified) to email the video; o Other social media sites or platforms suitable for sharing the video; * links to information about the video and various privacy policy and terms and conditions pages.

The completed video viewing application may also have the following functions: i. Viewing all the finished videos in a set that have been approved by the first user (the first user's dashboard application can be used to view all the approved and unapproved videos in a set, and to approve or disapprove any of them); 2. Viewing all of the sets that belong to a particular first user; 3. Searching for particular first users, and/or particular sets, and navigating through to view the finished and approved videos in the set.

4. Making the videos searchable on a service provider's website, which may include a particular section or page fir the first user.

Alternatively, the application may show all the videos that have been made public by the first user, while approved videos can be viewed by those who have the necessary UK] , but will not appear on the video viewing application.

The first will also be able to view various metrics and data related to their sets and videos, including: * The total number of videos recorded in a set, and the number yet to be approved; * The total view count for all approved videos in a set; * Statistics on the sharing of all approved videos in a set.

At any time after the set has been created, and more than one video has been recorded, the first user will have the ability to generate a 'compilation' video. They will be presented with a list of the videos that have already been recorded in order for them to select the videos they would like to appear in the compilation video. There will be a maximum duration that will limit the number of videos they can choose. Once they have selected all the videos that should appear in the compilation, they will be able to generate the finished compilation video and the process of producing a finished video outlined herein will be performed, but with a larger number of video segments than hitherto contemplated. The finished compilation video will then appear on its own page, with sharing options and other information similar to that outlined above. They will also be able to add an existing 'video response' additional video clip to any video review style video generated by the second user.

Processes Two separate applications are responsible for processing video files and creating the finished videos.

The first application is triggered as soon as an second user uploads a video file as part of the video creation process. The application is notified of the upload of a file and performs the following actions: 1. The database record of the set to which the video will belong is read; 2. The video file is downloaded to the server on which the application is running; 3. Information is gathered from the video file including: o Size (e.g. height and width in pixels); o Aspect ratio; O Tags that indicate if the video file should be rotated, and the angle of rotation; 4. The information obtained from the video file is compared to the set's video template and the following decisions are made: o If the video file needs to be resized; o If the video file needs to be rotated; O If the video file needs to be padded and an extra background added; 5. The video file is then demuxed, decoded and if any of the above steps arc necessary they are applied. The video is then reencoded with the video and audio codecs, size, aspect ratio and constant rate factor specified in the set's database record; G. A thumbnail is taken from one of the images making up the video; 7. The newly created encoded video file and the thumbnail are uploaded to the appropriate storage facility.

The second application is triggered when the second user has finished the video recording process and has completed all the necessary inputs. When the second application is triggered it performs the following actions: * The database record of the relevant set and video are read; * All the necessary files are downloaded to the server on which the application is running, including video files, fonts and still images; * Still image overlays are applied to the video files, either to the entire video segment, or to a portion of the video specified in seconds from the beginning of the video, the position of the overlay (e.g. using Nu and"-coordinates) having been specified in the set * Alternatively or additionally, dynamic image overlays uploaded by the second user are applied, in which case the image can have various manipulations applied, including resizing, cropping and compressing; * Text captions are applied, which entails: a Sanitizing any input text; o Calculating the maximum length of a line using the font size and the finished video width; o Splitting the text into separate lines if necessary; o Calculating the vertical positional offset that should be applied to each line; o Overlaying each line of text onto the video, taking into account the position (e.g. N.-andy coordinates) specified in the set and the offset for each line; * The volume of the music is adjusted and the fade at the end is applied; * The audio of each of the video segments recorded by the user is normalised and faded out to make a clean transition; * If applicable the review scores inputted are combined into one single review

SCOW

* All of the video streams and audio streams are concatenated to form one complete video stream and one complete audio stream, optionally applying fades between the individual audio and video segments; * The music and the concatenated audio stream are mixed; * The concatenated video stream and the mixed audio stream form the final video He, which is created with the pre-set options specified in the set's database record; * The finished video is then uploaded to the appropriate storage facility; * The email application is triggered with the relevant details; a Tf approval is required by the first user, only the first user is notified about the completion of the video by email; a Otherwise, both the first and second users are notified by email; * The second user receives an email with the unique link to view their video and links to share on social media sites, via ernail or download the video. 15 Other applications involved in the process * An API, responsible for providing information to and receiving information from the second user facing front end and the first user facing dashboard; * The email application, responsible for sending cmails to users after their finished video has been completed; * The database maintenance application, responsible for removing unnecessary database records and performing minor updates on records.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. The 25 described embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims.

Claims

Claims 1 A method of creating a video comprising the steps of: receiving content instructions from a first user, wherein said content instructions include one or more instructions relating to the desired content a video clip; transmitting a video clip request to a second user; receiving a video clip from the second user in response to the video clip request; receiving editing instructions from the second user, wherein said editing instructions include one or more changes to be applied to said video clip; applying said changes to the video clip to produce an edited video clip; and compiling a video comprising said edited video clip.
2 A method of creating a video according to claim 1, wherein the first user further provides compilation instructions, and the step of compiling a video comprises applying said compilation instructions to produce the video.
3 A method of creating a video according to claim 2, wherein the compilation instructions include one or more of: additional video or static images to include in the video; additional audio or music files to apply to the video; and/or branding to be applied to the video.
4. A method of creating a video according to any preceding claim wherein the editing instructions include one or more of: text to be overlaid on the video clip; images to be overlaid on the video clip; audio files to be applied to the video dip; and/or frames to be cut from the video clip to reduce its duration.
5. A method of creating a video according to any preceding claim, wherein: the content instructions relate to a plurality of desired video dips; at the step of receiving a video clip, a plurality of video dips are received from the second user; at the step of receiving editing instructions from the second user, editing instructions are received for each of plurality of video clips; at the step of applying changes to the video clips, each of the received editing instructions is applied to a respective one of the video clips received to produce a plurality of edited video clips; and the video compiled at the step of compiling a video comprises the plurality of edited video clips.
6 A method of creating a video according to any preceding claim wherein: the step of transmitting a video clip request is performed with a plurality of second users; at the step of receiving a video clip, video clips are received from some or all of the plurality of second users; at the step of receiving editing instructions from the second user, editing instructions are received from each of the second users of the plurality of users from whom a video clip has been received; at the step of applying changes to the video clips, each of the received editing instructions is applied to a respective one of the video clips received to produce a plurality of edited video clips; and the video compiled at the step of compiling a video comprises the plurality of edited video clips.
7 A method of creating a video according to any preceding claim, wherein the step of receiving content instructions comprises presenting a first user interface to the first user.
8. A method of creating a video according to claim 7, wherein the first user interface is accessible via the Internet using a browser.
9 A method of creating a video according to any preceding claim, wherein the steps of transmitting a video clip request to a second user, receiving a video clip from the second user, and receiving editing instructions from the second user comprise presenting a second user interface to the second user.
10. A method of creating a video according to claim 9, wherein the second user interface is accessible via the Internet using a browser.