iMovie - Handout

iMovie 09 Outline

iMovie Project Timeline - this area shows current project timeline.

Project Library - all movie projects on computer are displayed. Instead of having a multiple files for each project, iMovie organizes all video

projects into one project library. Note, if you are backing your iMovie project to an external hard drive, this is done

under the Project Library tab.

Monitor Window - view clips from your iMovie project

Source Video - shows all clips from a particular event, in the Event Library, that can be used for editing. Imported clips can be dragged and dropped to the iMovie Project Timeline.

Edit browsers - Different editing browsers such as adding music, photos,

text, transitions, animations, and audio monitoring.

Import - where you import footage from your webcam or video camera. Clicking on this will bring up a heads-up display

Flip Switch - Swaps the Source Video and the iMovie Project from top to bottom

Display Adjustment - Adjusts size of thumbnails used in iMovie

Favorites Tab - allows you to select favorite clips, or parts of clips, or just remove clips all together.

Options Tab - This is where you can work on voiceovers, cropping images, ken burns effect, adjust audio, or adjust video.

iMovie 09 is consumer-level digital video editing software for Macintosh. You can use iMovie 09 to edit the footage you film with digital video cameras and HD video cameras. To build a movie, drag clips from the Event Library into the project area and rearrange them as needed, then add photos from your iPhoto Library or a song from iTunes for your soundtrack. You can also record your own narration

using iMovieʼs built-in recording tools, and easily add titles and transitions using drag and drop. The finished movie can be uploaded to YouTube, exported into a format that can be played on an iPod or iPhone, or burned to a DVD using iDVD. The sections below will help

you use iMovie 09 to edit your video efficiently.

Remember that video editing is a time intensive process. If you need additonal help, please sign up for a consultation at http://www.library.georgetown.edu/gelardin/consultation

Import Window By clicking the import button, a display comes up with important options for your iMovie project. Here,

you can point your project to a external hard drive. Note, backing up your project to external drive can be

done at a later time.

iMovie clips are organized into events in order to keep better track them. When you hit Capture, iMovie

will ask you to add the clips to an existing event, or to create a new event. Create a name that would best

fit your video.

You will then select the aspect ratio for your project, either 4:3 full screen or 16:9 widescreen.In the lower left corner, set the switch on the left to Automatic if you want iMovie to log the clips for you. iMovie will break your clips up when there are any timecode breaks.

To log clips Manually, hit the Capture button to start importing and stop to end that particular clip. Use the VCR controls on the camera to cue the tape to where you would like to import it.

Event Library

Captured Video Clip

Selected Video Clip

Project Area

Event library will events organized by date. In the upper right corner there is a link to external hard drives.

As you hover your cursor over a red “skimming” line will appear. Move the skimming line back and forth to preview your video in the Viewer.

Click once on the clip to display a yellowselection area.

To expand or contract the selection, click on the edge of the selection area when the cursor changes to a bar with a double arrow and drag.

The entire selection can be nudged left or right using the left and right arrow keys.

Once you have your desired selection, drag the content within the yellow box to the Project Area. Note - pressing the “E” key on will put the selected clip in your Project Area.

The highlighted Project Area above represents the dragging and dropping method of adding a clip to your project. The green highlight at the end of the previous clip shows the order which your clip will be placed. Clips can be inserted and re-adjusted in any order you wish them to be played.

As you click on each clip, the gear in the left hand corner will bring up a variety of audio and video adjustment options.

Dropping your clip on top of another will bring up options of how to edit your video and audio.

Selection and Adding to the Project Editor

iMovie Adjustment Editor

When a clip is selected, a gear will show up in the lower left corner. This will bring up an Inspector for audio, video and clip.

Any changes will be able to be viewed live in your Monitor Window. Based on the changes you made, a small icon will appear in the upper left corner of your clip indicating the adjustment change.

Note - this Inspector can also be reached through the options tab. The icon looks like an “i”.

This Inspector will allow you to change the duration, speed, and to add a wide range of video effects of a clip.

The stabilization feature will smooth the clip motion of hand held shots.

Note - The stabilization feature is not a substitution for a tripod.

