Circular timeline for video trimming

1. A method comprising:

receiving a video;

generating a self-enclosed timeline to represent a duration of the video, the self-enclosed timeline incremented according to a first unit of time, the self-enclosed timeline comprising a circular timeline;

layering the circular timeline over at least a rendered portion of the video; and

modifying the video at one or more video frames, which includes:

receiving an identification of a first timeline segment;

modifying display of the circular timeline to display the first timeline segment as visibly incremented according to a second unit of time, the second unit of time different than the first unit of time, the circular timeline representing a longer duration than the first timeline segment;

while the circular timeline displays the first timeline segment as visibly incremented according to the second unit of time, receiving a selection of an in-point and a selection of an out-point, the in-point and out-point both respectively located on the circular timeline;

creating a trimmed video, the trimmed video retaining only a plurality of video frames synchronized with a second timeline segment, the second timeline segment occurring on the circular timeline between the in-point and the out-point;

rendering the trimmed video; and

regenerating the circular timeline, the regenerated circular timeline representing only a duration of the trimmed video.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein generating the self-enclosed timeline to represent the duration of the video according to the first unit of time includes:

representing a start of the video on the self-enclosed timeline and an end of the video on the self-enclosed timeline; and

displaying the duration of the video in its entirety by connecting the start and the end of the video on the self-enclosed timeline.

3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein generating the self-enclosed timeline to represent the duration of the video according to the first unit of time includes displaying the duration of the video by generating the self-enclosed timeline as having at least one curvilinear section.

4. The method as in claim 1 , wherein receiving the selection of the in-point and the out-point includes:

receiving the selection of the in-point from a graphic selector to demarcating a beginning of a span of time within the duration of the video; and

receiving the selection of the out-point from the graphic selector demarcating a end of the span of time within the duration of the video; and

wherein demarcating the beginning and the end of the span of time within the duration of the video includes synchronizing the video with the in-point and the out-point to play one or more video frames that occur within the span of time.

5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein receiving the identification of the first timeline segment includes:

receiving the identification of the first timeline segment via a drag-and-drop functionality to place a segment selector upon the the first timeline segment;

enlarging the first timeline segment on the self-enclosed timeline to display the segment incremented according to the second unit of time, the second unit of time smaller than the first unit of time;

shrinking a remainder of the self-enclosed timeline to still fit on the self-enclosed timeline to display the duration of the video in its entirety, the remainder of the self-enclosed timeline representing that portion of the self-enclosed timeline outside of the enlarged segment and presented on the self-enclosed timeline as incremented according to the first unit of time; and

synchronizing the video with the segment to play one or more video frames that occur within the segment of the self-enclosed timeline frame-by-frame in accordance with the second unit of time.

6. The method as in claim 1 , wherein receiving the video includes receiving the video on at least one of a mobile computer device, a wireless computer device, and a portable computer device.

7. A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions encoded thereon operable on a computerized device to perform processing comprising:

instructions for receiving a video;

instructions for generating a self-enclosed timeline to represent a duration of the video, the self-enclosed timeline incremented according to a first unit of time, the self-enclosed timeline comprising a circular timeline;

instructions for layering the circular timeline over at least a rendered portion of the video; and

instructions for modifying the video at one or more video frames, which include:

instructions for receiving an identification of a first timeline segment;

instructions for modifying display of the circular timeline to display the first timeline segment as visibly incremented according to a second unit of time, the second unit of time different than the first unit of time, the circular timeline representing a longer duration than the first timeline segment;

instructions for receiving a selection of an in-point and a selection of an out-point while the circular timeline displays the first timeline segment as visibly incremented according to the second unit of time, the in-point and out-point both respectively located on the circular timeline;

instructions for creating a trimmed video, the trimmed video retaining only a plurality of video frames synchronized with a second timeline segment, the second timeline segment occurring on the circular timeline between the in-point and the out-point;

instructions for rendering the trimmed video; and

instructions for regenerating the circular timeline, the regenerated circular timeline representing only a duration of the trimmed video.

8. The computer readable medium as in claim 7 , wherein the instructions for generating the self-enclosed timeline to represent the duration of the video according to the first unit of time include:

instructions for representing a start of the video on the self-enclosed timeline and an end of the video on the self-enclosed timeline; and

instructions for displaying the duration of the video in its entirety by connecting the start and the end of the video on the self-enclosed timeline.

9. The computer readable medium as in claim 7 , wherein the instructions for generating the self-enclosed timeline to represent the duration of the video according to the first unit of time include instructions for generating a circular timeline to display the duration of the video in its entirety.

10. The computer readable medium as in claim 7 , wherein the instructions for receiving the selection of the in-point and the out-point includes:

instructions for receiving the selection of the in-point from a graphic selector to demarcating a beginning of a span of time within the duration of the video; and

instructions for receiving the selection of the out-point from the graphic selector demarcating a end of the span of time within the duration of the video; and, wherein demarcating the beginning and the end of the span of time within the duration of the video includes synchronizing the video with the in-point and the out-point to play one or more video frames that occur within the span of time.

