Abstract:
A movie authoring process is disclosed which includes: selecting a theme, determining theme elements based on the theme selection, and adding the theme elements to a movie. An automated movie authoring process is also disclosed which includes: automatically capturing raw video footage from a video source; automatically dividing the raw video footage into video clips, wherein the video clips collectively constitute a movie; automatically determining one or more theme elements from a plurality of theme elements based on a selected theme; and automatically adding the one or more determined theme elements to the movie.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The subject matter of this application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/742,957, entitled “Creating a Theme Used By An Authoring Application To Produce A Multimedia Presentation,” filed Dec. 22, 2003; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/337,907, entitled “Method and Apparatus For Producing A Packaged Presentation,” filed Jan. 6, 2003; and U.S. patent application No. ______, entitled “Controlling Behavior of Elements In A Display Environment,” filed Jan. 6, 2006, Attorney Docket No. 18814-020001. Each of these applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     The disclosed implementations relate generally to movie authoring applications.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Advancements in computer technology have made it possible to create professional quality multimedia projects on personal computers. For example, movie authoring applications, such as iMovie® developed by Apple Computer, Inc. (Cupertino, Calif.), provide users with a suite of tools for capturing and editing video. A user can import into a personal computer raw video footage captured by a video camera. The user can edit the footage from within the movie authoring application by adding titles, transitions, graphics, background music, effects, etc. While some users enjoy the process of movie authoring and are willing to invest the time and energy into understanding the full capabilities of a movie authoring application, there are other users who would prefer to have at least some authoring tasks simplified or automated.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     The deficiencies of conventional movie authoring applications are overcome by the disclosed implementations summarized below.  
         [0005]     In some implementations, a method of authoring movies includes: receiving a theme selection; determining theme elements based on the theme selection; receiving a theme element selection; and adding the selected theme element to a movie.  
         [0006]     In some implementations, a user interface for authoring movies includes a first display area for displaying theme elements for selection, and a second display area for adding selected theme elements to a movie.  
         [0007]     In some implementations, a method of authoring a movie includes: automatically capturing raw video footage from a video source; automatically dividing the raw video footage into video clips, wherein the video clips collectively constitute a movie; automatically determining one or more theme elements from a plurality of theme elements based on a selected theme; and automatically adding the one or more determined theme elements to the movie.  
         [0008]     Other implementations are described herein, including but not limited to implementations related to systems, methods, computer-readable mediums, computer program products, apparatuses, devices and data structures. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a screenshot of an implementation of a user interface for a movie authoring application.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a screenshot of an implementation of a drop zone editor  200  for displaying drop zone content.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is block diagram illustrating drop zone areas in a theme element.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a screenshot of an implementation of a user interface for a movie authoring application showing the addition of theme elements to a movie.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is screenshot of an implementation of a user interface for a movie authoring application, including a pane for selecting media for incorporation into theme elements.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is screenshot of an implementation of a user interface for a movie authoring application, including a pane for displaying video effects for incorporation into theme elements.  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a screenshot of an implementation of a user interface for a movie authoring application, including a pane for displaying audio effects for incorporation into theme elements.  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a screenshot of an implementation of a user interface for a movie authoring application, including a window for receiving input for an automated movie authoring process.  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  is a screenshot of an implementation of user interface for a movie authoring application, including a window for receiving music selections for an automated movie authoring process.  
         [0018]      FIG. 10  is a flow diagram of an implementation of an automated movie authoring process.  
         [0019]      FIG. 11  is a block diagram of an implementation of an operating environment for a movie authoring application.  
         [0020]      FIG. 12  is a block diagram of an implementation of a user system architecture for hosting a movie authoring application.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     Movie Authoring Application  
       [0021]      FIG. 1  is a screenshot of an implementation of a user interface  102  for a movie authoring application (e.g., iMovie®). The user interface  102  includes a display area  104 , a theme pane  106 , a control area  108  and a timeline  110 . The display area  104  is for displaying multimedia content, such as video clips, graphics, overlays, transitions, compositions, etc. Content can be imported into the authoring application using a standard communication port (e.g., FireWire®, Universal Serial Bus (USB), etc.), and/or created from within the movie authoring application. In  FIG. 1 , the display area  104  is displaying the first frame of video clip  105  (“clip  43 ”).  
