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IMovie: Creating Text Slides?

Ambrosia7177

Ambrosia7177

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Feb 6, 2016
2,078
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Hello. I would like to add text slides to a video that I am learning how to edit/create in iMovie.

Specifically, I would like to add "slides" - not sure of the correct term - for things like a "cover page", "ending credits", and "informational slides" inside the movie.

I see that iMovie has a "Titles" tab, with animated slides, but I'm not so crazy about those...

Personally I was thinking of something less distracting like a black slide with white STATIC text that I could use as my cover sheet or ending creates or a way to add comments inside the movie or maybe as a transition to different "chapters" in a movie.


Q1.) Can that be done using iMovie?


Q2.) Would it be a problem if I create such a slide in something like LibreOffice Writer and then saved things as a .png?

I don't have or know how to use things like Photoshop or Illustrator at this point, and honestly I am pretty helpless in Gimp and Inkscape, so I'd like to not have to take a month or two to learn how to create simple text slides!

(Once again, I can see the benefits of owning and knowing how to use things like Photoshop and Illustrator, but that is for another day!) :)


Q3.) From a design standpoint, would it be bad to create static slides like I describe above?

The videos I want to edit and publish on my YouTube channel are "man-on-the-street" interviews with people about current event topics.

So the videos are of some interviewee being shot on my iPhone and them talking with just my voice being heard asking questions.

Obviously I want a title page and ending credits, but I was also thinking it might be nice to do things like add slides with the question I was asking - cutting out my voice - and then showing their response.

Also, text slides would allow me to comment of what they said. (Maybe they said something that is factually wrong, and I could use a slide to display some userful FACTS for the viewers to see and learn from?)

Anyways, I am wondering if I have to have everything be *animated* or if a simple static black slide with text would be okay from a design standpoint?


Thanks!
 
I needed something like this, and I used keynote. After making my slides, I exported them as .tiff files. From there, you need to import them into your iMovie project, and they’ll be available to you to insert.
 
reubs said:
I needed something like this, and I used keynote. After making my slides, I exported them as .tiff files. From there, you need to import them into your iMovie project, and they’ll be available to you to insert.
Click to expand...

So you cannot do that (i.e. creating static slides) directly in iMovie?

What is the best file format for that?

Can someone please answer my question above?
 
Texas_Toast said:
So you cannot do that (i.e. creating static slides) directly in iMovie?
Click to expand...
"Titles"

Some, including me, like to use Keynote to create text and/or graphics for use in video. You can use Keynote to do this. Set up a document with a transparent background, and Export as Tiff.
 
kohlson said:
"Titles"

Some, including me, like to use Keynote to create text and/or graphics for use in video. You can use Keynote to do this. Set up a document with a transparent background, and Export as Tiff.
Click to expand...

Why do you use TIFF?

Why not PNG or something else?

And do you lose any quality creating things in another app like Keynote and then bringing it into iMove?

Also, thinking down the road, could I use Keynote as you and @reubs suggest and get the same good results in more advanced video apps like Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premier Pro?
 
Dave Braine said:
In iMovie? None at all. If you use Keynote, you can export your slide(s) as a set of images(they will be jpegs) or as a Quicktime video.
Click to expand...

Wait. if I create text slides (or graphic slides) in Keynote, it will ONLY let me export those slides as JPEG??

If so, that is disconcerting to me - especially ater all fo the hoops I just went through to get Keynote.

PNG of TIFF would be much better - as far as I know - for text or graphic slides...
 
Texas_Toast said:
Wait. if I create text slides (or graphic slides) in Keynote, it will ONLY let me export those slides as JPEG??

If so, that is disconcerting to me - especially ater all fo the hoops I just went through to get Keynote.

PNG of TIFF would be much better - as far as I know - for text or graphic slides...
Click to expand...

Hi Texas, You can definitely export from Keynote as either JPEG, PNG or TIFF. See the video that I posted on the other thread.

JPEG uses compression to create smaller file sizes, but at the expense of losing some of the original image data. TIFF is a lossless format and hence when you export will be the best quality. This is why most people would recommend TIFF.

Also JPEG does not support transparency, so will not allow you to create overlay text, unless you want a white background.

PNG is a halfway house between JPEG and TIFF, you don't lose as much detail as JPEG, but the file size is smaller than TIFF.
 
James Craner said:
Hi Texas, You can definitely export from Keynote as either JPEG, PNG or TIFF. See the video that I posted on the other thread.

JPEG uses compression to create smaller file sizes, but at the expense of losing some of the original image data. TIFF is a lossless format and hence when you export will be the best quality. This is why most people would recommend TIFF.

Also JPEG does not support transparency, so will not allow you to create overlay text, unless you want a white background.

PNG is a halfway house between JPEG and TIFF, you don't lose as much detail as JPEG, but the file size is smaller than TIFF.
Click to expand...

Hi James!

Today is Saturday and I am busy recording my radio shows on my Macs, so I cannot view your video right now as it'll mess up my recording... (Will check it out ASAP!) :)

Oh, I thought PNG was lossless, but I guess it isn't, huh?

Yes, I know that PNG supports transparency.
 
PNG is a compressed format that can be lossless. It will create a smaller file than TIFF. I believe in most cases PNG is just as good as TIFF, but to be sure I tend to use TIFF in preference.
 
James Craner said:
PNG is a compressed format that can be lossless. It will create a smaller file than TIFF. I believe in most cases PNG is just as good as TIFF, but to be sure I tend to use TIFF in preference.
Click to expand...

I guess I am working with what is called "1080 video"?

At that level, how much quality do you need when you insert text slides, or graphic slides, or image?

Is this a case where I need a 100 megapixel camera, and gigantic files to look good in my videos, or can I get buy using Keynote and PNGs (and maybe even JPEGs) and so on?

In my web development endeavors, I have been slowly learning how SVG images are way better than JPEGs/PNGs because you don't have to worry about pixelation.

I'm not sure how much of a consideration that is when you are doing video capture/editing?
 
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