Making a Video with iMovie
Tools and Programs:
-Video Camera
-Macbook
-iMovie
-Internet Explorer
-Computer Mic.
-iTunes
Summary of Process:
To keep it simple, I did not change any of the settings or use any of the video camera’s special features, and decided to wait to enhance any video I shot once I got it uploaded to the computer. I only used only the record and zoom features of the camera. I spent the first part of two days recording various video around the Library. It is always better to shoot more video than you need to be sure you have enough, it can always be edited later.
To upload video to the program iMovie is fairly simple. Your video Camera, regardless of which brand or model should have a cable that plugs into your computer. Plug in your camera to the computer and turn it on. iMovie will recognize that a camera has been plugged in and bring up an upload screen. At this point, you can tell the computer to automatically upload, meaning it will rewind the tape and load all your video to iMovie, or manually upload, which allows you to rewind or forward to the clips or footage you want to upload rather than load the whole video tape.
(see image below)The latest iMovie (‘08, version 7.1.4) will place all of your video clips in whole segments in your library and allow you to place them in your video and edit them without altering your originally loaded clips. To edit a clip in iMovie, drag your mouse over the beginning of the video clip you wish to alter, several icons should appear in white on the clip. The sun icon, allows you to adjust the brightness of your footage. The frame icon, allows you to crop your clips to focus on a particular portion in the field of view of your clips. The speaker icon, allows you to adjust the volume of your clip. This is a particularly important feature for most iMovie users. When you are filming it is not only possible, but entirely probable you will pick up outside noises that will distract from your video. Since this video would eventually have a voice-over for much of the film, I muted all the volume from my video clips. The icon which consists of two arrows in opposite directions allows you to fine tune when your video clip begins and ends, and enables you to increase the time lapse between each of your clips. Finally, the stop-watch icon, this allows you to edit the clip length, and cut out any of the footage you do not wish to keep. You determine when in the clip you would like to begin and end the footage. If perhaps you want several intermittent splices in one particular clip, you may place another copy of the original clip from your library and edit to the desired section, and the next, etc.
On the far right of the tool bar in the middle of your screen there are several other important tools. The music note of course, allows you to add music to your video from your iTunes library, or sound effects from your computer. The camera allows you to add still photos from your iPhoto library, any still images you add to your project iMovie will automatically assign a certain duration of time in the video. To edit this, click on the stop-watch icon. The frame icon has a lot more flexibility with still images. Still photos have three options in terms of cropping. They can be made to fit the entire image ( the ‘Fit’ button), they can be cut down to your specified dimensions (‘Crop’), or they can be made to make any number of movements to draw focus from one point of the image to another (‘Ken Burns’). iMovie will often use the Ken Burns option automatically if the image is larger than a certain size. It is important to check your newly added images to ensure the computer has placed the focus on the parts of the image you wish to draw the viewers’ attention to. The picture can also be rotated, and you may preview the changes you have made before pressing ‘done’. With this new method of editing iMovie has made, no changes you make in editing are permanent, you can go back and change them anytime you wish.
The ‘T’ button, brings up Titles. This allows you to add text to your video or still images for a certain duration. When you find the type of title you like simply drag it over top of the clip or still you wish to use and drop it. iMovie will frequently assign its own duration for it, but you can adjust this, by clicking and dragging the blue ballon that appears above the clip to the desired length of time and choose when it appears in the clip or image.
The last icon, the rectangle with two shaded in triangles, is the transitions button. iMovie automatically puts a very brief pause between each photo or video clip, but this allows you to choose how to fluidly change between clips and stills. When you find the transition you like, drag it over to your video, and hold it between the two clips where you want it to appear, a thick lime green line should appear between the clips or stills, you can now drop the transition. Again, iMovie will generally assign its own duration to transitions (standard is .4 seconds, unless you change your preferences). This too can be changed, click on the transition, when it is highlighted yellow hold the command key and ‘r’ and it will bring up a window to alter the length. Keep in mind however, iMovie will not allow you to make your transition longer than half the time length of either of the clips it rests between.
To create a voice-over, click on the microphone icon in the middle of our tool bar above your library. Many computers now have built-in microphones, but you can just as easily hook up a microphone if you would prefer. Next click on the clip you wish to create a voice-over for. iMovie will automatically backtrack a three seconds from the point you wish to record and indicate when it begins recording with a series of beeps. You can click and drag on either end of the bubble that appear below the clip to cut you voice-over to the desired length.
Tools and Programs:
-Video Camera
-Macbook
-iMovie
-Internet Explorer
-Computer Mic.
