Hello again! Here is the ninth part of a series of articles dedicated to the popular iLife ’11 software package. We have already reviewed one of the programs included in its composition - iPhoto ’11 - in the first issues of the series, and now we continue to talk about the application iMovie, designed for non-linear video editing. In the previous part of the series we talked about the import and export functions, today we’ll talk about the functions and capabilities of non-linear editing.
iMovie ’11 allows you to use both photo and video materials as source material. Both types of materials are perfectly combined with each other, turning into a complete video or film. At the same time, nothing prevents the user from creating a video consisting of only images or video materials.
So, before starting work, you need to decide on the plot of the future video or film, based on the photographic and video material filmed or otherwise obtained, and also choose the topic of the project. IN Projects Media Library create new folder on one of the available disks or partitions and right-click on it, call context menu, and then select the item New project.
If you are confident in your abilities and already have experience working with similar programs, then you can choose an empty theme, but if you have little experience, then you should choose one of the pre-installed themes. But you shouldn’t assume that after choosing a ready-made theme, all you have to do is fill the project with video and photo material and the program will do everything for you. Not at all, ready theme only partially facilitates the creative process and adds transitions and some other effects to the project, united by one common theme. In particular, there is a choice between Photo Album, Notice Board, Comics, Album, Filmstrip, News and Sports. Having chosen the theme of the template, we give a name to our new project, set the frame ratio ( 4:3 or 16:9 ), frame rate ( 24, 25 or 30 fps) and press Create. If you check the box when selecting a topic Automatically add transitions and titles, then the application will automatically create them, saving the user from some of the actions.
By the way, if when creating a project the user chose one design theme, and then decided that it was not quite suitable (or not suitable at all), then it can be changed to another at any time by right-clicking on the panel Event Browser or Project editor and select the appropriate item in the context menu.
After we have decided on the topic of the project and asked required parameters, a panel will automatically open for us « Project Editor", which was previously unavailable. It is in this panel that the main work with the video project is carried out.
As mentioned above, both photo and video materials can be used as source materials. And if the video has to be uploaded to the iMovie library through the panel Event media libraries or through the program menu, item File, then photos can be dragged directly onto the project window or imported from iPhoto, Aperture and PhotoBooth applications using the panel Photo browser.
For greater convenience, it is highly recommended to swap the event and project panels by using the button of the same name on the control panel. In this way we will transfer Project editor to the bottom of the application window, where much more space will be allocated for it than in the top half.
Processing of video material begins even before adding the latter to Project editor. So, if you right-click on any material from the event browser and select the “Analyze video” item from the menu, you can analyze the video material for the presence of people in the frame and the need for image stabilization. You can also note the panning of the camera, which can later be useful when editing the finished film.
It is no coincidence that the type of video editing is called non-linear; with such editing, a film or video can be assembled, literally, almost from individual frames taken from different places in the source material. This type of video editing is ideally suited for working with amateur video, which, as a rule, is most often filmed in one piece, without pauses or division into episodes. Of course, when importing, the program will try to divide such a video into episodes, guided by changes in the video sequence in the frame, but such division does not always coincide with the plot of the filmed event.
To add a video to the Project Editor, select an entire episode from the Event Browser (or a specific video fragment) and drag it onto the editor’s timeline. To select, simply click on the desired area of the material and, without releasing the mouse button, select the desired area by simply moving the mouse. At the same time, with right side The selection frame will display the duration of the selected fragment.
Between individual added fragments, as a rule, transitions are inserted, decorating the change of scenes in your creation. Transitions are added from Navigation Browser, called up by the button on the toolbar, which we talked about in the first part of the review of the iMovie application.
If, when creating a project, a specific topic was selected and the option to automatically create titles and arrange transitions was checked, then when you try to add a specific transition yourself, you will be prompted to disable the automatic placement of transitions. Otherwise add new transition will not work.
You can fine-tune any of the transitions added to the project. To do this, just move the mouse cursor to the transition icon and click on the icon that appears.
A film or video cannot consist of only one video sequence - the era of silent films has long since sunk into oblivion =) You can and should add musical accompaniment to the project of a future film, sound effects and other sounds that enliven the picture and make you look at it in a new way. Sound, etc. is added from the Music and Sound Effects Browser. iMovie can use audio from the iLife and iMovie libraries. Thanks to integration with iTunes, any audio tracks from its library are available.
