In computer-participative multimedia applications, the computer not only manipulates media, but also digests it and performs independent actions based on media content. In this thesis I discuss an approach to the design of environments to support the development of computer-participative multimedia applications and I describe the implementation of the VuSystem, a computer-participative multimedia system built using this approach. The system is unique in that it combines the programming techniques of visualization systems and the temporal sensitivity of multimedia systems. I report measurements made of the performance of the VuSystem, which demonstrate its practicality. I conclude with a brief summary of users' experiences with the VuSystem, and suggests future directions for research in this area.
