Digital Moviemaking with iMovie

by Wesley Fryer
wesfryer@yahoo.com

www.wtvi.com/teks/imovie
Last updated

So you want to create a video project? Lucky for you, we are living in the era of digital moviemaking!

A Note About non-Digital Moviemaking

While it is possible to use older, non-digital camera equipment for a project of this type, these analog recording devices do not provide the same easy of use and flexiblity as digital video editing tools can. For this reason, DIGITAL VIDEO EQUIPMENT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

If a portion of video from an analog tape (VHS or Video-8) needs to be imported into a video project, this can be accomplished using video analog to digital conversion equipment.

Most of the photos included in this guide are thumbnails: you can click the photo and see a larger version in a new browser window.

Outline:

  1. Overview: Why DV is so fun!
  2. Quickstart
  3. Tips for Movie Making
  4. Capturing video on a digital camcorder
  5. What you'll need (hardware / software)
  6. Connecting a digital camcorder to your computer
  7. Using iMovie
  8. Resources and Links

1. Overview: Why DV is so fun!

For inspiration, check out some of the iMovies in the Apple iMovie Gallery for Education - www.apple.com/education/dv/gallery/

Also, see how iMovie is being used in the Illinois Public Schools: http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/movie/

Get ideas for instructional uses of iMovie in the Apple Digital Hub for Education site - www.apple.com/education/dv

Other samples of created iMovies are available on: http://homepage.mac.com/carlward/iMovieTheater.html

Overview of iMovie

2. Quickstart

This Quick Reference guide from Stanford provides an excellent overview and starting point:

3. Tips for Movie Making

Planning: Draw out / write a storyboard for your movie. This means planning for each scene:
  1. the approximate duration / length of the scene
  2. location
  3. characters
  4. character dialog
  5. needed props
  6. narration to be overlayed on the video later

Shooting the Video

  1. Keep the background simple if people will be talking.
  2. Remove all background noise if possible.
  3. FRAME the shot first before recording.
  4. Avoid filming quick movements (especially important if the movie will later be compressed for viewing on the web or CD-ROMO)
  5. Pan and zoom the camera slowly: avoid abrupt movements of the camera.
  6. Refer to the storyboard: to keep the length to the planned duration, as well as the other planned items.
  7. If using 'native sound' (not overlayed narration), talk into the camera to provide information about footage being recorded.

4. Capturing video on a digital camcorder

First, insert a charged battery into the camcorder:

Make sure the silver metal contact points are the bottom before inserting it. Push it down till it clicks in place.

If you need to eject the battery to charge it, press the eject battery button on the lower left side of the viewfinder:

Second, install your blank tape:

For the Canon camcorder, press the OPEN button on the left right side:

This will let you flip out the outer tape cover. Next, press the green EJECT button:

This will start the camera tape motor running (so a battery must be inserted or the unit must be plugged in) and the tape will move out of the unit. You can then pull out the tape:

CAREFULLY push the tape carrier back into the camera until it snaps into place:

Again the motor should start and seat the tape case back in the camera.

Finally, close the outer tape cover.

You are now ready to shoot your movie!

When you are ready to begin filming, turn the camera on by switching the main power selector to CAMERA:

The camera should come on in a PAUSED state.

Press the RED THUMB BUTTON to start and stop recording:

Turn the camera off by switching the main power selector from CAMERA to OFF.

5. What you'll need (hardware / software)

For this project, you will need access to the following equipment / software:

Camera Equipement

  1. Digital Camcorder (the one described in this guide is a Canon DM-GL1A camcorder)
  2. Charged camcorder battery
  3. Camcorder power supply (may come in 2 parts, the charge/connection box with an electrical outlet, and the cord connecting the box to the camera)
  4. Blank digital videocassette

Computer Equipment/Software

  1. Macintosh G3 or G4 computer with firewire connection
  2. Large amount of available hard drive space on the computer, or a removable media drive (an external firewire drive)
  3. Firewire connection cable to connect the camera to the computer
  4. iMovie 2 software

6. Connecting a digital camcorder to your computer

After you have finished filming video, bring the camera to the location where the computer is located you will use to put the movie together. Make sure adequate power outlets are available for the camcorder as well as the computer, and the external hard drive (if used). More help on this topic is available: http://www.apple.com/imovie/gettingstarted/sePg02.html

To eject the battery, press the eject battery button on the lower left side of the viewfinder:

Connect the power supply adapter into the power supply converter box:

Plug the camcorder power supply into the power outlet, and the recorder power adapter into the camera as shown (silver medal contacts should again be down):

The power adapter should snap into place just like the battery.