You can apply one of 19 audio effects to any audio track from a project. Moreover, all you have to do is hover your mouse over the icon of the selected effect, and you can immediately listen to the result of its application.
It’s impossible not to notice that managing audio tracks added to the project is quite simple and intuitive. For example, to adjust the rate at which the volume of an audio track increases or decreases, just drag the corresponding slider at the beginning or end of the track. Sound normalization is performed both automatically and manual mode. If you look at the following screenshot, you will see that in some places in the project the sound was too loud, as evidenced by the peaks in the audio form of the soundtrack, colored in a brighter color than the bulk of the sound. To normalize the volume of these areas, just pull down the volume control line.
When adding several audio tracks to a project, the latter do not overlap each other, but are sequentially lined up in one line. If you need to change the order of playing audio tracks, call the context menu, in which select the item Arrange music tracks. Then, by dragging and dropping, we arrange the tracks the way we need them.
What film can do without a title and credits? :) So in iMovie’ 11 there is a separate Header Browser, offering the user more than 32 options for titles, not counting those that will be available when choosing one of the project themes. Just drag the selected option to the desired area of the project, then select the background that will be located under the words and the titles are ready.
As with transitions, titles can also be fine-tuned and accessed in the same way as transitions.
If you need to replace the background under already added titles, just open Background browser and drag the desired background onto the selected titles.
And for the end of the article we saved the most interesting thing - adding and managing special effects. Special effects, as well as some other operations with the selected fragment, are available in the program menu, in the item Clip.
- Rerun. Let's say you are working with footage and want to focus attention on some interesting episode. It would be nice to highlight this moment when editing the film, for example by adding a slow-motion replay. To do this, just highlight the moment that interests us, and then in the program menu, in the item Clip choose Rerun, followed by an indication of the deceleration speed (50, 25 or 10% of the initial display speed). As a result of these manipulations, immediately after the selected section of the video, a copy of it will be inserted, which will be a re-display with slow playback.
- Slow motion viewing. The effect is very similar to “Replay”, with the only difference that in this case a copy of the selected area is not made, but only its playback is slowed down.
- Flash forward. If you don’t really like a certain fragment in the project, but for some reason you don’t want to delete it, then you can simply fast forward it by selecting the fast forward option and setting the desired rewind speed. And this is just one of the options for using this function.
- Rewind. Unlike the previous point, here we rewind. This special effect goes well with Rerun
AND . There’s just one program that we missed from our attention, so we’re in a hurry to fill this annoying gap. Meet the best video editor on iPad - iMovie.
In general, Apple intends this application as a tool that allows you to create short films literally anywhere and anytime. This is very a good option for those who are used to sharing video materials from their vacation, almost in real time. Using the Camera Connection Kit, you can connect your camera or camcorder to your iPad and immediately edit a short video. iMovie also provides the ability to use captured video clips from the iPad itself. But import from standard application There is no “video”, which is understandable; there is clear protection against the illegal use of full-length films. Therefore, “uploading” and using video from a computer will not work so easily; you should know the way to the desired folder. However, if anyone needs this information, you are welcome to comment.
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The “theater” tab will contain films available on all Apple devices via iCloud.
The projects tab stores created films and trailers, if any. To create a project, you need to click on the plus sign and select suitable option. First, let's try to create a short film.
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We will immediately be asked to choose a suitable topic from 8 proposed options. After choosing, we get to the screen where all the most basic things will happen. At the bottom is the editing table, on the left is the video playback area, on the right is the selection field necessary files. To use a video fragment in your movie, you need to limit the required area with yellow frames and double-click on the video fragment. The selected fragment will be displayed on the timeline, or “timeline”.
iMovie supports multi-touch gestures. For example, by pinch-to-zoom you can zoom in and out of the displayed area. Below, under the timeline, there are three buttons. “Gear” is responsible for the project settings. Here you can change the theme, insert standard music, turn on the initial and final transitions in the dissolve style “from black” and “to black”. The voice recorder allows you to record your voice without leaving the program. The camera is used for quickly taking photos and videos. Below the file selection area there are two more buttons: “show audio track" and "back".
