iMovie Tutorial

Open iMovie:

-Click the iMovie icon in the Dock at the bottom of the screen. OR double click the system hard drive. Click ÒApplications.Ó Then double click ÒiMovie.Ó

Importing a Video:

-Open the iMovie program. Use a FireWire and connect the DV camcorder to the computer. Set the camcorder to VCR mode (on some camcorders itÕs called VTR). Click and drag the blue dot at the bottom of the screen from the scissors icon to the movie icon.

-Choose ÒPreferencesÓ from the iMovie menu. Click the box to the left of ÒAutomatically Start New Clip at Scene Break.Ó

-Click ÒImport.Ó Each clip imported displays in the ClipÕs pane. To start and stop importing, click Import or press the spacebar. With iMovie in camcorder mode, the playback buttons at the bottom of the screen control the camcorder.

Adding Clips to a Movie:

-To choose a single clip, click it and hold down the mouse key. To choose several clips hold down the ÒAppleÓ key while clicking the clips. Then click any one of the selected clips and hold down the mouse button. Drag the clip to the timeline and release the mouse button.

-Clips can also be added to the Timeline by clicking the chosen clip.  Then choose ÒCutÓ from the Edit menu to delete the clip from its current location and move it to another location.  Or choose ÒCopyÓ from the Edit menu to copy the clip and move it to another location. Click the Timeline where the clip needs to be placed. Choose ÒPasteÓ from the Edit menu.

Switching Views in iMovie:

-Click the reel of film or the clock in the bottom left of the screen to change views in iMovie OR press the ÒAppleÓ key and ÒE.Ó

Changing Clip Order in the Clip Viewer:

-Click a clip and hold down the mouse button. Drag the clip to the desired position and release the mouse button.

-The Clip Viewer is ideal when first assembling a movie and for experimenting with clip sequence.  Use the Timeline Viewer to fine-tune the movie by working with the sound, trimming clips, and changing the speed of the video.

Cropping Clips (marks footage to keep):

-Select a clip to crop by clicking the clip.

-At the upper left, the movie window displays the first frame of the clip.  Below the movie window there is a blue line with a white arrow, or playhead. Click on the blue line.  Two small white triangles will appear below. Drag the triangle markers left or right to crop the clip. The area highlighted in yellow will be kept. The length of the clip is displayed as it is cropped. To fine-tune cropping, click a cropping arrow. Then use the keyboard arrows to move the arrow in the desired direction.

-To review a cropped clip, drag the playhead left and right

-Choose ÒCropÓ from the Edit menu or push the ÒAppleÓ key and ÒKÓ

Trimming Clips (marks footage to get rid of):

-At the upper left, the movie window displays the first frame of the clip.  Below the movie window there is a blue line with a white arrow, or playhead. Click on the blue line.  Two small white triangles will appear below. Drag the triangle markers left or right to trim the clip. The area highlighted in yellow will be deleted. Choose ÒClearÓ from the Edit menu or press delete on the keyboard.

-Use trimming only to remove footage from the very beginning or very end of a clip. If footage is deleted from the middle of a video clip, it will make an awkward jump in the action.

Restoring Cropped Clips:

-To recover footage that was wrongly cropped, select the clip by clicking it

-Choose ÒRestore ClipÓ from the Advanced menu

-Reclaim disk space by emptying the Trash periodically. To do this, choose ÒEmpty TrashÓ from the File menu. However, be aware that once the Trash is emptied, the cropped out footage canÕt be restored.

Adding Bookmarks:

-A bookmark serves as a post it note of sorts. Position the playhead where you want a bookmark. Press the ÒApple KeyÓ and ÒB.Ó

-You can add a bookmark while the movie is playing by pressing ÒApple KeyÓ and ÒBÓ at the desired time for the bookmark

Creating a Chapter Marker:

-A chapter marker marks a certain important point in the movie.  This will save time.  Instead of Fast forwarding or rewinding through a movie to find a specific part, a chapter marker can be clicked on to immediately go to that part of the movie.

-Position the playhead at the desired location for a chapter marker. There cannot be a chapter marker within the first one second of the movie and there must be at least one second between each chapter marker. A marker will automatically be created for the beginning of the movie.

-Click the ÒiDVDÓ tab. Click ÒAdd Chapter.Ó A yellow diamond will be displayed at each chapter markerÕs location.

-Continue this process to create as many chapters as desired up to 99 chapter markers. When viewing a movie, if there is more than one chapter marker, click the iDVD button. Then click on the name of the desired chapter. The playhead will move to this chapter marker. Click play to begin viewing the movie from that point.

Naming a Chapter:

-Click the ÒiDVDÓ tab.

-The chapter markers and thier names will be displayed. Double click the existing name to be changed. Type a new name for the chapter.

Playing Back Entire Project:

-Move the playhead button to the beginning of the movie

-Click the ÒPlayÓ button at the bottom left of the screen