Locate the video-out cover on the back of the camcorder:

Flip the cover out, and find the digital video (DV) input cable (the small end):

Insert the small end of the DV input cable into the DV port:

Insert the large end of the DV input cable into the computer firewire port or the open firewire port on your external hard drive:

Plug in the external firewire hard drive to the power outlet and make sure it is connected to your computer (if used).

Turn the camera on by moving the main power selector to VCR:

This will allow for video playback within iMovie. Now you are ready to put together your production in iMovie!

7. Using iMovie

iMovie software is free, but runs only on computers running the Macintosh operating system. Microsoft has developed Moviemaker 2 software for Windows XP, but has not successfully replicated the plug and play ease of Apple's iMovie yet.

Get the latest info on iMovie (including download links for updates) on: www.apple.com/imovie/

iMovie is a fairly intuitive program allowing people to create customized movies. These can include:

(from iMovie software tutorial)

To Get Started:

Launch the iMovie application and create a new project in a new folder. (Refer to the explanatory movie from AtomicLearning.com) SAVE THIS FILE IN THE DOCUMENTS FOLDER OF THE COMPUTER'S HARD DRIVE. Because the file size of digital movies are so large, you cannot work directly on a movie file saved to the network (Public folder.)

iMovie Modes:

The two basic modes of iMovie control are:

The controls of iMovie change depending on the mode selected. In CAMERA MODE, the controls look like this:

iMovie Navigation:

The main areas of iMovie you will switch between are are:

The Clip view can be toggled to a Timeline view (helpful for adjusting audio settings):

The position triangle shows you what point of the selected movie or movie clip you are viewing:

If you want to view or edit a particular clip, click on it first either in the shelf or on the timeline (selected clip is highlighted in yellow):

If you want to view the ENTIRE movie, click on the EDGE of the timeline view, then move the position triangle to the start of the movie. Click Play:

Importing Video:

To import video into your project:

  1. Make sure everything is connected properly as previously discussed.
  2. Switch into CAMERA MODE: (OS X / iMovie 3: )
  3. Move to the part of the recorded video you want to import using Play / Fast Forward / Rewind.
  4. Press the IMPORT button:
  5. Click STOP when the sequence is over.

Note: You can import video from analog VHS tapes and other video formats also, using the Dazzle video import device. (These are connected to the 4 G4 computers on the south wall of the ECC)

Insert clips into your movie:

  1. Make sure CLIPS is selected on the switcher:
  2. Drag clips from the SHELF to the CLIP VIEWER at the bottom of the screen..
  3. A movie demonstration of this process is available from AtomicLearning.com

Arrange Clips

  1. Arrange clips in the CLIP VIEWER as desired.
  2. Click and drag to move clips around.
  3. A movie demonstration of this process is available from AtomicLearning.com.

Splitting a clip

  1. You can split a clip into two different clips. First, move the POSITION TRIANGLE () to the exact place you want to split the clip.
  2. Next, choose SPLIT VIDEO CLIP AT PLAYHEAD:
  3. The clip should now be in two pieces:
  4. A movie about this process is available from AtomicLearning.com.

 

 

Selecting part of a clip:

Make a selection of a clip when you want to delete, copy, or cut that section of footage.

  1. Move to the start of the clip you want to select. Use the POSITION TRIANGLE () to move quickly to the desired part of your movie, press PLAY to view it.
  2. Hold down the SHIFT KEY.
  3. Click on the blue line under the position triangle where you think the clip will end. GUESS!
  4. This will create a SELECTION AREA, which will be highlighted in yellow:
  5. Click and drag the SELECTION ARROWS BELOW to change the selected clip:
  6. The START and END selection arrows can both be moved as desired.

Deleting a clip:

  1. Either click on a clip (if you want to delete the entire thing) or make a clip selection as described above.
  2. Press the DELETE key.
  3. The clip is gone forever-- you won't be able to bring it back unless you immediately choose EDIT - UNDO.