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You can do this with video fragments standard operations: cut, shorten, change speed, freeze frame and duplicate. You can change the volume of the audio sequence or completely separate it from the video track. In the "title" option, you can select and add titles, either in the introduction, body or closing text format, or in a free format. One way or another, titles do not have their own track and are applied to the entire fragment of the video. In order for the text not to hang in front of your eyes all the time, but to appear in right moment, you need to divide the video into pieces and apply titles only to the required part.
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Enough interesting effect The “picture-in-picture” function will serve. Simply select the desired video excerpt in the file selection field, click on the button with three dots and select the “square within a square” icon. The fragment will automatically be placed on the layer above. You can also use the inserted fragment various transformations, be it moving or scaling. You can even split the screen into two equal areas in which different videos will be displayed.
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It is impossible not to mention the presence of transitions, of which there are not very many, but there is still a choice. It should also be noted flexible setup these same transitions, choosing the right place is very simple.
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You can also insert images from your media library or camera roll onto the pasteboard, but you won’t be able to overlay an image on top of a video. The "Audio" tab contains standard background music, selected specifically for each topic, as well as various sound effects, for example, “applause” or “thunder”.
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After completing work on the film, you can send it to social networks or save it in your media library. But the possibilities of iMovie don't end there, because you can also create a very beautiful trailer right on your iPad. I suggest you see how this is done.
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Now we are offered to choose one of 14 options for stylized short videos. Each preset is interesting in its own way and has a special sound design, although not all have beautiful titles. Apparently some do not support the Cyrillic alphabet and Apple, frankly speaking, was too lazy to choose beautiful fonts.
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Everything else is extremely simple. In the “structure” you need to write the names of the main actors, the name of the film and the production team. This information is mostly used only at the end of the trailer; if you don’t need the last frame, then you don’t have to change anything here.
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It’s better to go straight to the “storyboard”, this is where the “magic” happens. All you have to do is select fragments from the available videos and paste them into the appropriate fields, and the program automatically limits the fragment time to a few seconds. Between sections of the video, you can and even need to change the titles to suit your story. That's basically it, gradually fill the windows with videos, change the text and the trailer is ready. Simple and convenient, isn't it? But alas, this method of creating trailers also has disadvantages. Firstly, the limitations in design choices make themselves felt. Secondly, you have to adapt to the existing time format - about 1 minute.
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In general, iMovie is a convenient and functional program for editing on a tablet. The simplicity and ease of use will certainly be appreciated by people who are not good at working with complex tools. Of course, iMovie will not replace professional applications like Final Cut Pro X or Adobe Premier, but no one demands that from it. Even with some limitations, it will be an excellent assistant for those who need to edit videos without the help of a computer.
iMovie was presented as a small revolution along with the iPhone 4. In the box with an expensive smartphone, however, this software is not included; it can be purchased separately in App Store for 5 bucks. Before iMovie, videos on the iPhone could only be trimmed and sent somewhere, now the possibilities are wider and, with desire and patience, you can create a truly worthwhile picture directly on the iPhone, without resorting to the use of other software and equipment. Although, if you're serious about video shooting, a tripod will come in handy.
I can't say that iMovie is the Snapseed of the video editing world. The application is very simple and has minimal functions. On the one hand, this is good - everyone can figure it out and there are no heaps of toggle switches; on the other hand, there are no basic color correction capabilities such as brightness, contrast, white balance, color filters.
When you log into the application, you are greeted by a Broadway theater with announcements of films - your projects.
Looks very original. Here you can change the name of the project, add a new one, play the video, send it somewhere, or delete it. We create a new project, add photos, videos, and sound to it.
All tracks can be stretched, moved, and transitions can be added between them. The transition can be normal (dissolve) with a custom duration, or a transition from the topic if one is selected. You can enter the transition settings, as well as the video settings, by double tapping.
iMovie has several (9) movie themes. You can add captions to them. Most are just for fun, although absolutely everything looks cool, but there is a “Simple” theme, which has no bells and whistles, but only neat text. It can be used without causing aesthetic damage to the film, it looks cool. (Examples at the end of the review). You can adjust the cyclic nature of the audio track, fade in black, enter caption text and adjust the sound volume.