This Inspector displays a histogram of your Red Green and Blue values. You can also change the brightness and contrast of your video the colors, shadows, and highlights are appearing flat. You can also take all of the color out of the video with the Saturation slider.

The White Point changes color range by resetting the color white. This is handy tool to use if you have not set the white balance of your scene. Simply drag your cursor to the view and click in the area that is supposed to be white.

Note - it is a best practice to set your exposure and white balance in the field before filming.

This Inspector displays the audio adjustments for a clip.

Volume can be either increased or decreased.

Ducking will make other sounds, such as background music, “duck” below the volume of your clip. By default, your track is reduced to 15%.

Fade In/Out - When a clip transitions to another, the audio of your clip will fade out so as not to have an abrupt sound in transition. This can be changed from automatic to manual for either longer or shorter transi-tions.

Normalizing Clip - Normalization allows you to match the volume levels across several clips.

Clip Adjustments Inspector

Video Adjustments Inspector

Audio Adjustments Inspector

Inserting Audio

Click the music note on the edit browser to open the Music and Sound Effects Browser. This will reveal a tab linking to your iTunes account and all of your music. Use the search box and play button to find and listen to music before you insert it in your project.

To add music overlaying your entire project click and drag your music file to the Project Area. When the background changes from gray to green, drop your file. The music will run through-out the duration of your project. Use volume controls to mix the audio.

To add music to a particular clip or section of your video, click, drag and drop your audio file on top of the clip where you want the music to start.

Music added to a clip

Music added to the project area

Music and Sound Effects Browser

Voiceover Tool To add voiceover to any clip: click the microphone icon on the far left of the Options Tab. You have the options to select which microphone you would like to use, control the level at which your voice records, apply noise-reducing vocal enhancement, and play your project’s audio while you record. When you are ready to record, click on the clip you would like to record a voiceover for. After a three second count down just begin talking as your video plays.

The red overlay represents the live in progress voiceover.

In the voiceover heads-up display, you can change your mic input, volume and remove hum from the background using the Noise Reduction setting.

Inserting Text

Click the large T in the edit browser to open the Text Browser. This will reveal a tab linking the different types of text themes that can be placed in your project. Hover your cursor over each title to get a preview of the title and any actions applied to it.

To add text overlaying part of a clip, drag a text theme over the clip you want it displayed on. Based on where in the clip you drag and drop your text, iMovie will either apply the text to the beginning of the clip, the entire clip, or just the end of your clip.

To add text between two clips in your project, drag and drop your text theme between two clips. There will be a green line between the two clips indicating the text placement.

Adding text between clips Overlaying text on a clip

Adding Transitions

The transitions icon is located to the right of the type icon. As with other functions in the Edit

Browser, the Transition tab displays all of iMovie’s transitions with a preview. To add, simply

drag the desired transition between the two clips in your project area. There will be a green

line between the two clips indicating the transition placement.

Two clips with transition between them.

Sharing/Exporting and Burning

iMovie 09 gives you a number of different options for exporting your video. The Share

tab from iMovie allows you to take your final video project and share it with other applica-

tions. Most often you will share your project with iDVD to get a finalized authored DVD, or

export in order to get a single quicktime movie.

Other options include: sharing directly to Youtube, Apple’s Mobile Me Gallery (if you have

purchased one); and a Final Cut XML file. Note, there will be several limitations exporting

your project to Final Cut Pro.

Quick Burn with iDVD with no menu

Sharing to iDVD will automatically open up iDVD. Your project file will be displayed on the default iDVD template. In order to burn your

DVD with no menu, click on the DVD map at the bottom of the iDVD application. The DVD menu will change to the DVD map displaying

three boxes. One of them being your project, another the iDVD menu and the final box telling you to drag content to have it automatical-

ly play when the disk is inserted to a dvd player. Drag and drop your project to this box. Delete your duplicate project file from the map.

Click the DVD map button to return. To test, click the play button in the lower right corner. Your project should default to the first scene

in your project and not a menu. To finalize the DVD, click on the shutter icon next to the preview play button.

Drag you project file to the box on the left and drop.

iDVD Menu

DVD Map

Preview DVD

Burn

TEST YOUR DVD IN A DVD PLAYER