Copying a clip and inserting it in your film:

  1. Either click on a clip (if you want to delete the entire thing) or make a clip selection as described above.
  2. From the EDIT menu, choose COPY.
  3. On the CLIP VIEWER, click where you want the copied clip inserted:
  4. From the EDIT menu, choose PASTE.

Creating a DIGITAL STILL IMAGE from a SINGLE FRAME in your iMovie

For a title or other part of your movie, you can save a SINGLE FRAME and re-insert it to your movie. You can also insert other graphics files, obtained from the internet, a scanner, digital camera, etc.

Technique 1:

  1. From the EDIT menu, choose CREATE STILL FRAME

  2. A still clip will be created in the SHELF, drag it down where you want it to go in your timeline.

Technique 2:

First, save the image onto your computer's hard drive from the digital camera, web, etc. If you want to save a frame from iMovie:

  1. Move the POSITION TRIANGLE () to the exact frame you want to capture as a still image.
  2. From the FILE menu, choose SAVE FRAME AS:
  3. Save the file under an appropriate name, choose JPG format. (In the ECC lab, save this in the DOCMENTS folder on MACINTOSH HD, in your project folder)
  4. Click SAVE. (Make sure the JPG images end with the file extension '.jpg' if you are going to email the image or put it on a webpage):

To insert a saved image into your iMovie:

  1. From the FILE menu, choose IMPORT FILE.
  2. Locate your file on the hard drive, select it, and click IMPORT to bring it into iMovie. It will import into an empty spot on the SHELF.
  3. Drag the image down from the SHELF to your CLIP VIEWER to the desired location in your movie.
  4. Adjust the DURATION the image is displayed by clicking on the image, then clicking next to TIME at the top of the CLIP VIEWER. Adjust the time as desired (default play time is 5 seconds):

A movie about inserting web graphics into your movie using this process is available from AtomicLearning.com.

To insert a TITLE into your iMovie:

  1. Click TITLES in the switcher:
  2. Select the desired title:
  3. Change the options as desired for each title (color, if it plays over a black screen, the direction of movement, etc)
  4. DRAG THE DESIRED TITLE to the place you want it inserted in the CLIP VIEWER.
  5. The computer will start to RENDER the video: merge the selected title with the actual video frames. A red line will be displayed while this rendering process is underway:
  6. Do not quit iMovie until all rendering processes are finished. You will know rendering is complete when the red lines GO AWAY.
  7. A movie clip from AtomicLearning.com about adding titles is available.

Adding a Transition:

A transition is defined in the iMovie tutorial as 'a blending of FRAMES between two CLIPS to smooth a cut. There are many different styles of transitions, such as the 'fade.' To add a transition:

  1. Select TRANSITIONS from the switcher:
  2. Select the desired transition by clicking on it once, and change avaiable options (speed, direction, etc):
  3. DRAG the transition's name from the selection window BETWEEN THE CLIPS where you want it inserted.
  4. Rendering of the transition will begin, as described above for TITLES.
  5. A movie clip from AtomicLearning.com about adding transitions is available.

Convert a CD Track to MP3 format

  1. Insert your CD into the computer and launch iTunes
  2. iTunes will query an online database of CDs and figure out the title of the CD and all the tracks on it as long as you are connected to the internet.
  3. Under SOURCE on the left side, click once on the name of your CD.
  4. If you want to import ALL tracks on the CD into iTunes (thereby converting them to MP3 format) click the IMPORT button.
  5. If you just want to import ONE SONG, drag that song from the song list and drop it on top of the LIBRARY ICON under SOURCE.
  6. Converted songs (by default) are placed in the following folder on your hard drive:

Inserting a background audio file:

  1. MP3 format: A movie clip from AtomicLearning.com is available describing how to import an MP3 audio file into iMovie.
  2. CD format: CD tracks must be converted into AIFF format before they can be imported into iMovie. An AtomicLearning.com movie about this process using QuickTime Pro is available.

Adding voice narration (a voice overlay):

A movie clip from AtomicLearning.com is available describing how to record your voice in iMovie.