You can also add photos, they are fun to work with. You can choose the position of the photo at the beginning and at the end, the result is a dynamic picture. You can move left, right and zoom. (Example at the end).
Once editing is complete, the film can be exported to camera roll, Youtube or another service. I'm glad that you can save the file even in 1080p.
Video examples
I bought the app for myself, and at the cost of 5 Snickers, it brings me much more pleasure, although it cannot be said that iMovie has nowhere to grow. We look forward to updates and adding new features.
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
Computers
How to use iMovie? iMovie Features
September 14, 2017Every day, advanced smartphone and PC users get acquainted with new software. This is due to the fact that their number has exceeded hundreds of thousands. They appear in contextual advertising, our smartphone gives them out. We learn about some from the lips of our friends.
For example, many applications are designed for a specific type of device. For devices Apple you can find a huge number of programs, including iMovie. How to use this software and what it is needed for, we will consider further.
What is this?
So, if you are the owner of an Apple device, then with one hundred percent probability you have heard, seen, and maybe even used this program. This is a very famous video editor, which, as the name suggests, is designed for Apple devices.
The software was developed back in 1999. It is needed for editing videos, films, family videos, etc.
Variations
iMovie has been officially running for over 15 years. The first version was announced already in 2003. A year later, the company introduced an updated program, for which operating system requirements were established.
As a result, new versions began to appear every year, with different system requirements. The last known update occurred in 2012. Then iMovie "11" became known, which required Mac OS X version 10.7.4.
Requirements
Before you figure out how to use iMovie, you need to understand what you need to do it. To work with latest versions needed Personal Computer from Apple, the iLife multimedia software package, which includes this software, as well as video material.
Previously, it was recommended to use only MacBooks. Over time, it became possible to install the application on Apple tablets. Now on the official website you can find information that the iPhone on iMovie also works correctly, although it is not entirely convenient due to small sizes screen.
Metadata
Those who use iLife services will be able to intuitively understand the program interface. There are no difficulties here, especially for users of Apple devices.
To get started, you need to explore all the elements that the program has. The left side is occupied by the metadata panel. It contains links to addresses with videos, photographs and projects. While working with this panel, you may stumble upon the iPhoto library. It is closely related to iMovie. If you select the first item, then your pictures will appear in the work area.
There is a tab with events where all imported files will be displayed. Projects show all your work with the program. If you go to the “Media Library”, application events will be shown.
In iMovie on your computer, information appears gradually. For example, when you start working on a project, additional lines appear in the metadata panel. There is a media library of contents. It has a range of options that you can apply to your project.
Here they add transitions, titles, sound effects. You can supplement the movie with a map and background, music from iTunes and GarageBand.
Reviewer
There is another panel at the bottom of the workspace. It resembles the same thing as in iPhoto software. When you click on a file in the library, its contents appear in this area. To find the document you need, just enter its name into the search or use the arrows at the top to indicate the category.
When you select a thumbnail, information about it appears in the browser pane. If you have an album or project in front of you, you will need to click on it again so that all the component parts appear to you in full.
The search for the necessary materials is carried out according to another principle. You can select a category, such as "places", and in search bar enter a name.
Project
As practice shows, half an hour is enough to figure out how to use iMovie. The entire work area is divided into panels. When you work with a project, all information is displayed in the project panel.
The user is presented with a feed of frames with which to work. To select a specific part, simply select a block based on the time interval. To add an additional element, just click “+”.
On the right there is a tool that adjusts the scale. Sometimes a project can be large, so all of its contents won't fit on the tape. To move around it use “zoom”. Next to this option there is a menu that adjusts the size of the video. Here you can turn off the “cardiogram” of the audio track.
To add additional sound, return to the metadata panel. You can add more audio to the empty area.
View
Most of the work area is occupied by the viewing panel. This is where we can get information about the media file. For example, you select a photo from the library. In this area it will be possible to collect all the information: how many images, videos, faces and places are in front of us.
If you are working with a video, just click on the desired frame, it will appear in this panel and play its contents. By hovering over it you will get Additional information about him.