         [0022]     A “clip” is a sequence of video frames. A user can view the individual frames of a video clip by clicking on one or more control buttons  101  (e.g., play, fast forward, reverse, pause, stop, etc.) in the control area  108 . In some implementations, the control area  108  also includes buttons  112  for switching between panes associated with clips, themes, media, editing and chapters. The theme pane  106  is currently displayed in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0023]     In some implementations, the theme pane  106  includes a scrollable viewer  115  for displaying theme elements  114 , which are related to a theme selected by a user through a theme menu  116  (e.g., a “Road Trip” theme). A theme element can be added to a movie as a transition, overlay, background, composition, etc. Theme elements  114  include one or more objects that have properties (e.g., color schemes, fonts, styles, etc.). At least some objects in a theme element are graphics  118  that can include static or animated drop zone areas (also referred to as “drop zones”) for displaying content (e.g., still images, video clips, text, etc.). For example, a holiday theme element may incorporate orange and black graphics depicting traditional Halloween elements (e.g., pumpkins, ghosts, witches, etc.). The graphic  118  could include a drop zone for showing a photo taken by a user at a Halloween party.  
         [0024]     Any number and types of theme elements are possible, including but not limited to theme elements related to life events (e.g., marriage, children, school plays, proms, music recitals, graduation, birthdays, etc.), holidays, seasons, sporting events, business functions, travel, music, hobbies, etc.  
         [0025]     Theme elements  114  can be selected and dragged from the viewer  115  (e.g., clicked or mouse over) and dropped into the timeline  110  at one or more desired locations, as described with respect to  FIG. 4 . When the movie is rendered, the theme element will be added to the movie at the selected location. Examples of timeline locations include the beginning or ending of a movie, at chapter markers or between scenes (i.e., a transition). Theme elements  14  can also be overlaid onto one or more frames of a clip. For example, a theme element  114  can be overlaid onto a percentage of a frame (e.g., the lower third), so that only a portion of the frame is obscured by the theme element  114 . Theme elements  114  can include a variety of objects and content, including but not limited to: graphics, still images, video, audio, video or audio effects, text, titles, user interface elements (e.g., buttons, menus, etc.). In some implementations, theme elements  14  can include one or more static or dynamic drop zone areas  118  for displaying content. For example, a user can select a single image to be displayed in a static drop zone area  118 , or a series of images to be displayed as a slide show. A user can select a video clip to be displayed in a drop zone area  118 , which can be played for a predetermined number of seconds before looping. In some implementations, a mix of content can be displayed in a single drop zone area  118 . For example, one or more still images can be displayed in the drop zone area  118 , followed by one or more video clips  105 , etc.  
         [0026]     In some implementations, the theme pane  106  includes a button  120  or other input mechanism for initiating a preview of a theme element  114 , so that a user can instantly see how the theme element will look in the context of the movie. A button  122  or other input mechanism can also be included in the theme pane  106  to hide drop zone areas  118 , thus enabling the user to use theme elements  114  with or without drop zone areas  118 . In some implementations, the theme pane  106  includes one or more text boxes  124  for inserting opening titles and subtitles. In some implementations, the titles are text objects that are incorporated into the theme element  114  when the user clicks button  126 .  
         [0027]     In sum, the theme pane  106  and theme elements  114  described above provide a user with a simple and intuitive user interface for authoring a movie. The user selects a theme from the theme menu  116 , which results in the presentation of theme elements  114  that are related to the selected theme. The user selects one or more theme elements  114  to be added to the movie. The user can preview the theme elements in real-time and make any adjustments to the theme elements (e.g., change drop zone content, apply effects, etc.) prior to rendering the movie to a file. When finished adding theme elements, the user can render the movie to a file.  
