Abstract: Methods, systems and/or computer program products that help facilitate visual presentation composition may include, in one aspect, executing one or more processes executing on a computer system to present a user of a computer system with movie templates, each movie template having a corresponding theme and a sequence of shot placeholders, each shot placeholder including graphical indicia representing one or more desirable characteristics specific to that shot placeholder; receiving information from the user including a movie template selection and a selection of one or more video clips corresponding to desirable characteristics indicated by the shot placeholders; and generating a playable media file representing a movie based on the information received from the user.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a virtual staging area for presenting media content. The virtual staging area of some embodiments is formed by staging areas of multiple different devices in which a same set of content can be viewed. To provide a common viewing experience, the staging areas are presented in a similar manner across different types of user devices. Each staging area may be presented as a virtual movie theatre that has movie posters that advertise user content. A sharing service operates on each of the different devices to facilitate the virtual staging area. The sharing service of some embodiments allows a person to choose a piece of content stored on a device. The sharing service then publishes the content to the device's staging area. From there, the content is then distributed across to the person's other devices.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a grayscale image. The method and apparatus receive a single value. From the single value, the method and apparatus generate a set of grayscale weighting values. The method and apparatus generate the grayscale based on a color image and the set of grayscale weighting values. By limiting the number of values to a single value, the method and apparatus prevents a user from arbitrarily selecting a number of possible weighting values which could result in a grayscale image that is too dim or too bright. This single control method and apparatus quickly and efficiently produces a grayscale image that is neither too bright nor too dim.

Abstract: In some implementations, a computing device can be configured to generate a slide show type presentation based on images (e.g., digital photographs, videos, etc.) in a user's media library. While viewing the presentation, the computing device can receive user input to change the display of the images between a slideshow, a single image, and/or a grid view presentation mode. In some implementations, the user can provide input with respect to an image displayed on a slide to manipulate the image. In some implementations, the user can provide continuous input with respect to a slide to cause a transition animation to be displayed according to the amount and direction of user input received. For example, the speed, direction (e.g., forward, backward) and completion of the transition animation can be controlled by the user's input.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes displaying, within a user interface in a digital media system, a thumbnail representing at least a portion of a media clip, receiving user input corresponding to a play speed at which a media clip is to be played, determining whether the received user input exceeds one or more predetermined thresholds, and selectively disabling playing of a video portion or an audio portion, or both, based on a result of the determination.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a grayscale image. The method and apparatus receive a single value. From the single value, the method and apparatus generate a set of grayscale weighting values. The method and apparatus generate the grayscale based on a color image and the set of grayscale weighting values. By limiting the number of values to a single value, the method and apparatus prevents a user from arbitrarily selecting a number of possible weighting values which could result in a grayscale image that is too dim or too bright. This single control method and apparatus quickly and efficiently produces a grayscale image that is neither too bright nor too dim.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide several on-image tools of image editing application for applying effects to an image. Some on-image tools are visible to the user and are overlaid on the image. Some on-image tools are not visible. The tools are for receiving a selection of a location of the image and for applying effects to at least an area of the image that does not include the location of the image.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide an image-viewing application. The image-viewing application calculates an average aspect ratio of several images for display in an image viewing area. A first image in the several images has a first aspect ratio and a second image in the several images has a second, different aspect ratio. The application determines a number and size of regions of the image viewing area for displaying the several images. The regions have the calculated average aspect ratio, and each image is for display in a different one of the regions. The application displays the several images in the regions of the image viewing area. Each displayed image has a same visual weighting. The first image is displayed at the first aspect ratio and the second image is displayed at the second aspect ratio.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes displaying, within a user interface in a digital media system, a media pane, and a project pane, displaying, within the media pane, a thumbnail group representing a media item, the thumbnail group comprising one or more thumbnails, enabling a user to select, from the thumbnail group, a segment of the media item, and enabling a user to transfer the selected segment to the project pane.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes displaying, within a user interface in a digital media system, a thumbnail representing at least a portion of a media clip, receiving user input corresponding to a play speed at which a media clip is to be played, determining whether the received user input exceeds one or more predetermined thresholds, and selectively disabling playing of a video portion or an audio portion, or both, based on a result of the determination.

