iMovie 09 - not enough HDD space....?

[AmbaGambla]

Hi
I've been sent some video (on an external HDD) which I need to edit and create into a DVD (156GB unedited video) - obviously there isn't enough space on my laptop to download and edit all of this.

I was hoping that I would be able to work on it section by section (deleting what I didn't need as I went along), but this doesn't seem to be the case, so I was then hoping to be able to work directly from the external HDD.

I've found the drive, but it has a little exclamation mark (like here http://www.unlockingimovie.com/2009/06/quick-tip-external-hard-drives-and.html) next to it..... is my only option to to copy the data elsewhere, reformat the external drive and copy it back.

Even if I do this, will I be able to work on the data directly from the external drive in iMovie - it is a usb 2.0 connection and a Western Digital external drive - will the connection be fast enough?

I hope this makes sense - I'm a recent PC convert, but I'm working to a tight schedule on this project

Thanks for any help!

 

[pilotrtc]

Probably too late given your tight deadline, however...

While looking for an answer to another question, I spotted yours.

I can answer at least one of your questions: You can put all video content on an external hard drive and work with it via iMovie 08 or 09. In fact, the moderator of the workshops I attended at Apple recommends it so you don't blow out your computer's hard drive with all the scrubbing you have to do.

 

[bmcgonag]

While looking for an answer to another question, I spotted yours.

I can answer at least one of your questions: You can put all video content on an external hard drive and work with it via iMovie 08 or 09. In fact, the moderator of the workshops I attended at Apple recommends it so you don't blow out your computer's hard drive with all the scrubbing you have to do.

He's right, you can work on it from the external drive, but in '09 at least, make sure that once you create the initial iMovie project, you move it from you Home/Movies folder to the external HDD that you want to work from, it will continue to grow there in your Home/Movies folder, and get very large very quickly.