Generation of composited video programming

1. A system for creating talk shows and other video programming, comprising:

(a) a processor-based production server;

(b) a host processor-based facility configured for: (i) accepting inputs of content and stylistic information for designing a composited video program, and (ii) electronically transferring said content and stylistic information to the processor-based production server; and

(c) a plurality of participant processor-based devices, each associated with a user,

wherein the host processor-based facility and a set of the participant processor-based devices are configured: (i) to communicate with each other over an electronic communications network as participating devices in a live conference that includes audio communication, with each of the participating devices transmitting a live first data stream; and (ii) to transmit a second data stream to the processor-based production server,

wherein both the first data stream and the second data stream represent a corresponding user's participation in the live conference,

wherein the processor-based production server is configured to receive the second data streams and assemble them into a final composited video program using the content and stylistic information,

wherein each of a plurality of the second data streams includes an audio signal and a video signal, and wherein the processor-based production server is configured to combine the audio signals and to display the video signals in different frames that make up a composited video for the final composited video program, and

wherein when generating the final composited video program, the processor-based production server is further configured to automatically enlarge different individual frames, relative to the other frames, at different points in time based on an analysis of the audio signals.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the second data stream has a substantially higher data content than the first data stream.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein for each of at least half of the participating devices, both the first data stream and the second data stream include audio and video captures of the same event, but the second data stream comprises a substantially higher quality representation of at least one of said audio and video captures.

4. A system according to claim 2 , wherein for at least one of the participating devices, the first data stream includes audio but not video and the second data stream includes both audio and video.

5. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the second data stream is transmitted subsequent to the first data stream.

6. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the participating devices further are configured to insert a synchronization signal into their second data streams at each of at least one specified synchronization time point during the live conference.

7. A system according to claim 6 , wherein a time for the at least one specified synchronization time point is broadcast in advance by the host processor-based facility.

8. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor-based production server assembles the final composited video program by assembling content layers in accordance with the content and stylistic information.

9. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor-based production server is configured to create a set of cut instructions identifying individual videos from within the second data streams to emphasize at different points in time during the final composited video program.

10. A system according to claim 9 , wherein the cut instructions are generated based on audio portions, but not video portions, of the second data streams.

11. A system according to claim 10 , wherein generation of the cut instructions comprises performing an automated clustering process within audio portions of each of at least a subset of the second data streams.

12. A system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the host processor-based facility is configured for sending invitations to desired participants via an electronic communications network, and receiving responses from the desired participants indicating acceptance or non-acceptance, and

wherein each of the plurality of participant processor-based devices is configured for: receiving and displaying an invitation, from among the sent invitations, that has been addressed to the associated user, inputting a reply to the received invitation, and generating and sending a response, based on the input reply, to the host processor-based facility indicating acceptance or non-acceptance, which response subsequently is received by the host processor-based facility as one of the received responses, and

wherein the set of the participant processor-based devices includes only those participant processor-based devices that provided acceptance responses.

13. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising an administrative processor-based device, and wherein the processor-based production server is configured to automatically generate the final composited video program and then automatically send the final composited video program to the administrative processor-based device.

14. A system according to claim 13 , wherein the host processor-based facility and the administrative processor-based device are separately controlled components belonging to a same originating entity.

15. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor-based production server is part of the host processor-based facility.