Robust automated footage analysis for professional media applications

We report a method for automated video indexing and shot characterization that meets the specific requirements of professional post-production and archivist end users. ASAP - Automated Shot Analysis Program - interprets source video material in a manner consistent with industry practice and generates logs and searchable databases of cut location and camera activity. It uses projective transform estimation methods in conjunction with temporal filtering to resolve complex subject motion. Using challenging test footage and rigorous metrics we show that ASAP is more robust than well-established colour histogram boundary detection methods and effective at parsing complex camera movement. These results indicate that our techniques are potentially valuable for professional application.