iMovie '08 Transition Pains

[MacRumors]

Appleinsider details complaints from some in the transition from iMovie HD 6 to the iMovie '08.

Apple's new iMovie application was described as a complete rewrite to Apple's movie editing software. Many of the complaints focused on features that were lacking and a difficulty in transitioning projects from previous versions of iMovie.

Apple is offering iMovie HD 6 as a download to purchasers of iLife '08 for those unhappy with the transition.

The change has not been met entirely with disapproval as some of our forum members seem very happy with the new iMovie.

Article Link

 

[wavelayer]

It's the first version, bound to be bugs. FCP was ridiculous in V1. I'm sure they'll work it out.

 

[P-Worm]

I personally like iMovie '08, and I'm a serious FCP user. I think people need to recognize iMovie for what it is now - a tool to make quick movies that can later be uploaded to YouTube or something along those lines.

P-Worm

 

[Eric Lewis]

they

need it to have wait ilife 08 has

 

[marco114]

i like iMovie 08

Personally, I didn't use the old iMovie very much because I felt it was more complicated than it had to be. However, if you've ever tried using Windows Movie Maker, you'll appreciate how fast it is.

I think it would have been wise to have two different editing modes, simple and advanced and the simple mode could be the new one.

I found that the new iMovie is VERY easy and I now enjoy making movies again. The audio controls is about the only thing I would miss on the old one but it's not a deal breaker for me. It's easier to use and I find making movies fun again.

Also with the new iMovie, my movies seem more clear and smaller in size. I really think there's more pluses than minuses.

I think Apple directed the new iMovie at a person like myself. One that didn't really make movies often because it was more work than you wanted to do and the new one is just so simple, even a child could do it.

 

[Lancetx]

At least Apple is giving everyone a choice since iMovie HD 6 is a free download. You can use one or the other, or both, so nobody is being left out.

 

[4God]

I don't know if this has been posted elsewhere but when I installed
iMovie '08 (from disc) it created a folder within the applications folder
that says iMovie HD. It has the older version in it and it still works as well.
Not that I've had any problems with iMovie '08 or anything, I just thought
for those that were having issues they could just continue to use the older
version untill some sort of fix was announced.

 

[ironring2006]

It's the first version, bound to be bugs. FCP was ridiculous in V1. I'm sure they'll work it out.

These aren't bugs. These are lack of features. Two completely different things.

Personally, I think the new version looks like it fits in the iLife mentality. It isn't a pro app, and I don't think it will ever pretend to be one. It definitely looks like its easier and more manageable for the average consumer. It's more about getting your content out there and sharing it with your family/friends more easily.

Working with video can be cumbersome and time consuming. Being able to put something together quick has a lot more value in the end than a bunch of footage sitting unviewed on your hard drive.

 

[marco114]

Working with video can be cumbersome and time consuming. Being able to put something together quick has a lot more value in the end than a bunch of footage sitting unviewed on your hard drive.

100% Totally Agree.

 

[megfilmworks]

I think it fits the user who needs a quick easy movie maker, not a weak version of FCP. I could see using both apps for different reasons. The new iMovie would be great for slapping together a film on vacation for instance and FCP would be best for making a special film when you get home.

 

[BadDude]

I would very much agree that iMovie is easier to use than Windows Movie Maker. WMV requires a lot of difficult file management via wizards.

However iMovie only having 2 audio tracks and 1 video track makes it very difficult to preform many basic tasks.

 

[chrisgeleven]

I don't have a camcorder yet (waiting for the HD models to drop in price a little more), but from playing around with a few clips I had on my hard drive, the new iMovies is very nice.

I know previously, I tried to avoid using iMovie because it seemed just too complicated for what I needed to use it for.

This is definitely perfect for throwing together a bunch a clips quickly.

