Patent Publication Number: US-11039046-B2

Title: System of automated script generation with integrated video production

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to the field of production of video and audio content and more particularly to the production of video and audio content utilising automated assistance. 
     BACKGROUND 
     With the prevalence of video enabled cameras, high quality consumer video recorders and the closing gap between professional quality and consumer quality video production equipment, more and more users are looking for ways to produce their own versions of video that captures important events and occasions. 
     While the equipment enables professional quality recording of video and audio, the ability to handle the equipment professionally and to script and produce professional looking video requires more than good equipment. Know how is needed. 
     Another feature of professional quality videos is the ability to capture events from many different angles involving multiple cameras and often multiple operators. 
     Generally scripts that outline how an event or occasion should be shot are produced on-the-fly or remain the intellectual property of professional video producers, thereby limiting the opportunity for non professional users to produce good quality video. 
     Also when a script is produced it often needs to be modified based on the resources available to shoot the event. For example having two cameras to shoot an event has more limitations than a four camera shoot where events happen in real time and cannot be staged or reproduced, as in the case of a newly married couple saying “I Do”. 
     The know how to produce clever, interesting and professional looking video is available but to date it has not been placed in an automated system that allows a script to be generated from a master script template that takes into consideration the various known factors involved with capturing an important event or occasion and then modified for use with a known number of camera&#39;s, operators and other resources. 
     The described invention is designed to address these issues. 
     It is an object of the present invention to address or at least ameliorate some of the above disadvantages or provide a useful alternative. 
     NOTES 
     The term “comprising” (and grammatical variations thereof) is used in this specification in the inclusive sense of “having” or “including”, and not in the exclusive sense of “consisting only of”. 
     The above discussion of the prior art in the Background of the invention, is not an admission that any information discussed therein is citable prior art or part of the common general knowledge of persons skilled in the art in any country. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Accordingly, in one broad form of the invention, there is provided a system of automated script generation with integrated video production; said system including a server; a plurality of content contributors; at least one activity output device in association with at least one content acquisition device. 
     Preferably the content acquisition device is a video camera. 
     Preferably the content acquisition device further includes audio acquisition capability. 
     Preferably the at least one activity output device is integrated with the at least one content acquisition device. 
     In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided a method of combining preprepared video production content with video content acquired in real-time; said method comprising storing a selection of preprepared video production content on a server; associating a digital input output device with a video acquisition device; communicating at least portions of said preprepared video production content to a central production management application; communicating steps in production to said digital input output device; actuating said video acquisition device so as to give effect to at least some of said steps; communicating at least video content thus acquired by following said steps to set production management application; combining said video content thus acquired with said at least portions of said preprepared video production content thereby to produce resultant video output content. 
     Preferably only selected ones of said steps are given effect by said acquisition device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1 —Main components of example embodiment 
         FIG. 2 —Main components of Video Processing Server 
         FIG. 3 —Example timeline for a user script 
         FIG. 4 —Example of user interface for script shot and task list. 
         FIGS. 5A-5F  are flow charts illustrating exemplary steps in and in an entire video production sequence. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     First Preferred Embodiment 
     Disclosed is an example embodiment of a system to allow users to use professionally produced scripts for an event or occasion to produce their own videos. The system includes the ability to define how many cameras and contributing operators are available and support information to help a producer coordinate and capture the content as per the script directions. The system also assists the producing user in editing and refining the collected content as per the script outline and publishing it as a finished video production. 
       FIG. 1  discloses the main components of the example embodiment. These include a device used by the publisher of the video  10 , devices in use by contributing operators and content producers  13   14   15   16 . These are all connected over the Internet to a video production server  12 , which manages content produced by contributor&#39;s devices and stores it for future compilation according to a script selected by the producing user  10 . 
     The devices may be used for content generation, but also may be used by the users to interact with the video production server. For example shots or tasks related to the production schedule as defined by the script could be communicated and coordinated through an application on these devices. 
       FIG. 2  discloses key components of the video production server of the example embodiment. A central production management application  30  is connected to a content management system  31  that is in turn connected to and has access to all the content made available or produced for the video being produced  32   33   34   35 . 
     A series of professionally written or supplied script templates  37  for a wide range of events or occasions, such as but not limited to weddings, anniversaries, graduation or holidays is produced and stored for use by the users of the system  37 . These script templates have been written in such a way so as to accommodate a wide variety of locations, weather and other factors. They have also been written to accommodate a varying level of access to equipment, operators and operator skill levels. 
