imovie '09 - ru mac users · not unlike previous version of imovie, the audio browser opens up...

IMovie '09From RU Mac Users

Contents1 iMovie '08 and '09: A complete re-design2 How Do I Save My Movie?3 The Interface4 Arranging The Interface5 Importing Clips6 Editing Clips7 Clip Adjustments8 Cropping and Rotation9 Audio and Photo Browsers10 The Ken Burns Effect11 Editing Audio12 Video Effects13 Titles Inspector14 Transition Inspector15 Producing Your Movie16 Saving your Movie for iPod

iMovie '08 and '09: A complete re-design

iLife users no doubt noticed the astounding difference between iMovie '08 and its predecessor, iMovie HD. '08 featured a totally redesigned interface, a departurefrom every previous version of iMovie. iMovie '09 continues to basic design of '08, though with some improved functionality.

How Do I Save My Movie?

You don't have to -- in fact, there is no 'Save' or 'Save As' option anywhere in the program. Saving is completely transparent in iMovie '08 and '09.

To back up a project, notice the 'iMovie Projects' folder in the Movies area of your hard drive. All project files are kept here, and can be backed up to an externalstorage source. You may need to use the 'Consolidate Media' feature in the program to make sure all media used in the project (additional photos, audio, video, etc.)is copied into the project file.

The Interface

The program interface for iMovie '08 and '09 is organized into the following primary areas:

IMovie '09 - RU Mac Users https://php.radford.edu/~tlc/ru_mac/index.php?title=IMovie_%...

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1 - Events: contains footage you import for use in your movie. This area is akin to the Clips area of previous versions of iMovie. Events contains a library that listspreviously imported items that can easily be toggled between. The library can be shown or hidden by clicking a button in the lower-left corner of the Events area ofthe window.

2 - Project: think of the as your Timeline. Create movies by dragging and dropping clips from 'Events' into 'Projects.' Similar to 'Event,' 'Project' contains a libraryof previous projects/timelines you have worked on. You can show or hide the Project library by clicking the labeled so in the upper-left corner of the Project area ofthe program window.

3 - Viewer: displays clips during playback and editing. Clips you access in Events or Project will appear in the Viewer.

4 - Toolbar: there is toolbar extending the length of the iMovie program window, dividing the upper and lower sections. This toolbar contains a series of controlsused for importing video from camera, marking clips good/bad, adding voiceover, cropping, clip info, and browsers for audio, photos, titles, transitions andmaps/backgrounds. To invoke any of these tools, simply click the corresponding button. If you're not sure what a button does, hover your mouse over it for amoment and iMovie will display a note indicating what it is.

The notion of Event and Project libraries is new to '08 and '09. While it seems a bit confusing at first, a nice thing about them is that you can easily share differentEvent media with different Projects.

Arranging The Interface

Despite the new look, users have a few options for arranging the iMovie '09 interface into something that more closely resembles iMovie HD.

First, swapping the Events and Projects windows (Window > Swap Events and Projects) so that Projects is displayed along the bottom of the window will make itlook a little more like a timeline.

Second, hiding the Event library (lower left button in Events) while working will make Events look more like the Clips area of iMovie HD.

You can also drag on the middle bar running the length of the program window to adjust the size of the areas above and below it.

Importing Clips

Clips from a camcorder can be imported by clicking the Camera Import button on the toolbar.


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The import window appears. Here, you can choose camera (default will appear automatically), video size (again, choose default if you're not sure), then click'Capture' to record footage from a camcorder or other source. You'll be prompted to provide an Event name - type one, or go with the default name. Repeat asneeded to capture clips.

When finished, click 'Done.'

Editing Clips

This is one of the trickiest differences between iMovie HD and the newer '08 and '09 versions. When clips are imported to Events, instead of a single thumbnailimage, iMovie displays each clip as a series of frames. You can scrub through clips by simply hovering the mouse over them. Click any portion of clip for normalplayback (appears in Viewer). Click and drag to select portions of clips (indicated by yellow bounding box). Drag and drop to move clips from Events to the Projectarea.

Editing clips in '08 and '09 has been one of the most challenges differences for iMovie HD users to get used to. Rather then working with a pair of selection pointsalong a timeline, users drag a bounding box around a multi-frame display representing the clip. It is very different ... but once you are accustomed to it, it works likeanything else.

Clip Adjustments

Another new feature of '08 and '09 is a hidden menu in each clip residing in the Events and Project areas. This is used for performing clip adjustments. By hoveringyour mouse over a clip, you'll notice a blue icon with an asterisk indicating there is a click-able region. Clicking reveals the hidden menu:


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The menu looks a bit different for clips in Events than it does in Project, mainly due to the latter providing a few additional editing options. By choosing 'ClipAdjustments,' you are able to access adjustments for video and audio as well:


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Click 'Done' to apply any adjustments made.

