iMovie HD - Can't drag (shorten) photos in Timeline

[Hello.there]

Grr...had this very same problem a few weeks ago and found the solution somewhere....but can't remember the solution, or where I found it.

I have a bunch of photos in the timeline in iMovie HD and want to shorten and lengthen their duration in the movie. Usually I can just drag the edge of the photo to shorten/lengthen it but a setting isn't allowing me do this....does anyone know what that setting is, what I have to change?

Thanks.

 

[theBB]

In iMovie 06, I usually go to Media-> Pictures, then I highlight the clip with the photo in the clipview of the movie, the duration button appears and I change the setting.

 

[johny5]

I too thought you could drag the photo to make the length of time for the photo shorter and longer but it seems to have stopped! anyway a quick fix is to hover over the photo in the timeline and click the bottom left part of it - there is a small clock icon there (or right click and click "set duration". Then you can set the duration of the photo.
Pretty annoying really as if you are showing photos and need the to start/stop at specific times then your guessing by this method although if you set the duration to say 6 seconds, you do have the option to drag the clip to a lower time setting.

weird.

 

[Hello.there]

In iMovie 06, I usually go to Media-> Pictures, then I highlight the clip with the photo in the clipview of the movie, the duration button appears and I change the setting.

Thanks for the reply but I'm just so used to using the timeline and dragging photos/videos for editing I'm desperate to get that function back again!

 

[Hello.there]

I too thought you could drag the photo to make the length of time for the photo shorter and longer but it seems to have stopped!

weird.

I'm relieved I'm not alone on this one! Just can't understand it. I think....not certain....the problem last time was that Ken Burns effect, but that's not an issue this time. I haven't changed any setting on iMovie, loved it the way it was, so I'm mystified by this. Many thanks for the info.

 

[theBB]

I'm relieved I'm not alone on this one! Just can't understand it. I think....not certain....the problem last time was that Ken Burns effect, but that's not an issue this time. I haven't changed any setting on iMovie, loved it the way it was, so I'm mystified by this. Many thanks for the info.

Well, I have never noticed this as an option, but if Apple took this option away, it might be due to Ken Burns effect. Changing the duration of a picture with that effect would require a re-rendering, which is time consuming and resource intensive. If iMovie can change a picture's duration only if it does not have any special effects, the interface may look inconsistent. Of course, this is just a guess...

 

[Hello.there]

Well, I have never noticed this as an option, but if Apple took this option away, it might be due to Ken Burns effect. Changing the duration of a picture with that effect would require a re-rendering, which is time consuming and resource intensive. If iMovie can change a picture's duration only if it does not have any special effects, the interface may look inconsistent. Of course, this is just a guess...

Thanks for that BB. I'm still completely confused by this, the option to drag the photos to shorten or lengthen their duration definitely seems to have disappeared - I've tried every setting I can think of but I can't get it back. Why would they fiddle with a programme that was perfect? Did they? Or is it me? Helllllllllllllp!

 

[Applespider]

If you've used Ken Burns then you can't just drag the movie. If you haven't, then you can IIRC.

One quick way, if you don't want to rerender is to put a still frame from the end of the Ken Burns for a second or so.

 

[chsiung]

Unclick "Show Clip Volume Levels"

I had this problem below and I nearly blew a fuse because guessing the duration of the images by setting the number would have been painfully inefficient.

As it turns out, the problem I had was that while I was modifying the audio portion I clicked on "Show Clip Volume Levels" to boost the volume. Strangely enough that prevents you from dragging the edges of the photos in the video timeline. Once I right-clicked the audio segmented and deselected the "Show Clip Volume Levels" I was able to once again drag the edges of the photos.

I'm using iMovie HD 5. Hope that helps someone out there.

Cheers,
Chris

Grr...had this very same problem a few weeks ago and found the solution somewhere....but can't remember the solution, or where I found it.

I have a bunch of photos in the timeline in iMovie HD and want to shorten and lengthen their duration in the movie. Usually I can just drag the edge of the photo to shorten/lengthen it but a setting isn't allowing me do this....does anyone know what that setting is, what I have to change?

Thanks.

 

[lisbet]

Thank you!

Thank you so much. As soon as I turned off the Ken Burns effect and hid the audio levels I was able to drag to resize the clips again!

 

[montessorichick]

Lego animation

For some reason, it won't let me set the duration at 0:03, which is apparently the right setting for stop-motion animation. Does anyone have an answer? It actually changes the duration to random settings whenever I open up the Show Photo Settings window. Really weird.

 

[stopmotion]

animation help with iMovie duration

montessorichick-
Had the same hair pulling out of my head experience last night
Then tried creating the film in 1080i and it worked. So does 720p. Ripping takes time but at least it works... (made a 20 second test film)
WARNING: It may not play more than a few seconds of the project when in the edit/preview mode if you mac can't handle it. (My PPC 5G can't!)
I exported it to 720 and it played. Schweet. It's a lot to go through for a film, but it's all I got.
Hope this helps.