       Drop Zone Editing  
       [0028]      FIG. 2  is a screenshot of an implementation of a drop zone editor  200  for displaying content  202  that was added to available drop zones in a theme element. The drop zone editor  200  allows a user at a glance to see the content of drop zones for a theme element. The user can scroll through the available drop zones for a theme element using controls  204 . In some implementations, the drop zone editor  200  is a single window that can be invoked through a menu or other input mechanism, or by double clicking on a theme element in the theme viewer  115 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is block diagram illustrating drop zones  302  in a theme element  300 . In some implementations, the theme element  300  includes one or more drop zones  302  and a title  304  overlaying a background  302 . The drop zones  302  can be part of a graphic  306  or can be displayed separately on the background  302 . In some implementations, at least one drop zone  302  is displayed on an animated graphic  306  that is programmed to follow a motion path in the background  302 . In other implementations, at least one drop zone  302  is animated to follow a motion path against in the background  302 . The background  302  can include one or more thematic graphics or images, some of which can be animated. In some implementations, the content is positioned, oriented and zoomed in the drop zones according to default values, which can be based on one or more properties of the drop zone (e.g., size, orientation, etc.). The drop zone editor enables a user to add, remove, rearrange and reposition content in drop zones and to set a desired zoom level if the default values provided by the drop zone editor are not satisfactory.  
         [0030]     Various techniques for animating drop zones to follow a motion path are described in co-pending U.S. patent application No. ______, entitled “Controlling Behavior of Elements In A Display Environment,” filed Jan. 6, 2006, Attorney Docket No. 18814-020001.  
         [0031]     In some implementations, content for display in drop zones  302  can be selected and dragged from a pane, folder, viewer or menu, and dropped in the drop zones  302 . Alternatively, the content can be selected automatically by a movie authoring application or an operating system, as described with respect to  FIGS. 8-10 . In some implementations, the content is immediately displayed in the drop zone area  302  after being dropped, so that the user can instantly determine how the content would appear to a viewer, and whether other further customizations or edits are desired (e.g., different theme element, drop zone content, etc.).  
         [0032]      FIG. 4  is a screenshot of an implementation of a user interface  102  for a movie authoring application showing the addition of theme elements in a movie. In this example, the user has dragged the theme element  300  from the viewer  115  and dropped it in the timeline  110 , immediately before Clip # 1 . When the theme element  300  is dropped into the timeline  110  it is automatically displayed in the display area  104 . The user can then press the play button  101  or other input mechanism to view the theme element  300  together with the other video clips in the timeline  110 . If the user is not satisfied with the theme element  300  or its location in the timeline  110 , the user can drag and drop the theme element  300  to a different location in the timeline  110  and/or select a different theme element from the viewer  115 . The user can also change the content of any drop zones in the theme element  300 , as described with respect to  FIG. 5 .  
       Selecting Media Content  
       [0033]      FIG. 5  is screenshot of an implementation of a user interface  102  for a movie authoring application, including a media pane  500  for selecting media content for incorporation into theme elements, as described with respect to  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The media pane  500  can be invoked by clicking on a “Media” button  108  or other input mechanism. The media pane  500  includes a media viewer  504 , a media display area  506  and a media browser  508 . In some implementations media includes audio media (e.g., songs, sound effects, etc.) and visual media (e.g., photos, video clips, etc.). In the exemplary configuration shown in  FIG. 5 , a photo button  502  was selected, causing a directory of folders containing photos to be displayed in the media viewer  504 . When a folder is selected in the media viewer  504 , the photos in the selected folder are displayed in the media display area  506 . The pane  500  also includes a media browser  508  for searching for media content on local storage devices and/or on a network (e.g., Internet, Ethernet, wireless, etc.). In some implementations, the user (or an application or operating system) can select one or more photos displayed in the display area  504 , and drag the photos into one or more drop zones of a theme element. In some implementations, a folder of photos can be dragged and dropped into a drop zone, and the photos will be displayed as a slide show based on the location of the photos in the folder or some other sequence (e.g., randomly) selected by the user through a preference pane or other input mechanism.  
