Apple iMovie
Two versions of Apple's
iMovie are
provided on all SCS lab Macintoshes for users who want to be able to
edit video and create short films without having to learn Final Cut
Pro. For iMovie to work properly in our environment, users need to
configure a few simple settings before beginning their projects.
We currently offer iMovie
'08 and iMovie
HD ('06) in the labs. The two programs have rather different
interfaces and some users may prefer HD to '08. However, please note
that iMovie HD files can be opened by iMovie '08,
but iMovie HD cannot read iMovie '08 files.
Apple's current shipping version
of iMovie is iMovie '09, part of the iLife '09 suite. The labs will
be upgraded to iLife '09 over the summer. In the meantime, projects
begun on personal computers running iMovie '09 cannot be opened or
edited on lab computers. iMovie '09 can import and update iMovie '08
files, however, so projects can be started in a lab and then moved
to a personal computer.
Digital video files can often take
up several gigabytes of storage space, much more than the amount allotted
to each user account. Although we offer some storage space on the hard
drive of each computer in our lab, we strongly recommend that users
purchase personal FireWire drives. For more information, see
Digital Video Storage Options.
Like Final Cut Pro, iMovie '08 separates project files
from video footage. The project file is small and contains information
about clip start and times, music selections, transitions and effects,
etc, but doesn't contain any actual video footage or audio clips. Those
are stored in a separate Events folder, which can be located on your
personal external hard drive or on Temporary_Storage.
When you launch iMovie and create a new project, the
project file will be automatically saved in the Movies folder in your
Home directory.
When you begin importing video, iMovie will prompt
you to make some choices:
- Select the file you want to import.
- From the Save As menu, select your external hard drive or the Temporary_Storage
volume.
- Select whether you want to add the footage to an existing event
(a project that's in progress) or create a new event.
- Choose how to import your video - typically Large is fine.
- Select whether you want to create a copy of the file in the event
storage location, or move the file from its current to location to
the event storage location.
The imported footage will be saved in an event folder in the iMovie
Events folder, which is created on the volume you chose and you will
be able to see your imported footage at the bottom of the iMovie window.
**IMPORTANT NOTE** Files stored on Temporary Storage can only be modified
or deleted by the person who created them, but they can be viewed or
copied by anyone. In the case of iMovie event footage, any other users
who launch iMovie '08 on the same computer will be able to view your
footage and/or copy it into their own projects.
If you want your video footage to remain private, please read the
README_before_using_Temporary_Storage.txt file located on the top level
of the Temporary_Storage drives in the labs. In it, you will find directions
for protecting your files from being seen by others.
iMovie '08 can only handle certain types of .mov
files. If your .mov file is greyed out in the import menu, then it
is not supported by iMovie '08.
The quickest solution is to re-encode your .mov file using Quicktime
Pro, which is installed on all the lab computers. The re-encoding process
may take awhile, depending on the length of your video clip. Follow
these steps:
- Open the file in Quicktime Pro (located in the Applications folder)
- Choose Export from the File menu
- From the Export menu in the dialog box, choose either Movie to
DV Stream -OR- Movie to Quicktime Movie (default settings).
- Select a location for your new file. If the movie is large (more
than 20 MB), you should export to your personal external hard drive
or to your folder on Temporary_Storage.
- Click Save and wait for the encoding process to finish. Once it
is done, you can import the clip into iMovie.
It is important to create and save your project in the correct location
before you begin to import video or you may experience serious problems
during importing and editing.
Plug in your FireWire hard
drive before beginning. When the drive mounts on the desktop, open
the iMovie application and choose "Create a New Project." Save
the new project on your FireWire hard drive. As you work, your video
files will be located in the Media folder inside the iMovie project
folder on your drive. Do not move the Media folder out of the project
folder or rename it as this may cause problems the next time you
open your project.
If you are using the Temporary_Storage volume instead
of a personal hard drive, you should first double-click on the Temporary_Storage
volume icon on the desktop. Create a new folder on the volume and title
it with your login ID or your name. Follow the instructions above,
but be sure to save your project in the folder with your name on the
Temporary_Storage volume.