     By becoming a user of the system a producing user can use the script template of their choice  37  and produce a customized script using their own additional information  38 . By defining the names of contributing operators, the equipment they have available and their date availability as well as other factors such as but not limited to anticipated weather and location details, the producing user can craft their own script using the script management system  36 . 
     The central production management system  30  uses the script management system  36  and the content management system  31  to manage the process of helping a producing user collect, collate and edit content and then edit, compile and publish the finished result. The main server  30  also communicates with all users by means of the Internet  39  and also uses the Internet to publish the finished video to a publishing location or site such as but not limited to YouTube or Vimeo when it is finished. 
       FIG. 3  discloses a simplified example visualization of a script timeline  40  for a wedding. The figure only discloses a small segment of an actual timeline but is used for illustrative purposes. A vertical line  45  denotes a time segregation. In this case, the time before the dotted line  45  denotes an event anytime before the wedding day. The time after the time marker  45  denotes events that happen at the beginning of the wedding day. 
     Layered areas  41   42   43  denote different types of script activities. For example area  41  denotes shots or tasks related to interviewing persons related to the scripted event. In the example  47 , the operator of camera one has been tasked with contacting the Bride&#39;s best friend and interviewing her about what happened when she told her that she was getting married. The event flag  47  is linked to the timeline by means of a flag marker  46 . 
     The next area  42  related to shots or scenes that do not involve an interview. In this example shot descriptions and instructions are shown relating to activities inside the church  48   49  and outside the church as the Brides Limousine arrives  50 . 
     Each shot or task flag incorporates a delegated operator who is responsible for collecting the content, a description of what to record and a context as to when the event should occur. For example the operator of Camera Two is assigned to capture a close-up of the face of the Groom  48  and then to record audio  51  from the audio area of the timeline  43  to capture the reaction of the Groom as to how he is feeling at that time  51 . 
     The example in this figure is limited to a small segment of time  44  for the sake of simplicity and clarity. 
       FIG. 4  gives an example of how a shot and task management application running on a smart device may look  60 . The display  60  shows a list of shots and tasks  61   62   63   64   65 . Each shot or task includes a location, time designator or cue  68  along with a simple summary of the action to be taken  67 . A checkbox  66  along side each shot item or task item allows the contributing operator who is using the device to interact with the producing user and the video production server to volunteer or accept assignments as part of the script management process. 
     The described software application interface in  FIG. 4  could be used for many other production related purposes but this example is shown to illustrate how an automated script management system could be used to interact with multiple contributing content producers. 
     The overall effect of the system is to allow users to systematically produce videos using high quality script templates, a content management system, content contributions from many contributing content producers and an online editing and publishing system to help people make quality video productions of events or occasions that are important to them. 
     Alternative Embodiments 
     The example embodiment uses a producing user and four contributing content producers to connect to a video production system that uses script templates and user input to generate a customized script, to manage the execution of that script, to edit the video and produced a finished video for publishing. 
     An alternative embodiment could have one or more publishing users, where none or more users are contributing content to the system, where the production system may be on a user&#39;s computer or on multiple computers over a network or over the Internet where application performing various tasks for the system are shared across multiple computers at different locations or where all the services are performed on one computer. Any part of the production process can be done separately or completed as part of the same production process. 
     The example of  FIG. 3  is designed to help visualize how a script template could be converted into a customized script with the addition of specific locations and specific allocation of camera and contributing content producers. An alternative embodiment could use any type of content categorization not just limited to the audio, video and interview categories used in  FIG. 3 , it could also help visualize any script template, with any user modifications for any users using the system. 
     As further shown in  FIG. 4  the steps in the process  61 ,  62 ,  63 ,  66  can be displayed on a digital input output device  80 . In a particular preferred form the digital input output device  80  is associated with a video camera  81 . More preferably the digital input output device is integrated with the video camera  81 . In either instance the digital input output device communicates with the central production management application  30  (refer to  FIG. 2 ) so as to receive the steps from the central production management application and send the required data in accordance with the selected steps including video data to the central production management application. In a particular preferred form the digital input output device  80  utilises a touch sensitive screen in order to make input more intuitive. In a particular form the digital input output device and video camera take the form of a smart phone which further includes integrated communication capability to transfer video content wirelessly to the central production management application. 
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps in an entire video production sequence making use of the video content derived from multiple smartphones whose video content generation is directed and orchestrated according to selected steps derived from the central production management application. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The system according to embodiments of the invention can be implemented utilising a combination of hardware and software. The software portions can run on servers preferably communicating over the Internet with a plurality of input output devices. In particular forms the input output devices comprise video and audio acquisition devices in the form of video cameras and the like.