         [0034]     An audio button  507  opens a directory of folders containing audio files (e.g., .wav, MP3, etc.). When a folder is selected its contents are presented in the display area  506 . The user (or an application or operating system) can select one or more audio files from the display area  506  to be added to the movie as a soundtrack. The user can also use the media browser  508  to search a local song library and/or catalog accessible through a network connection (iTunes®). The user can select and drag a song from the viewer  504  or the display area  506  and drops the song into an audio timeline (e.g., the audio timelines  810  shown in  FIG. 8 .).  
       Editing Movie Elements  
       [0035]      FIG. 6  is screenshot of an implementation of a user interface  102  for a movie authoring application, including an editing pane  600  for displaying various movie elements that can be edited (e.g., titles, transitions, video and audio effects). The editing pane  600  can be invoked by clicking on the “Editing” button  601  in the control area  108 . In some implementations, a video FX button  606  in a navigation bar  603  can be clicked causing a video effects viewer  602  to be presented. The viewer  602  lists various video effects (e.g., color monochrome, color posterize, color TV, etc.) that can be applied to clips or theme elements in the timeline  110 . The user can highlight the clip or theme element for receiving the video effect, then selecting one or more video effects from the viewer  602  and clicking the apply button  608 . In some implementations, the editing pane  600  includes one or more controls  604  (e.g., scrollbars) for adjusting the start and stop times for the effect and for controlling the amount of video effect that is applied. By selecting other buttons in the navigation bar  603 , additional movie elements and effects are presented for selection and application to clips and/or theme elements, including but not limited to: titles, transitions and audio effects. For example, clicking on the “Titles” button will display one or more text boxes for entering a title and subtitle. Clicking on the “Transitions” button will display a list of available transition effects that can be inserted in the movie (e.g., dissolve, fade in/out, etc.). Clicking on the “Audio FX” button will display a list of audio effects that be applied to captured audio, as described with respect to  FIG. 7 .  
         [0036]     In some implementations, video content displayed in a drop zone of a theme element can be processed with video effects by selecting the theme element in the timeline  110  and the desired effect. The theme element can be selected by clicking the theme element in the timeline  110 . When selected the theme element will become highlighted in the timeline  110  to indicate its selected status. It will also be displayed in the display area  104 . In response to clicking the “Apply” button  608 , the selected video effects will be applied to any video clips that are looping in drop zones of the selected theme element.  
         [0037]      FIG. 7  is a screenshot of an implementation of a user interface  102  for a movie authoring application, including an audio pane  700  for displaying audio effects that can be applied to captured audio. When the user clicks on the Audio FX button  701  or other input mechanism a list  702  of audio effects is displayed in the audio pane  700 . These effects include but are not limited to: a graphic EQ, reverb, delay, a pitch changer, a high pass filter, a low pass filter, a band pass filter and a noise reducer. Based on the audio effect that is selected, a set of controls for controlling the application of the audio effect to capture audio is displayed in the audio pane  700 . For example, a graphic equalizer (EQ) would display controls for adjusting signals over multiple frequency bands. The noise reducer would display a control  708  (e.g., a scroll bar) for adjusting a noise threshold to eliminate unwanted background noise (e.g., wind, traffic, beach noise, etc.) from captured audio. Another notable effect is the pitch changer which would display controls for changing the pitch of an audio signal without changing the time duration of the signal.  
         [0038]     In some implementations, the user can preview in real-time the application of audio effects to captured audio by, for example, clicking a preview button  704  or other input mechanism. When the desired amount of effect is reached, the user can click on the “Apply” button  706  or other input mechanism to apply the effect to the captured audio.  
         [0039]     Note that in some implementations the captured audio is displayed in stereo audio regions  810  to facilitate editing. A portion of the audio signal to receive the audio effect cant be highlighted in the audio regions  710  with the mouse. When the user clicks the “Apply” button  706 , the effect is applied to the selected audio signal. For example to apply audio effects to audio that is playing during a theme element, the portion of audio signal in the audio region  710  underlying the theme element in the timeline  110 .  