 

[~Shard~]

This app has undergone a major overhaul so there are bound to be growing pains with repsect to new and missing features between the two versions. I am not an iMovie user, however from the demo the new iMovie looks very slick, so hopefully Apple will refine it in future updates to include some of the supposed lacking features which previous iMovie users have identifed. That being said, those old users need to realize this is not just an update, rather the app has actually been overhauled and changed.

 

[MacHiavelli]

What I don't get is why the MBPs in the UK still come with iLife 06, but in other countries they come with 08.

 

[Small White Car]

I don't even use iMovie and I can't believe the ridiculous apologetic attitude in this thread. I'm outraged on behalf of iMovie users, whoever they might be.

Let’s be clear about what happened here. Apple totally killed iMovie, wrote a different app and took the name iMovie from the recently killed app and pasted it on the new project.

Now, I think iMovie 8 looks like a great program. It has lots of cool features. But the question remains, why weren’t these features added to the old iMovie? Or even better, just made into a separate program? They could have iMovie for editing and this “new program” for organizing and uploading.

But that’s not what happened. Imagine if, when Garage Band was new, they had killed iTunes and simply given Garage Band the iTunes name instead. So you have a program named iTunes that makes music, but no longer organizes it and syncs to the iPod.

Would you have reacted to that news with these comments?

• I’m sure they’ll work the bugs out.
• You can still use the old iTunes, it’s a free download!
• New iTunes lets you make music. That’s new and cool!
• I'm sure it will be refined in future versions.

Those would be terrible things to say in that situation and the same thing applies here. I’m surprised more of you don’t seem to care about this.

 

[Kobekes]

audio could be better though

I think it would have been wise to have two different editing modes, simple and advanced and the simple mode could be the new one.

I found that the new iMovie is VERY easy and I now enjoy making movies again. The audio controls is about the only thing I would miss on the old one but it's not a deal breaker for me. It's easier to use and I find making movies fun again.

... my thoughts exactly!

 

[milo]

It makes sense for iMovie to be as simple and user friendly as possible, it's the app that's included when you buy a mac.

Not only is there FCP, but for those who want something more advanced than iMovie there's also final cut express.

 

[VespR]

I'm more upset over the fact my 12" powerbook can't run the app at all. Bit of a kick in the teeth considering I think this is an amazing laptop with one of the best form factors ever built.

 

[millypede]

What I don't get is why the MBPs in the UK still come with iLife 06, but in other countries they come with 08.

Because there is too much stock left in the Inventory to change them all, its a Free up date from apple.com/uk/ilife/uptodate you just pay P&P

 

[johngordon]

I tend to use iMovie to do dvd slideshows for wedding photographers, and a big thing was the ability to fade music out, or one track into another.

This is a huge feature to drop - surely a soundtrack is an important part of any movie, even a basic one, so to drop the ability to fade the audio in and out to fit your video is crazy. It's not a nice feature to have - surely it's an essential feature?

Having had a quick look at 08 on a new 24" iMac, it does look great, and the skimming is superb - but all it really needs is a timeline view. Then you can either use it as it is, or if you want to use some of the missing features, you could just switch to the timeline view. By all means tart it up a bit so it looks as great as the rest of 08, but there's really no excuse to drop it.

One question tho' - when you drop transitions in now - or even photos with the ken burns effect added - are they just done instantly now without encoding?

 

[AdeFowler]

Imagine if, when Garage Band was new, they had killed iTunes and simply given Garage Band the iTunes name instead. So you have a program named iTunes that makes music, but no longer organizes it and syncs to the iPod.

Not sure this analogy works, as both the new and old iMovie import and edit video... just in different ways and with a different set of features. That said, I know where you're coming from. I can't believe that Apple are dumping a mature product that many companies would die for, in order to start again. Sure, the missing features will come (themes, fx etc) but when... 2009?

 

[milo]

I don't even use iMovie and I can't believe the ridiculous apologetic attitude in this thread. I'm outraged on behalf of iMovie users, whoever they might be.

You don't use it...but you're outraged. Yeaaah. I'm sure a guy who hasn't used either version is really going to understand the situation.