To add voice narration, the video and audio tracks within iMovie must be split. When you click the TIMELINE view (), if video and audio tracks are NOT split it will look like this:.

Split the audio and video tracks by choosing the ADVANCED menu and clicking on EXTRACT AUDIO:

Once the audio is extracted (split) it will look like this in the timeline view. Note there is now a visible audio track (in yellow) below the video track:

To record and insert a voice narration:


(from iMovie software tutorial)

I'm done: Now What?

After your iMovie is finished, you need to EXPORT it unless you plan to show it to others on the same computer you used to create it.

  1. From the FILE menu, choose EXPORT
  2. Choose TO CAMERA.
  3. Make sure your camera is connected (on VCR mode rather than CAMERA mode), turned on, and the tape is advanced to a blank part where you can record without erasing anything you want to keep.
  4. Do not worry about changing any of the default settings for export to camera.
  5. Click EXPORT and the finished iMovie will be recorded back onto your camera tape.

A movie clip about outputting your final iMovie is available from AtomicLearning.com

You can also export your finished iMovie to a VHS tape. If you plan to do this, however, you should use one of the G4 tower computers located in the back of the ECC Mac lab. Only those computers have VHS VCRs connected to them.

It is also possible to export for iDVD to create your own DVDs. If Toast Titanium is installed, an export option for VCD (Video CD) is available. VCDs can be recorded on standard CD-Rs (not more expensive DVD-Rs), and have VHS quality. Not all DVD players can play VCDs however.

Advanced Topics:

Adding a Video or Digital Image Paste Over

  • Sometimes you may want to continue with a pre-recorded audio narration, but switch the displayed video or images to something else. This is called a Paste Over.
  • First, drag the narrated video from the shelf to the timeline where you want it to play.
  • In the Shelf, select the imported video or images that you want to paste over. Set the time delay on the images as desired first before copying them.
  • Copy the selected clips (EDIT - COPY)
  • In the timeline, move the playhead to the position you want the copied clips pasted over. From the ADVANCED menu in iMovie, choose PASTE OVER.
  • The audio from the copied clips will be extracted and deleted, and the video will be pasted over the clip you selected in the timeline. The audio from the original timeline clip will remain.
  • This technique works will when someone is being interviewed. Start with the person talking so the audience can associate a face with the voice, then switch to other images that relate to what the person is talking about. This can make the interview more interesting to watch and listen to, since the audience sees more than just the person talking.

 


(from iMovie software tutorial)

 

8. Resources and Links

The Atomic Learning Video Storytelling Guide: http://www.atomiclearning.com/storytellingindex.shtml

Tutorials on using iMovie 2 software to import video and create your project are available from:

More information about iMovie software is available from Apple Computer: http://www.apple.com/imovie

MacWorld archive of iMovie resources: http://www.macworld.com/subject/imovie/

MacAddict: The Making of a MacAddict iMovie: http://www.macaddict.com/magazine/2000_04/imov_1.html

iMovie Basics: http://www4.district125.k12.il.us/webmeisters/cchausis/tutorial/imovie.html

MacWorx - iMovie Tutorial: http://www.macworx.demon.co.uk/iMovie.htm

iMovie the Missing Manual: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/imoviemm/

The "Unofficial" IMovie FAQ: http://www.danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/iMovieFAQ.html

iMovie Help Sites: http://tewinkle.nmusd.k12.ca.us/imovie.html

Digitizing Video Using iMovie - Advanced Features: http://www.wellesley.edu/Computing/Imovie/imovieAdvanced.html#split

Creating a Digital Slide Show using iMovie: http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06798

iMovie Quick Reference: http://acomp.stanford.edu/acpubs/Docs/iMovieQuickRef/

iMovie in the Public Schools: http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/movie/

Connecting a DV Device: http://www.apple.com/imovie/gettingstarted/sePg02.html

iMovie Streaming: Making QuickTime for the Web: http://smw.internet.com/video/tutor/imoviestream_3/

Buying your first Digital Camcorder: http://desktopvideo.about.com/library/weekly/aa062402a.htm

Top Ten Digital Camcorders under $600: http://desktopvideo.about.com/library/weekly/aa110202a.htm

Special thanks to Carl Ward for assistance with these iMovie links.

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