Cropping and Rotation

Another option in clip adjustments is cropping and rotation. Choose this to invoke the image cropping and rotation editor in the Viewer (pictured above). Drag aselection to create a cropped area, and click the arrow buttons to rotate the clip. Click 'Fit' to fit a too-large picture into the Viewer's dimensions. When finished,click 'done.'

For still images imported using the Photo browser, the additional option of 'Ken Burns Effect' appears here. More on that below.

Audio and Photo Browsers

The rightmost corner of the toolbar contains a series of buttons that show/hide browsers for audio, photos, titles, transitions and backgrounds.


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Not unlike previous version of iMovie, the Audio Browser opens up sound effects you can integrate into your movies, as well as your iTunes library. Drag and dropaudio from the browser into your Project to include in your movie. By dropping audio directly onto a clip, it will automatically start there, and will be indicated by agreen line beneath the clip. Drag to move and adjust audio once it has been placed into the Project.

In addition, audio can be dropped directly into the Project window, rather than directly on a clip, which will automatically place it at the beginning of the movie.

The Photo Browser functions similarly to the audio browser. By clicking its icon in the toolbar, you are able to access the computer's iPhoto library, as well asPhoto Booth pictures.

Drag and drop photos from the browser to the Project area to put them into your movie.

As with any clip in the Project area, audio and photos can be removed by clicking to choose them and pressing 'Delete' on the keyboard (or, Edit > DeleteSelection/Delete Clip).

The Ken Burns Effect

Another significant difference in the past few versions of iMovie is the use of a Ken Burns Effect on still photos. Essentially, this is a way to pan and zoom onimages, that can be accessed by clicking on the hidden adjustments menu on a still image in your Project area.


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Once invoked, the Ken Burns Effect editor is opened in the Viewer. Click and drag to move the green and red bounding boxes (start and end, respectively) to controlhow the panning/zooming effect behaves. You can drag the corner handle of each bounding box to define areas of the image to zoom in and out on.

This section of the program really is a bit tricky, and takes some getting used to.

Click 'Done' when finished, or to crop or fit the picture to the frame instead of using the Ken Burns, simply choose those options in the Viewer.

Editing Audio

Similar to other clips in the Project area, an audio adjustments menu can be accessed for each audio clip by clicking the asterisk for the hidden menu.

A handy tool for viewing and cropping audio is the audio trimmer, in which you can click and drag to adjust audio beginning and endpoints, and drag to performcut/copy/paste-style trim operations.


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Clip adjustments and audio adjustments function similar to those for video:

Video Effects

In '09, Video effects are accessed using clip adjustments in the Project area. Once the video clip inspector opens, notice the option for video effects:

By choosing video effect in the video inspector, you are presented with numerous filters that can be applied to the clip. Click to choose which you want:


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'08 Users: in the '08 version of iMovie, video image filtering is limited to color and levels adjustments.

Titles Inspector

The Titles Inspector is located in the same area of the toolbar as the audio, photo, and other inspectors. By clicking it, various title templates are displayed -- choosethe one you want by dragging and dropping it into the Project area:

You are prompted to choose a background texture -- do so, then edit your title by typing directly into the Viewer window. Click 'done' when finished.

To move a title, drag to choose it and drag to move.

Transition Inspector

Located next to the Title Inspector, you can click to reveal the Transition Inspector. Insert transitions by dragging and dropping them between clips in the Projectarea:


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By hovering your mouse over a transition in the Inspector, you will see a preview of how it looks.

To remove a transition, click to choose and press 'Delete' on the keyboard.

Producing Your Movie

Like previous versions of iMovie, movies are produced for distribution using the 'Share' menu:

By choosing an option, you are prompted through several steps to save your movie to your hard drive, iTunes, YouTube, etc., depending which option you choose.Bear in mind that the longer the movie, the more time it will take to compress as it saves.

Saving your Movie for iPod

Sometimes, it is useful to be able to manually save your movie into a given format, rather than using the automated options on the 'Share' menu for iTunes,YouTube, etc.

There are a few different ways you can save your movie into a format ideal for iPod, iTunes U, and YouTube, in a manual fashion. This is handy if you just wantedto save the video to your hard drive and upload to another location, website, share it with friends, or back it up to a storage drive.

1 - Choose 'Share > Export Movie.'

From the options presented, choose 'Medium.' Click Export, and your movie is saved to the location you specified, and ready to upload to YouTube, iTunes U, or


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wherever its final destination happens to be.

2 - Another way is to choose 'Share > Export to QuickTime.' From the export options menu, choose 'iPod.'

Retrieved from "https://php.radford.edu/~tlc/ru_mac/index.php?title=IMovie_%2709"

This page was last modified 14:55, 6 May 2009.Content is available under GNU Free Documentation License 1.2.


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imovie '09 - ru mac users · not unlike previous version of imovie, the audio browser opens up...

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