       Automated Movie Authoring Process  
       [0040]      FIG. 8  is a screenshot of an implementation of a user interface  102  for a movie authoring application, including a window  800  for receiving input for use with an automated movie authoring process. The automated movie authoring process automatically creates a movie from raw video footage, which includes titles, chapter markers, transitions, soundtrack, theme elements, etc.  
         [0041]     The user can invoke the window  800  from a menu or other input mechanism (e.g., a button). The window  800  includes a text box  808  for adding a custom title for the movie. The user can select video capture options using check boxes  805 . For example, a user can select an option to rewind the videotape before capturing the movie. In some implementations, the user&#39;s video camera is connected to the authoring application through a standard port (e.g., FireWire®, USB, etc.). The transport controls of the video camera can be controlled by the authoring application to rewind the videotape before importing the video footage into the authoring application. In some cases, the user may select the amount of video footage to import by selecting the appropriate check box  805  to stop capturing after a user-selectable amount of time (e.g., 15 minutes, etc.).  
         [0042]     The window  800  includes an input mechanism  802  (e.g., menu, check box, etc.) for selecting transitions between scenes. Examples of transitions include but are not limited to: random, circle opening, circle closing, cross dissolve, overlap, push, radial, scale, down, etc. Selecting the random parameter will cause transitions to be selected at random from a library of available transitions and added at one or more clip boundaries.  
         [0043]     In some implementations, theme elements (e.g., transitions, overlays, compositions, etc.) are automatically selected based on a theme selected by the user or the authoring application. For example, if a Christmas theme is selected, then Christmas theme elements are automatically selected for adding to the movie. The Christmas theme elements can be added at the beginning or end of the movie, at chapter markers or scene transitions, or at any other suitable clip boundaries in the movie.  
         [0044]     The window  800  also includes an input mechanism (e.g., check box) for selecting and adding a music soundtrack to a movie. In some implementations, a user can click a button  804  or other input mechanism to invoke a content management application (e.g., iTunes®), which can provide access to a library of songs. In some implementations, a file system integrated in the content management application allows users to organize and manage content (e.g., songs, photos, videos, etc.), as shown in  FIG. 9 . In some implementations, where the content management application is invoked from the authoring application a viewer  902  is displayed. The viewer  902  displays folders containing songs from which a song can be selected as a soundtrack for the movie. In some implementations, the user can use a search engine  908  (e.g., Safari®, Spotlight®, Google®, etc.) to find music stored locally or remotely on a network (e.g., Internet). The user can select one or more songs to be part of the movie soundtrack by dragging songs from the viewer  902  into a display area  904 . In some implementations, a volume control mechanism  906  is provided for adjusting the volume of the music soundtrack to a desired level (e.g., soft, full volume, etc.).  
         [0045]      FIG. 10  is a flow diagram of an implementation of an automated movie authoring process  1000 . The steps of process  1000  do not have to occur in a specific order and at least some steps can occur simultaneously in a multithreading or multiprocessing environment.  
         [0046]     The process  1000  begins in response to input received from a user or from an application or operating system ( 1002 ). In some implementations, the process  1000  begins in response to a user pressing the “Create” button  806  in window  800  shown in  FIG. 8 . The process  1000  automatically captures raw video footage from a video source (e.g., videotape, file, etc.). If a video camera is connected to the authoring application, then depending on the settings selected by the user, the videotape in the video camera is rewound and the raw video footage is captured into a file for use by the authoring application ( 1004 ).  
         [0047]     After the raw video is captured, the process  1000  automatically adds a title to the movie ( 1006 ) and automatically creates theme elements (e.g., transitions, overlays, compositions, etc.) based on the received input ( 1008 ). In some implementations, video effects are added to the theme elements. After the theme elements are created, the theme elements are automatically added to the movie ( 1010 ). The theme elements can be added at various locations in the movie timeline (e.g., chapter markers, scene transitions, etc.). A music soundtrack is then automatically added to the movie based on the received input ( 1012 ). In some implementations, sound effects can also be added to the movie. When the movie elements (e.g., title, theme elements, music, etc.) have been created and added to the movie, the process  1000  automatically renders the movie to a file. In some implementations, the process  1000  automatically invokes a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) authoring application ( 1014 ). The DVD authoring application can be used to create custom DVD menus, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/742,957, entitled “Creating a Theme Used By An Authoring Application To Produce A Multimedia Presentation,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/337,907, entitled “Method and Apparatus For Producing A Packaged Presentation.” 