Now, I think iMovie 8 looks like a great program. It has lots of cool features. But the question remains, why weren’t these features added to the old iMovie? Or even better, just made into a separate program? They could have iMovie for editing and this “new program” for organizing and uploading.

This new version also does editing, doesn't it? I don't see how this would compare to a garage band/itunes analogy at all. The app serves the same purpose with the upside of being easier to use and the downside of not having as many features. There are plenty of reasons to redo an app instead of just tweaking existing versions. It's too confusing. The codebase is a mess and needs to start over. Personally, I thought the old version was unintuitive and convoluted, to a degree where it kept me from really getting into it much. The "apologetic attitude" you talk about is simply that people have used both versions and they actually like the new one better. Maybe if you actually used the app you'd have a shot at understanding.

If an app isn't providing what users need, I'm glad to see it get scrapped and start from square one.

 

[pgwalsh]

Now, I think iMovie 8 looks like a great program. It has lots of cool features. But the question remains, why weren’t these features added to the old iMovie? Or even better, just made into a separate program? They could have iMovie for editing and this “new program” for organizing and uploading.
.

I haven't used it, but it does look super simple to use. I agree with everyone asking for two modes. A quick and easy mode and an advanced edit mode. Perhaps the next version will contain these features.

 

[Wild-Bill]

I'm more upset over the fact my 12" powerbook can't run the app at all. Bit of a kick in the teeth considering I think this is an amazing laptop with one of the best form factors ever built.

There's a hack out there somewhere that will allow you to use it with PPC machines. Google FTW.

On another note, have people been using iMovie 08 for the video scrubbing and then importing into iMovie 06 for the advanced audio, transitions, and the like? I thought that might be a useful workflow. Thoughts?

 

[Virgil-TB2]

These aren't bugs. These are lack of features. Two completely different things.

As a Mac tech support person in a University faculty where iMovie is used very extensively by the students and has been since the day of it's debut, I am mystified at all the comments I am seeing on various forums about the "missing" features and the "breaking" of the iDVD support. I have helped people to make, or seen them make, hundreds of iMovies and personally given tutorials on it to a great deal of them and based on that this is what I see.

- Almost no one uses chapter markers, ever. This is only usefull if you are making a DVD which is actually rather difficult to do with the old iMovie in that the integration with iDVD is rather poor (in the old version). The number of our users that end up making DVD's out of their projects is a tiny fraction. Most users want to make a movie for a class project in an afternoon or less.

- Maybe one person out of a hundred uses the video effects (and we are talking about really low end users here "discovering" video for the first time). They play around with them and think they are funny, but almost no one ends up using them as they are basically too juvenile. They are a lark in the same way as photo-booth effects are, not a "feature."

- iMovie (HD 6) is totally *not* a pro level product, it's intended for mom and pop, not a movie producer. Anyone with even the most basic knowledge of digital video that wants to do anything other than "make a quick movie in an afternoon" uses some version of FCP. The people saying "I make a lot of movies using iMovie and I need this or that feature..." are not the hollywood producers they make themselves out to be.

I haven't tried the new version yet but it seems like it's exactly what it's supposed to be. An easy to use low end movie making application that come free with your computer.

I do have one reservation about the new iMovie that I haven't seen anywhere else though.

One of the biggest problems we have with making iMovies is that the average computer (eMacs or iMacs), has about enough room on the hard drive to store the raw video for maybe two iMovie projects. It's a constant battle with external drives and clearing space on the main drive when people are working in a lab environment. Given that, how useful is a video "cataloging" application (like iPhoto is for photos), when space is at such a premium? If you go out with a miniDV camera for the day you can easily collect a full tape worth of footage. If you do that twice and the hardrive is full, what's the point of the cataloging part?

We train all our users to think of the miniDV tapes as the actual "storage" of their video and of the computer as a temporary "mixing board" as that is the only metaphor that makes any sense. Video nuts like that employee who engendered this new product, probably have terabytes of space, the average mom and pop user has nothing like that.