FIELD

The present invention is related generally to systems and methods for collecting and using video content with a computing device having a camera, such as a mobile phone or tablet. More specifically, certain embodiments are directed to systems and methods for enabling users to create strategic video stories, from collected custom videos, to achieve particular aims, such as business and/or personal goals or social impact.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Storytelling is one of the most ancient forms of communication and remains one of the most effective. When used strategically, stories can persuade people to purchase products and inspire social action; stories can evoke sympathy and create connection. The act of telling one's story can even promote positive effects on one's mental well-being.

However, it is often difficult for individuals to know how to craft strategic video stories that maximize positive effects for a person or a particular aim, such as business and/or personal goals, social impact, and the like. Indeed, creating effective stories often requires technical assistance in crafting, capturing, and editing stories, particularly those with a specific aim, such as a positive business, personal, or social impact goal. Consequently, it would be advantageous to have a system and method that equips users, including non-technical users, to maximize story-craft teamed with user accessible technology, such as mobile phones and tablets, to create strategic video stories with a particular aim while, potentially, having a positive effect on the persons telling their stories. Moreover, it would advantageous to have a system and method to create videos to be used in businesses and nonprofits internal and external communications while also, or alternatively, being used for an individual's own well-being and learning goals.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a video content collection and usage system and method that, in one or more aspects, equips non-technical users to maximize story-craft and user accessible technology, such as mobile phones and tablets, to create strategic video stories with a particular aim while, potentially, having a positive impact on the persons telling their stories. Indeed, while the technology associated with video cameras in mobile phones and tablets has advanced such that users have access to near-professional video equipment, most individuals lack the story-craft to strategically create videos to achieve particular aims.

In various embodiments of the present video content collection and usage system, users are guided through how to create a strategic story, including questions to ask and answer on video, additional supporting video shots to get, and resources to help get those videos like a professional. Thereby, the present video content collection and usage system acts like a director in a user's device, like a mobile phone or tablet.

In particular embodiments, the video content collection system—a content creation system—provides a foundation for the entire system and method by creating video content that can be edited by editors or user-controlled editing technology. Indeed, in certain embodiments, the user-controlled editing technology can be used to order collected video content in a pre-designed story arc, unlike standard editing platforms, and allow the video content to be further adjusted as desired, such as by trimming or readjusting the order of video content.

In certain embodiments, the present video content collection and usage system will guide individuals to reflect on their own story in a way to promote positive well being and/or help curate custom content to benefit their own healing and growth journey. The reflections of the user are captured in video journals which are analyzed through artificial intelligence tools, such as sentiment analysis, to help identify what content from others and/or themselves might be helpful to achieve the user's healing and growth aims. Indeed, such content might include messages from psychologists or other people and could be used to help a user heal and grow in a variety of ways, such as health from depression, anxiety, insomnia, and/or racial trauma.

In various embodiments of the present video content collection and usage system, a video content collection platform is utilized to guide a user through the creation and collection of custom videos helpful to create some final content using a computing device with a camera, such as a smartphone. To guide the user, the video content collection platform utilizes templates featuring video content requests directing a user to capture custom videos related to the request. For example, video interview questions which a user could answer during the custom video.

Through the guidance of the template, the collection of the videos is organized so that a user can collect helpful videos to tell an impactful story for a desired purpose. For example, the collection of template-directed videos could introduce a hero, some event they went through, their desires, the conflict that they had to overcome to achieve their desired goal, and the growth that resulted to generate an impactful story without requiring a user to engage an expert, such as a director, or attempt to create such a storyline on their own. Without the added overhead of an expert, the ability to create impactful stories that assist users in achieving their goals becomes more available to a broader class of users, particularly those sensitive to costs such as nonprofits and startup businesses.

From the collected custom videos, the video content collection platform generates compiled data that might be used in a myriad of helpful ways to achieve a desired end goal through some final content. For example, the videos may be edited through a platform separate from the computing device collecting the videos or on the computing device itself to create marketing videos promoting a desired goal. Alternatively, the compiled content could be subjected to analysis to determine what final content would be helpful. For example, the compiled data could be provided to an analysis system that generates one or more scores based on sentiment analysis to determine appropriate therapeutic resources. Thereby, a user might be guided by a story template to create a video journal in response to prompts designed to elicit emotional context for scoring. The analysis system could then determine the sentiment in the video from the actual expressions in the video, key words utilized, or both to determine a score guiding the generation of helpful final content, such as therapy resources or personally helpful messages. In order to gain maximum effectiveness, the tools utilized in the analysis system above might be taught to recognize sentiment through artificial intelligence. Thereby, the present system might be a helpful automated low-cost supplement to a user's therapy.

