Modeling Color Dynamics for the Semantics of Commercials

Retrieval of video based on content semantics requires that models are developed to map low level perceptual features into high level semantic concepts. Commercials are a video category where the link between low level perceptual features and high level semantics is stressed, since the way colors are chosen and modified throughout a commercial creates a large part of its message. In this chapter, we propose a model for the representation and comparison of video content based on dynamics of color regions in the video. A model is presented to define an intermediate level representation of color dynamics in terms of spatial arrangement of color flows. The model for representation and comparison of spatial relationships between extended sets of pixels in a 3D space is introduced by developing on the concept of weighted walkthroughs. Results of preliminary experiments are reported for a library of video commercials.