       Movie Authoring Application Environment  
       [0048]      FIG. 11  is a block diagram of an implementation of an operating environment  1100  for a movie authoring application  1108 . The movie authoring application  1108  receives a movie theme description file  1110  and user input  1116  and interacts with a rendering engine  1102  to produce, display, preview or render a movie, as described with respect to  FIGS. 1-10 .  
         [0049]     Each theme element (e.g., a transition, overlay, composition, etc.) includes one or more objects having various properties. The theme description file  1110  contains a description of each theme element used in a movie (e.g., graphics, content, overlay, composition, colors, fonts, sizes, alignment, etc.), including descriptions of objects and object properties. For example, drop zones are objects that can be defined in the theme description file  1110  by various properties, including but not limited to: position, area size (defined by a bounding box), orientation, transparency level, depth, etc.  
         [0050]     In some implementations, the theme description file  1110  includes a path to one or more patch files  1112  for each object (or component of an object) of a theme element for use in rendering the object. The patch files  1112  associated with an object contains descriptions of modules having specific functions that are used to render the object. The rendering engine  1102  reads and determines a specific function called for by a module in a patch file  1112  and calls and executes a plug-in program  1104  capable of performing the specific function. In some implementations, the description file  1110  and the patch files  1112  are Extensible Markup Language (XML) files, which can be edited with an editing application  1118  (e.g., the XML Editor developed by &lt;oxygen/&gt;). In some implementations, the patch files  1112  are created by a graphics development tool  1114  for processing and rendering graphical data, such as Quartz Composer™ provided with Apple Computer Inc.&#39;s Mac OS® X v10.4 (“Tiger”) operating system. A technique for creating patch files using a composer application is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/742,957, entitled “Creating A Theme Used By An Authoring Application To Produce A Multimedia Presentation.” 
         [0051]     In some implementations, the theme description file  1110  can be part of a bundle (e.g., a folder of files) that contains “content” files (e.g., still images, video clips, etc.) to be displayed in objects of a theme element. For example, if a default graphic is to be displayed in an object of a theme element (e.g., displayed in a drop zone area), the description file  1110  provides the patch file(s)  1112  needed to render the object with a path to the default graphic.  
         [0052]     A patch file  1112  can also be part of a bundle (e.g., a folder of files) that contains “content” used to render objects, such as graphics or animations. In some implementations, the patch bundle is a subfolder in the description file bundle described above.  
         [0053]     A movie is produced by the rendering engine  1102  using the descriptions in the theme description file  1110 , together with any user input  1116  received through the movie authoring application  1108 , and the patch files  1112  referred to in the theme description file  1110 . To render a particular object of a theme element, the rendering engine  1102  loads and reads the patch file  1112  specified for the particular object in the theme description file  1110 .  
         [0054]     To render a theme element, the rendering engine  1102  can use one or more plug-ins  1104 . A plug-in  1104  is a program that implements a specific operation specified by the description file  1110  or a module in a patch file  1112 . For example, a plug-in  1104  may be used to import a graphic or text into the rendering engine  1102  or to implement a special effect (e.g., sepia tone, filtering, etc.) on an imported graphic, as called for in the description file  1110  or a patch file  1112 . A plug-in is called or invoked and executed by the rendering engine  1102  when needed. In some implementations, the rendering engine  1102  also uses a resource management program  1106  to manage resources used by the plug-ins  1104  (e.g., memory allocation, processor time, etc.).  
