Created iMovie, how to move all files to EHH

san001 · May 26, 2014

Hi

I have imovie 10 and have created my first video (30 mins), I have copied to the Ext hard drive, but I want to make sure that it copies over the original imported video from the sd card so that i always have it. (I will then delete from my main computer)

How do i know it has done this?

My knowledge of using the mac are limited , therefore a simple understanding would be appreciated.

Thank you for any advice

Dave Braine · May 26, 2014

You'll find the imported video in Home Folder/Movies/iMovie Library.imovielibrary/Your Movie Name/Original Media

To open the iMovie Library file, right/ctrl click and then select "Show Package Contents". Just be careful in there. If you delete/change files from there then the Project won't open properly in iMovie because of "missing files".

san001 · May 27, 2014

Dave Braine said:
You'll find the imported video in Home Folder/Movies/iMovie Library.imovielibrary/Your Movie Name/Original Media

To open the iMovie Library file, right/ctrl click and then select "Show Package Contents". Just be careful in there. If you delete/change files from there then the Project won't open properly in iMovie because of "missing files".

Hi

When i have saved to the Ext HD, as this is the completed project, is it in your opinion, wise to also back up the unedited video also, i am just thinking of the future, if say imovie is no longer around as technology has moved on then then i still have the footage to play with?

Also , yesterday i saved another short video to the Ext HD, however my storage on main Mac, also decreased, any ideas why this would have happened?

I am also unsure when importing video where this gets filed and if it does file the imported video and then the completed imovie video separetly.

Sorry for all questions, but i cannot find the answers i am looking for.

ColdCase · May 27, 2014

When you import a video into iMovie it gets saved in the iMovie library by default. You can change this behavior if you want, but the directions Dave provided will help you verify the original is there. That is why iMovie will use more and more internal hard drive as you import and edit. (edits are also saved in the library).

After you edit and share, the edited movie is saved (shared) to the location you set, in your case the external drive. The original imported video remains unmodified in your library for use on other projects.

You can change the location of the library to another hard drive if you want. If you do this, the hard drive should be part of your backup plan.

So the bottom line is if you want all iMovie files on the EHH, you put the iMovie library there. You can drag and drop the library onto the hard drive and then in iMovie add that library. Delete the one on the internal drive.

san001 · May 27, 2014

ColdCase said:
When you import a video into iMovie it gets saved in the iMovie library by default. You can change this behavior if you want, but the directions Dave provided will help you verify the original is there. That is why iMovie will use more and more internal hard drive as you import and edit. (edits are also saved in the library).

After you edit and share, the edited movie is saved (shared) to the location you set, in your case the external drive. The original imported video remains unmodified in your library for use on other projects.

You can change the location of the library to another hard drive if you want. If you do this, the hard drive should be part of your backup plan.

So the bottom line is if you want all iMovie files on the EHH, you put the iMovie library there. You can drag and drop the library onto the hard drive and then in iMovie add that library. Delete the one on the internal drive.

I did have a look at doing this yesterday, but could not find the iMovie library, (I have actually done this with iPhoto), I will have another look.

Thanks for your help

firedept · May 27, 2014

Your iMovie media will be in you Movies folder in Finder. You will have 2 icons that will be for iMovie. One is iMovie Library.imovielibrary and the other is iMovie Theater.theater. The way to see the content within them is to right click on them and then click "Show Package Contents". All you media is contained within here.

Be careful as Dave Braine stated not to move or delete anything in the folders as this can effect you files not being able to be opened in iMovie again. iMovie has its own way of storing things and does not like it messed with.

But if you do a little searching around in the files you will see how things are done within those file structures.

Below I have also posted on how to create a new library in iMovie 10. Just go File>Open Library>Other, new screen opens giving you options for Library.

ColdCase · May 27, 2014

san001 said:
I did have a look at doing this yesterday, but could not find the iMovie library, (I have actually done this with iPhoto), I will have another look.

Thanks for your help

I may have over simplified and as the firedept said you should let iMovie do the work. Basically in iMovie you tell it to create a library on the external drive. Then pick and chose the source videos and select move to the new library (or when you have the new library open you should be able to import video and projects from the older library..

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Created iMovie, how to move all files to EHH

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