Abstract: A media-editing application of some embodiments allows a user of the application to group media clips displayed in the timeline into a single clip representation. A composite display area of the media-editing application often displays numerous clips at various instances in time and at various levels in the compositing hierarchy. To reduce the number of media clips in the timeline, the media-editing application of some embodiments allows the user to select several media clips and combine them into a one media clip representation. In this manner, the media-editing application reduces the congestion in the timeline. These single clip representations are referred to as “compound clips.” Compound clips can be viewed as containers that can include several media clips of the same type in some embodiments, or that can include several media clips of several different types in other embodiments.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a video recording device for capturing a video clip. The video recording device receives a selection of a non-temporally compressed encoding scheme from several different encoding schemes for encoding the video clip. The different encoding schemes include at least one temporally compressed encoding scheme and at least the selected non-temporally compressed encoding scheme. The video recording device captures the video clip as several frames. The video recording device non-temporally encodes each of the frames as several slices. The slices of a particular frame are for decoding by several processing units of a video decoding device. The video recording device stores the video clip in a storage.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for editing audio clips. A computer-implemented method includes displaying in a user interface, a first audio clip including a first plurality of time instants and a second audio clip including a second plurality of time instants; displaying a first transition point identifier associated with the first audio clip to designate a portion from a beginning of the first audio clip to the first transition point identifier that is playable; displaying a second transition point identifier associated with the second audio clip to designate a portion from the second transition point identifier to an end of the second audio clip that is playable; and generating a combined audio clip comprising the portion from the beginning of the first audio clip to the first transition point identifier and the portion from the second transition point identifier to the end of the second audio clip.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for performing rolling shutter distortion corrections are described. A video clip captured by a user is received and each of a plurality of predefined affine transforms for rolling shutter distortion correction is applied to the received video clip. Further, a visual indication of results from each of the plurality of the predefined affine transforms is presented to the user and input is received from the user selecting one of the visual indications. Furthermore, the predefined affine transform corresponding to the selected visual indication is associated with a device that acquired the received video clip. Additionally, the association can be stored, and the stored association can be used later to automatically perform a rolling shutter distortion correction on another video clip upon detecting that the other video clip comes from same device that already went through a calibration sequence.

Abstract: Among other things, methods, systems and computer program products are disclosed for presenting a user interface for manipulation of audio waveforms associated with video content. In one aspect, a method can be performed by one or more processes executing on a computer system. Images representing video frames in a first region of a user interface can be displayed. An audio waveform representing audio associated with at least a portion of a video frame can be displayed. At least three audio waveform portions including (i) a first portion of the audio waveform that exceeds a first predetermined threshold, (ii) a second portion of the audio waveform below the first predetermined threshold and above a second predetermined threshold, and (iii) a third portion of the audio waveform below the second predetermined threshold can be graphically distinguished.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a video recording device for capturing a video clip. The video recording device receives a selection of a non-temporally compressed encoding scheme from several different encoding schemes for encoding the video clip. The different encoding schemes include at least one temporally compressed encoding scheme and at least the selected non-temporally compressed encoding scheme. The video recording device captures the video clip as several frames. The video recording device non-temporally encodes each of the frames as several slices. The slices of a particular frame are for decoding by several processing units of a video decoding device. The video recording device stores the video clip in a storage.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a video camera. The video camera includes image sensing circuitry for capturing a sequence of video pictures, a user interface for allowing a user to select a video encoding format from a temporally compressed encoding format and non-temporally compressed encoding format, encoding circuitry for encoding the video pictures according to the format selected by the user, and random access storage for storing video clips. Some embodiments provide a video editing application for a computer. The application includes a first module for (i) receiving video clips stored on the video camera and (ii) storing a first set of video clips that are non-temporally compressed on the video camera in a storage of the computer, and a second module for (i) transcoding a second set of video clips that are temporally compressed on the video camera and (ii) storing the transcoded second set of video clips in the storage.

Abstract: Methods, systems and/or computer program products are disclosed that help facilitate visual presentation composition. A method includes analyzing a plurality of video clips, each video clip comprising a plurality of frames, to determine a subset of the plurality of video clips that have at least one frame depicting one or more faces. The method further includes presenting, in a user interface of a video editing application, the determined subset of video clips along with indicia indicating one or more face-related characteristics of each of the subset of video clips. Furthermore, the method includes receiving, from a user of the video editing application, a selection of one or more frames of at least one of the subset of video clips to populate a shot placeholder in a movie-building template, and generating a playable media file representing a movie based at least in part on the selection received from the user.

Abstract: Systems and apparatus are described to perform methods including receiving input to apply attributes that represent modifications to appearance of content of the video segment, to a video segment. Multiple modified video segments are generated, each modified video segment being associated with a corresponding attribute applicable to the video segment. The appearances of the multiple modified video segments vary based on corresponding attributes. A selection of a modified video segment associated with a first attribute is received, and a first video segment is generated by associating the first attribute with the video segment.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed to provide user control over the manipulation of a digital image. The disclosed techniques enable a user to apply various textures that mimic traditional artistic media to a selected image. User selection of a texture level results in the blending of texturized versions of the selected image in accordance with the selected texture level. User selection of a color level results in the adjustment of color properties of the selected image that are included in the output image. Control of the image selection, texture type selection, texture level selection, and color level selection may be provided through an intuitive graphical user interface.