Basic Editing

Editing Clipsin iMovie '09

Editing Clips in iMovie '08

• Editing Clips
  • Split Clips
  • Change Speed
  • Reverse clip direction
  • Create a still clip (image)
• Titles
  • Over video clip
  • Overlay title over black clip
  • Edit titles
• Transitions
  • Create transitions
  • Edit transitions
• Effects

Editing Clips in iMovie '09

You can download printer-friendly instructions on editing clips here .  If you cannot find the information you need, please refer to the instructions for iMovie '08 below.  Many procedures and menu feature names have changed, but these instructions may still be helpful.  More comprehensive instructions for iMovie '09 will be available soon.

Editing Clips

Your Clip is in Edit Clip Mode when the Input/Edit toggle is pushed to the right, toward the scissors icon . In Edit Clip Mode, you can change the speed and direction of your clips. You can also split clips and add titles and transitions between clips to replace jump cuts. Audio sounds can be added from built-in sound effects, CDs, and voice recordings.

Note: Selecting a clip activates it. Shift + click allows one to select or deselect one clip or multiple clips. If you select multiple clips, clips will play together as one continuous clip in order of arrangement.

Splitting Clips

You can split single clips into two clips. This is useful if you want to keep an unused portion of a clip on the shelf for later editing. It will save you from having to recapture content.

• Click the clip you want to split on the clip shelf or in the timeline.
• Move the playhead on the timeline bar under the monitor to the frame where you want to split the clip.
• From the Edit menu, select Split Video Clip at Playhead . The clip will split into two individual clips.

Changing a Clip's Speed

• Select the desired clip by clicking on it once to highlight it. (The clip must be in the Timeline.)

• Click the Editing button and then choose Video FX
• Choose the Fast/Slow/Reverse effect from the menu. Drag the Speed triangle to the right or left to make the clip play faster or slower.
• Click Apply to make the changes.

Reversing a Clip's Direction (plays clip backwards)

• Select the desired clip by clicking on it once to highlight it. (The clip must be in the Timeline.)

• Click the Editing button and then choose Video FX .
• Choose the Fast/Slow/Reverse effect from the menu.
• Check the box next to Reverse Direction .
• Click Apply to make the changes.

Creating a Still Clip (single frame shot)

• Select the desired clip and move the playhead to the frame you want to create a still from.

• From the Edit menu , choose Create Still Frame . The clip will remain still for its entire duration.

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Titles

Titles add descriptive text to your movie. You can use a variety of title styles, fonts, and colors. Titles can be superimposed over portions of clips or added over black as a separate clip. You can also modify titles after creating them.

Adding a Title Over a Video Clip

• Select the desired clip in the Timeline.

• Click the Editing button and then choose Titles button.
• Click on a style from the scrolling list in the titles palette (Bounce In To Center, Cartwheel, etc.) to select it.
• Choose a font for your title from the font pulldown menu.
• Uncheck the Over Black box if it is selected.
• Choose a color by clicking on the Text Color box next to Color and clicking on the desired color. Select the desired text size by sliding the blue knob size horizontally between the small 'A ' and the large 'A' .
• Type the text for your title into the text field(s) in the titles palette. Depending on the style, there will be different options in the number of text fields, direction of entry, etc.
• Beneath the preview box, slide the blue knob to designate:
  Speed: at which the title solidifies
  Pause: duration of appearance
• Drag the highlighted title style from the style list in the Title palette in front of the selected clip in the Timeline. A title clip appears in the clip viewer and a red progress bar under the clip indicates the time remaining to render the title. The rendering (processing) of the title will vary according to pause/speed input.

Adding a Title over Black

• Follow the instructions above for adding a title over a video clip.

• Click the Over Black box to check it.

Editing Titles

• Select the desired clip in the Timeline.

• Click on the Editing button and then choose Titles .
• Make the desired changes in the Over Video Clip instructions above.
• Click the Update button in the Titles palette.

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Transitions

Transitions smooth the cuts between the clips. They can be added either to the beginning or the end of a clip or between two clips.

To access transitions, click on the Editing button and select Transitions .

Creating a Transition

• Click the Editing button and select Transition .

• Select a transitions style (Circle Closing, Circle Opening, etc.) in the Transitions palette by clicking on it.
• Drag the round blue knob beneath the preview screen within the transition palette to alter the speed of the transition. Note: longer transitions take more time to render than shorter ones.
• Drag the highlighted transition style (Circle Closing, Circle Opening, etc.) in front of the clip in the Timeline that you wish the transition to.

Editing a Transition

• Select the transition box in the Timeline by clicking on it once to highlight it.

• From the Edit menu, select Clear .
• Create a new transition if desired.

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Effects

To access Video Effects, click on the Editing button and select Video FX.

Inserting an Effect

• Select desired clip in the Timeline.
• Click on the Editing button and select Video FX .
• Select an effect by clicking on one in the Effects box.
• Drag the Effect in knob to the point of the clip you want the effect to begin and the Effect out knob at the point you want the effect to end.
• Click the Apply button to add the effect.

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