-iTunes
Summary of Process:
To keep it simple, I did not change any of the settings or use any of the video camera’s special features, and decided to wait to enhance any video I shot once I got it uploaded to the computer. I only used only the record and zoom features of the camera. I spent the first part of two days recording various video around the Library. It is always better to shoot more video than you need to be sure you have enough, it can always be edited later.
To upload video to the program iMovie is fairly simple. Your video Camera, regardless of which brand or model should have a cable that plugs into your computer. Plug in your camera to the computer and turn it on. iMovie will recognize that a camera has been plugged in and bring up an upload screen. At this point, you can tell the computer to automatically upload, meaning it will rewind the tape and load all your video to iMovie, or manually upload, which allows you to rewind or forward to the clips or footage you want to upload rather than load the whole video tape.
(see image below)The latest iMovie (‘08, version 7.1.4) will place all of your video clips in whole segments in your library and allow you to place them in your video and edit them without altering your originally loaded clips. To edit a clip in iMovie, drag your mouse over the beginning of the video clip you wish to alter, several icons should appear in white on the clip. The sun icon, allows you to adjust the brightness of your footage. The frame icon, allows you to crop your clips to focus on a particular portion in the field of view of your clips. The speaker icon, allows you to adjust the volume of your clip. This is a particularly important feature for most iMovie users. When you are filming it is not only possible, but entirely probable you will pick up outside noises that will distract from your video. Since this video would eventually have a voice-over for much of the film, I muted all the volume from my video clips. The icon which consists of two arrows in opposite directions allows you to fine tune when your video clip begins and ends, and enables you to increase the time lapse between each of your clips. Finally, the stop-watch icon, this allows you to edit the clip length, and cut out any of the footage you do not wish to keep. You determine when in the clip you would like to begin and end the footage. If perhaps you want several intermittent splices in one particular clip, you may place another copy of the original clip from your library and edit to the desired section, and the next, etc.
On the far right of the tool bar in the middle of your screen there are several other important tools. The music note of course, allows you to add music to your video from your iTunes library, or sound effects from your computer. The camera allows you to add still photos from your iPhoto library, any still images you add to your project iMovie will automatically assign a certain duration of time in the video. To edit this, click on the stop-watch icon. The frame icon has a lot more flexibility with still images. Still photos have three options in terms of cropping. They can be made to fit the entire image ( the ‘Fit’ button), they can be cut down to your specified dimensions (‘Crop’), or they can be made to make any number of movements to draw focus from one point of the image to another (‘Ken Burns’). iMovie will often use the Ken Burns option automatically if the image is larger than a certain size. It is important to check your newly added images to ensure the computer has placed the focus on the parts of the image you wish to draw the viewers’ attention to. The picture can also be rotated, and you may preview the changes you have made before pressing ‘done’. With this new method of editing iMovie has made, no changes you make in editing are permanent, you can go back and change them anytime you wish.
The ‘T’ button, brings up Titles. This allows you to add text to your video or still images for a certain duration. When you find the type of title you like simply drag it over top of the clip or still you wish to use and drop it. iMovie will frequently assign its own duration for it, but you can adjust this, by clicking and dragging the blue ballon that appears above the clip to the desired length of time and choose when it appears in the clip or image.
The last icon, the rectangle with two shaded in triangles, is the transitions button. iMovie automatically puts a very brief pause between each photo or video clip, but this allows you to choose how to fluidly change between clips and stills. When you find the transition you like, drag it over to your video, and hold it between the two clips where you want it to appear, a thick lime green line should appear between the clips or stills, you can now drop the transition. Again, iMovie will generally assign its own duration to transitions (standard is .4 seconds, unless you change your preferences). This too can be changed, click on the transition, when it is highlighted yellow hold the command key and ‘r’ and it will bring up a window to alter the length. Keep in mind however, iMovie will not allow you to make your transition longer than half the time length of either of the clips it rests between.
To create a voice-over, click on the microphone icon in the middle of our tool bar above your library. Many computers now have built-in microphones, but you can just as easily hook up a microphone if you would prefer. Next click on the clip you wish to create a voice-over for. iMovie will automatically backtrack a three seconds from the point you wish to record and indicate when it begins recording with a series of beeps. You can click and drag on either end of the bubble that appear below the clip to cut you voice-over to the desired length.
iMovie automatically saves any changes you make to drafted movies/videos, but in order to access it outside of the program iMovie, you will need to publish it. Select the drop-down menu at the top of your screen which says 'share' and select 'export movie...' or press control and 'e' this will allow you to save your video to the desktop or another specified folder on your computer.
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