Patent ID: 7917007

Claim:
A method of generating a first media track, the first media track comprising a sequence of media items selected from a first group of media items, said method comprising the steps of: adding an Edit Decision List (EDL) element into a second media track, the EDL element referencing a media item from the first group of media items, wherein the EDL element is a data structure comprising an element that selects at least a portion of the referenced media item from the first group of media items, and a transformation to be applied to the selected portion of the referenced media item; associating at least one track control attribute in the EDL element with at least one subsequent EDL element in the second media track, the track control attribute changing a duration of a media item in the first media track referenced by the EDL element in the second media track, wherein the track control attribute includes an attribute that serves to change commencement and termination of the media item in the first media track referenced by the EDL element in the second media track; generating the first media track in accordance with the EDL element, the at least one track control attribute, and another media item in a third media track; and upon a sequence of EDL elements being modified, wherein the EDL element having the track control attribute is moved to a new position in the modified sequence: (a) rearranging the media items in the first media track in accordance with the modified sequence of the EDL elements; and (b) associating the track control attribute with at least one subsequent EDL element in the modified sequence, the track control attribute affecting a duration of a media item in the first media track referenced by the EDL element in the modified sequence, the duration of the media item in the first media track being based on a duration of the another media item in the third media track, wherein the method is carried out by an apparatus comprising a memory.