Semi-automatic generation of multimedia content

1. A method for multimedia content generation, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, from a user, a text that will serve as audio narration in a video clip;

automatically collecting, from one or more databases, responsive to the received text that will serve as audio narration in the video clip, a collection of media items to be selectively included in the video clip;

presenting to the user, on a graphic user interface (GUI), the received text that will serve as audio narration in the video clip and the collection of media items to be selectively included in the video clip;

receiving from the user, through the GUI, instructions, which associate one or more selected media items from the automatically collected collection of media items, with corresponding elements of the received text; and

automatically generating the video clip, such that the selected media items appear in the video clip in the order of the corresponding elements in the received text and in synchronization with the corresponding elements of the received text in accordance with the instructions, which associate the one or more selected media items with corresponding elements of the received text.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein presenting the text comprises laying the text on a timeline presented by the GUI, and wherein receiving the instructions comprises enabling the user to position the selected media items on the timeline in proximity to the corresponding elements of the text.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions received from the user associate each selected media item with a respective element of the text selected from a group of elements consisting of a word, a part of a word, a space between words and a punctuation mark.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein automatically generating the video clip comprises estimating respective times at which the elements of the text will appear in the audio narration in the video clip, and inserting the corresponding media items into the video clip at the estimated times.

5. The method according to claim 4 , and comprising estimating, based on the estimated times, durations for which the selected media items will appear in the video clip, and presenting the estimated durations to the user.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein presenting the text and receiving the instructions comprise interacting with the user over a screen of a mobile communication device.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein interacting with the user comprises displaying a portion of the text with a corresponding subset of the media items on the screen, and, in response to input from the user, scrolling to display a different portion of the text and a different subset of the media items.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein interacting with the user comprises displaying on the screen a portion of the text and a corresponding subset of the media items that span a given time duration, and, in response to input from the user, zooming to display a different portion of the text and a different subset of the media items that span a different time duration.

9. An apparatus for multimedia content generation, comprising:

a user terminal including a screen, which is configured to receive from a user, a text that will serve as audio narration in a video clip, to automatically collect from one or more databases, responsive to the received text that will serve as audio narration in the video clip, a collection of media items to be selectively included in the video clip, to present to the user, on the screen, in a graphic user interface (GUI), the received text that will serve as audio narration in the video clip and the collection of media items and to receive from the user, through the GUI, instructions, which associate one or more selected media items from the automatically collected collection of media items, with corresponding elements of the received text; and

a processor, which is configured to automatically generate the video clip, such that the selected media items appear in the video clip in the order of the corresponding elements in the received text and in synchronization with the corresponding elements of the received text in accordance with the instructions, which associate the one or more selected media items with corresponding elements of the received text.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the user terminal is configured to lay the text on a timeline presented by the GUI, and to receive the instructions by enabling the user to position the selected media items on the timeline in proximity to the corresponding elements of the text.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the instructions received from the user associate each selected media item with a respective element of the text selected from a group of elements consisting of a word, a part of a word, a space between words and a punctuation mark.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to estimate respective times at which the elements of the text will appear in the audio narration in the video clip, and to insert the corresponding media items into the video clip at the estimated times.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to estimate, based on the estimated times, durations for which the selected media items will appear in the video clip, and wherein the user terminal is configured to present the estimated durations to the user.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the user terminal is configured to present the text and receive the instructions by interacting with the user over a screen of a mobile communication device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the user terminal is configured to display a portion of the text with a corresponding subset of the media items on the screen, and, in response to input from the user, to scroll to display a different portion of the text and a different subset of the media items.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the user terminal is configured to display on the screen a portion of the text and a corresponding subset of the media items that span a given time duration, and, in response to input from the user, to zoom to display a different portion of the text and a different subset of the media items that span a different time duration.

17. A computer software product, the product comprising a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a processor, cause the processor to receive from a user, a text that will serve as audio narration in a video clip, to automatically collect from one or more databases, responsive to the received text that will serve as audio narration in the video clip, a collection of media items to be selectively included in the video clip, to present to the user, on a graphic user interface (GUI), the received text that will serve as audio narration in the video clip and the collection of media items to be selectively included in the video clip, to receive from the user, through the GUI, instructions, which associate one or more selected media items from the automatically collected collection of media items, with corresponding elements of the received text, and to automatically generate the video clip, such that the selected media items appear in the video clip in the order of the corresponding elements in the received text and in synchronization with the corresponding elements of the received text in accordance with the instructions, which associate the one or more selected media items with corresponding elements of the received text.