iMovie HELP!

[buffalo]

I have two probably no-brainer questions with iMovie.

1. How do you edit the clips? There are parts where I would like to take a couple seconds off the end.

2. How do you cut songs down to a certain length? I want to take a longer song to fit the movie.


Thanks!

I have iLife '06 so iMove HD 6

 

[Applespider]

1. Drag the clip to the timeframe at the bottom - make sure you're viewing the timeline rather than the thumbnail version (use the clock logo rather than the film logo that sits beneath the preview window). Then just move your mouse to the end of the clip til you get a cursor rather than the arrow and drag it to where you want the clip to stop. Bear in mind that if you're transitioning into another clip, then you might want to leave some time so that you don't miss any key points in that scene.

2. Same thing. Import the music using place audio at playhead and then drag the end of the music to where you want it to stop.

 

[buffalo]

ok, well I'm still having problems. I'm in iMovie, on the clock, but when I move my mouse along the movie clip it stays the mouse cursor. Do you have any idea what I'm doing wrong?


I'm trying to upload a screen shot, but the file size is too large, how do I compress this?

 

[Applespider]

Highlight the clip and move your mouse to the end of the movie clip in the timeline. It will have very slightly rounded edges if it's the true 'end' of it - and a flat edge if it's been edited. Move your mouse to the edge - to where it joins with the next clip. You should then be able to drag it shorter.

Alternatively, move the little triangles under the preview window. Move the right most one to the end of the clip and the left most one to the point you want the clip to finish. In between should turn golden, then hit the backspace button and it should 'delete' those frames.

 

[buffalo]

Highlight the clip and move your mouse to the end of the movie clip in the timeline. It will have very slightly rounded edges if it's the true 'end' of it - and a flat edge if it's been edited. Move your mouse to the edge - to where it joins with the next clip. You should then be able to drag it shorter.

This is getting kind of annoying...

I still cannot get the clip shorter. I can move the whole clip in the movie, but I can't make the auctual clip shorter. I've got the clip highlighted but when I click and drag, nothing happens.


So you can see it, how can I compress the screenshot so MR will allow it?


Thanks for the quick help!

 

[buffalo]

Got It!

OK figured it out!

I was using the wrong time bar.

 

[Applespider]

If you're moving the whole thing, then you're clicking inside the movie frame, not the edge. Click on it for a second before you start trying to drag it in. Occasionally, it gets behind itself and thinks you weren't holding before dragging.

The only other thing I can think of is that if you're trying to edit a photo that you've put in with the Ken Burns effect - it won't do it from the timeline. You have to double-click the rendered timeline and it will throw up the Ken Burns effect box for you to alter the time. Or go back into the Media Pane, select the image again (with the clip highlighted) and change the time.

To shrink the image, you'll need a graphics program so you can save it as a smaller file size and in a jpg.

I'm heading to bed now since it's well after midnight. Good luck!