In my previous post, I stated I was using Movie Maker to edit my first small video. Unfortunately, Movie Maker couldn't handle the three to four minute video. I was able to create and edit it. But Movie Maker could not export it. I was sad indeed.
So, while the video was trapped in a PC I began entertaining the idea of finally using iMovie to complete a video. I'd only played with it a little a few years ago with some footage I recorded for fun.
My first hurdle was formatting (yet again) the video files into mov. I got that done. I used a jump drive to transfer all the files to a Mac and imported them into iMovie.
I had to use a search engine to look up how to do some things. One thing I did not know how to do was add sounds. It turns out iMovie comes with some nifty sounds that were perfect for my needs. I also had to look up how to add titles and using transitions.
I think that might be where Movie Maker exposed it's main weakness. I had a few spots with fades and from some research I found that particular application doesn't like a lot of transitions. And just so you know, I did try breaking up the movie into smaller and smaller and smaller pieces but that tactic didn't work.
It took a bit of clicking in iMovie to figure out how to select for cutting and trimming. Moving stuff around proved a bit more difficult than I expected. But overall I found iMovie pleasant and easy to remember how to use.
One problem I have noticed so far is I did find it impossible to convert the final mov file to any other format.
The biggest thing I learned was I must continue to practice with any application I may use in the future (perhaps even years in the future). As I ran into obstacle after obstacle while trying to get the video published I was getting a little frantic. If I'd experienced at least some of the problems with a personal video where I could take my time learning and figuring out how to get things to work I wouldn't have gotten so stressed out.
So, while the video was trapped in a PC I began entertaining the idea of finally using iMovie to complete a video. I'd only played with it a little a few years ago with some footage I recorded for fun.
My first hurdle was formatting (yet again) the video files into mov. I got that done. I used a jump drive to transfer all the files to a Mac and imported them into iMovie.
I had to use a search engine to look up how to do some things. One thing I did not know how to do was add sounds. It turns out iMovie comes with some nifty sounds that were perfect for my needs. I also had to look up how to add titles and using transitions.
I think that might be where Movie Maker exposed it's main weakness. I had a few spots with fades and from some research I found that particular application doesn't like a lot of transitions. And just so you know, I did try breaking up the movie into smaller and smaller and smaller pieces but that tactic didn't work.
It took a bit of clicking in iMovie to figure out how to select for cutting and trimming. Moving stuff around proved a bit more difficult than I expected. But overall I found iMovie pleasant and easy to remember how to use.
One problem I have noticed so far is I did find it impossible to convert the final mov file to any other format.
The biggest thing I learned was I must continue to practice with any application I may use in the future (perhaps even years in the future). As I ran into obstacle after obstacle while trying to get the video published I was getting a little frantic. If I'd experienced at least some of the problems with a personal video where I could take my time learning and figuring out how to get things to work I wouldn't have gotten so stressed out.
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