B-Script: Transcript-based B-roll Video Editing with Recommendations

Bernd Huber1,2, Hijung Valentina Shin2, Bryan Russell2, Oliver Wang2, and Gautham J. Mysore2

Harvard University1, Adobe Research2

Example functionality of our video editing interface, B-Script. (A) Users can navigate the video by clicking on a transcript, and can search for possible B-roll clips from external online repositories. (B) Users can then add B-roll clips with the click of a button, and change their position and duration directly on the transcript. (C) An automatic recommendation system identifies possible locations and search keywords in the video, and presents these to the user for easy edits.

Abstract

In video production, inserting B-roll is a widely used technique to enrich the story and make a video more engaging. However, determining the right content and positions of B-roll and actually inserting it within the main footage can be challenging, and novice producers often struggle to get both timing and content right. We present B-Script, a system that supports B-roll video editing via interactive transcripts. B-Script has a built-in recommendation system trained on expert-annotated data, recommending users B-roll position and content. To evaluate the system, we conducted a within-subject user study with 110 participants, and compared three interface variations: a timeline-based editor, a transcript-based editor, and a transcript-based editor with recommendations. Users found it easier and were faster to insert B-roll using the transcript-based interface, and they created more engaging videos when recommendations were provided.

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