11. The computer readable medium as in claim 7 , wherein the instructions for receiving the identification of the first timeline segment include:

instructions for receiving the identification of the first timeline segment via a drag-and-drop functionality to place a segment selector upon the first timeline segment;

instructions for enlarging the first timeline segment on the self-enclosed timeline to display the segment incremented according to the second unit of time, the second unit of time smaller than the first unit of time;

instructions for shrinking a remainder of the self-enclosed timeline to still fit on the self-enclosed timeline to display the duration of the video in its entirety, the remainder of the self-enclosed timeline representing that portion of the self-enclosed timeline outside of the enlarged segment and presented on the self-enclosed timeline as incremented according to the first unit of time; and

instructions for synchronizing the video with the segment to play one or more video frames that occur within the segment of the self-enclosed timeline frame-by-frame in accordance with the second unit of time.

12. The computer readable medium as in claim 7 , wherein the instructions for receiving the video include instructions for receiving the video on at least one of a mobile computer device, a wireless computer device, and a portable computer device.

13. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory unit that stores instructions associated with an application executed by the processor; and

an interconnect coupling the processor and the memory unit, enabling the computer system to execute the application and perform operations of:

receiving a video;

generating a self-enclosed timeline to represent a duration of the video, the self-enclosed timeline incremented according to a first unit of time, the self-enclosed timeline comprising a circular timeline;

layering the circular timeline over at least a rendered portion of the video: and

modifying the video at one or more video frames, which includes:

receiving an identification of a first timeline segment;

modifying display of the circular timeline to display the first timeline segment as visibly incremented according to a second unit of time, the second unit of time different than the first unit of time, the circular timeline representing a longer duration than the first timeline segment;

while the circular timeline displays the first timeline segment as visibly incremented according to the second unit of time, receiving a selection of an in-point and a selection of an out-point, the in-point and out-point both respectively located on the circular timeline;

creating a trimmed video, the trimmed video retaining only a plurality of video frames synchronized with a second timeline segment, the second timeline segment occurring on the circular timeline between the in-point and the out-point;

rendering the trimmed video; and

regenerating the circular timeline, the regenerated circular timeline representing only a duration of the trimmed video.

14. The method as in claim 1 , comprising:

while displaying the first timeline segment visibly incremented according to the second unit of time, displaying a third timeline segment, the third timeline segment incremented according to the first unit of time.

15. The method as in claim 1 , wherein layering the circular timeline over at least a rendered portion of the video includes:

rendering at least the portion of the video in a video editing environment displayed on a screen of a wireless mobile telephone.

16. The method as in claim 1 , wherein layering the circular timeline over at least a rendered portion of the video includes:

receiving a selection of a first area of the rendered portion of the video;

layering the circular timeline over the first area;

receiving a selection of a second area of the rendered portion of the video; and

layering the circular timeline over the second area, the first area containing at least one different video pixel than the second area.

17. The method as in claim 1 , wherein modifying display of the circular timeline to display the first timeline segment as visibly incremented according to the second unit of time includes:

while maintaining a size of the circular timeline, expanding a view of the first timeline segment on the circular timeline.

18. The method as in claim 17 , wherein expanding the view of the first timeline segment on the circular timeline includes:

identifying a remainder of the circular timeline, the remainder of the circular timeline comprising every timeline segment other than the first timeline segment;

identifying a length of the first timeline segment;

identifying a length of the remainder;

identifying a first proportion, the first proportion describing a proportional relationship between a length of the first timeline segment and a size of the circular timeline;

identifying a second proportion, the second proportion describing a proportional relationship between a length of the remainder and the size of the circular timeline; and

while maintaining the size of the circular timeline:

i) increasing the first proportion in order to visibly increment the first timeline segment according to the second unit of time; and

ii) decreasing the second proportion.

19. The method as in claim 17 , comprising:

upon expanding the view of the first timeline segment, receiving a selection to play each video frame synchronized with the first timeline segment.

20. The method as in claim 1 , comprising:

while displaying the first timeline segment visibly incremented according to the second unit of time, displaying a third timeline segment, the third timeline segment incremented according to the first unit of time;

wherein layering the circular timeline includes:

receiving a selection of a first area of the rendered portion of the video;

layering the circular timeline over the first area;

receiving a selection of a second area of the rendered portion of the video; and

layering the circular timeline over the second area, the first area containing at least one different video pixel than the second area;

wherein modifying display of the circular timeline includes:

while maintaining a size of the circular timeline, expanding a view of the first timeline segment on the circular timeline; and

upon expanding the view of the first timeline segment, receiving a selection to play each video frame synchronized with the first timeline segment;

wherein expanding the view includes:

identifying a remainder of the circular timeline, the remainder of the circular timeline comprising every timeline segment other than the first timeline segment;

identifying a length of the first timeline segment and a length of the remainder;

identifying a first proportion and a second proportion, the first proportion describing a proportional relationship between a length of the first timeline segment and a size of the circular timeline, the second proportion describing a proportional relationship between a length of the remainder and the size of the circular timeline;

increasing the first proportion in order to visibly increment the first timeline segment according to the second unit of time; and

decreasing the second proportion.