       Rendering Engine Operation  
       [0055]     In some implementations, the rendering engine  1102  uses a global compositing stack (object hierarchy) that contains layers of objects. The ordering of layers in the global compositing stack can be specified in the theme description file  1110 . The theme description file  1110  can also include, for each object layer, a path to a patch file  1112  for rendering the object layer. The movie authoring application  1108  reads the description file  1110  and sends the object layer ordering and associated patch file paths to the rendering engine  1102 . As each patch file path is received by the rendering engine  1102 , an object layer is created in the global compositing stack. The rendering engine  1102  then composites the objects accordingly to produce the rendered theme element.  
         [0056]     In some implementations, the rendering engine  1102  renders objects starting from the bottom object layer to the top object layer, so that objects on upper layers are displayed on top of objects on lower layers. For example, an object layer above a lower object layer in the object global compositing stack can be rendered opaque while the lower object layer is rendered transparent when both object layers occupy the same area in the theme element. In some implementations, the rendering engine  1102  reads the patch file  1112  for multi-component objects and uses a separate compositing stack for rendering each component of the object.  
         [0057]     A technique for rendering drop zones is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/742,957, entitled “Creating A Theme Used By An Authoring Application To Produce A Multimedia Presentation.” 
       User System Architecture  
       [0058]      FIG. 12  is a block diagram of a implementation of a user system architecture  1200  for hosting a movie authoring application. The architecture  1200  includes one or more processors  1202  (e.g., IBM PowerPC®, Intel Pentium® 4, etc.), one or more display devices  1204  (e.g., CRT, LCD), one or more graphics processing units  1206  (e.g., NVIDIA Quadro FX  4500 , GeForce 7800 GT, etc.), one or more network interfaces  1208  (e.g., Ethernet, FireWire, USB, etc.), one or more input devices  1210  (e.g., keyboard, mouse, etc.), and one or more computer-readable mediums  1212  (e.g. SDRAM, optical disks, hard disks, flash memory, L1 or L2 cache, etc.). These components exchange communications and data via one or more buses  1214  (e.g., EISA, PCI, PCI Express, etc.).  
         [0059]     The term “computer-readable medium” refers to any medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor  1202  for execution, including without limitation, non-volatile media (e.g., optical or magnetic disks), volatile media (e.g., memory) and transmission media. Transmission media includes, without limitation, coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics. Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic, light or radio frequency waves.  
         [0060]     The computer-readable medium  1212  further includes an operating system  1216  (e.g., Mac OS®, Windows®, Linux, etc.), a network communication module  1218 , a browser  1220  (e.g., Safari®, Microsoft® Internet Explorer, etc.) and a movie authoring application  1222 . The movie authoring application  1222  further includes a movie theme description file  1224 , patch files  1226 , plug-ins  1228 , a resource manager  1230 , a rendering engine  1232 , media/content  1234  (e.g., video/audio effects, still images, graphics, etc.) and raw video  1236 . Other applications  1238  can includes any other applications residing on the user system, such as a graphics development tool (e.g., Quartz Composer®), an XML editor, or any other applications related to the movie authoring process (e.g., iTunes®, email, etc.), previously described.  
         [0061]     The operating system  1216  can be multi-user, multiprocessing, multitasking, multithreading, real-time and the like. The operating system  1216  performs basic tasks, including but not limited to: recognizing input from input devices  1210 ; sending output to display devices  1204 ; keeping track of files and directories on computer-readable mediums  1212  (e.g., memory or a storage device); controlling peripheral devices (e.g., disk drives, printers, GPUs  1206 , etc.); and managing traffic on the one or more buses  1214 . The network communications module  1218  includes various components for establishing and maintaining network connections (e.g., software for implementing communication protocols, such as TCP/IP, HTTP, Ethernet, etc.). The browser  1220  enables the user to search a network (e.g., Internet) for information (e.g., digital media items) and/or the user system (e.g., Safari®, Spotlight®). The movie authoring application  1222 , together with its components, implements the various tasks and functions, as described with respect to  FIGS. 1-11 .  
         [0062]     A user systems can be any electronic or computing device capable of hosting a movie authoring application, including but not limited to portable or desktop computers, workstations, network servers, etc.  
         [0063]     Various implementations have been described. These implementations can be modified and still remain within the scope of the following claims.