Tools
This panel always makes you think about how to use iMovie. Remember Photoshop. This program has such a large number of auxiliary tools that sometimes you get lost and make some mistakes. Especially when you are working with the program for the first time.
In the case of iMovie, this rarely happens. Firstly, because there are not as many tools as you might think. Secondly, their description is clear and their use is intuitive.
For example, it's easy to guess that "import" is an option that will transfer the files you need into your working project. All additional parameters are easy to adjust and configure. To do the reverse operation, click “export”. You can transfer finished projects to various social networks, services and other programs.
To start working with the application, you can click on “Create”. This option, like any other program, starts everything from scratch. It is easy to adjust the project image in the settings. Even if we have a clip in front of us, we can edit its colors, balance, stabilization, volume, etc.
Preservation
In the new window we set the parameters for export. If you don't understand anything about this, you can leave the default ones. Usually they are universal and for simple projects fit.
If you need something special, pay attention to film compression. You can set the size and resolution. The devices on which the format will be played correctly will be indicated here.
Alternative
Many users of other operating systems are looking for ways to use iMovie for Windows. Someone is trying to hack the system, looking for some pirated versions. If we talk about security, it is better to look for an alternative to the program.
For example, there is a video editor called Movavi. This is similar software that performs the same functions. Helps with video editing. Despite the difference in interface, it's a good alternative to iMovie for Windows.
The application has a dozen effects for artistic processing, various transitions. There is a slide show mode for those who like beautiful presentations. You can apply animated titles to a clip. And when saving a project, the application offers a large number of formats. 
conclusions
iMovie is an excellent video editor for owners of Apple devices. Thanks to the fact that it can be installed on a smartphone and tablet, it has become easy to create short videos for social networks, straight from travel or some important events.
Control of the program is intuitive. There is a wide range of tools that make videos special. Even if you just need to put several videos together and add music to them, the program will handle this task in a matter of minutes.
The first iPad, released in 2010, was not only a revolutionary device, but also a very controversial topic for many. At the beginning of its life, despite the tremendous sales of the tablet, the iPad was criticized for many reasons - lack of ambiguity, operating system from iPhone, a small number of applications optimized for big screen devices... But the biggest disadvantage of the device was the fact that the iPad cannot create. It was created for consumption only. And thus could not fully replace the PC. But soon everything changed.
Apple is famous for its ability to analyze its experience and correct mistakes made in the past. Thus, the iPad 2, which was released in 2011, incorporated the solution to almost all those problems that were previously so relevant. But the most important thing is that the iPad has learned to create content! Release iOS versions the iWork office suite of applications (pages, numbers, keynote) was not enough. Apple decided to transfer its wonderful package for creating and working with media content (video, music, photos) iLife to the Post-PC dimension by releasing GarageBand and iMovie in iOS versions. Today I would like to clarify the concept mobile version iMovie - after all, the application, as it turned out, was born in a very controversial form.
First, it’s worth remembering all the video applications from Apple. There are, in fact, three of them in total. These are iMovie in versions for iOS and OS X as well as Final Cut Pro X. All these applications are completely different in functionality and this is obvious, because each of them has its own purpose. iMovie for iOS is designed for creating video material in on-the-go format, that is, on the go, figuratively speaking. iMovie for OS X - for creating home videos in the most simple, yet flexible form. The biggest difference between both applications is Final Cut Pro X. This application is staffed by professionals and is designed for creating high-quality, complex content. In addition, without special training there is little point in working in Final Cut Pro X.
When considering iMovie, many try to compare it with its supposedly Windows analogue for working with home video - MovieMaker. I think it's so important different programs It's not even worth putting next to it. They have different goals. MovieMaker's goal is to create home videos. iMovie's goal is to create good home video that will be pleasant for viewing in almost any form. Trying to bring the experience of such a great app to a mobile platform is a very bold move. Did Apple make it? I didn't think about it until I found myself in a very funny situation. Last year I had a trip to Moscow to attend the Apple Leadership Tour conference (an Apple event on innovation in education) and, naturally, I needed to take a device with me for video editing and online work. At home, I usually worked with video on a 2011 iMac and didn't have a Macbook. Something had to be done. As a result, I took a chance and decided to just take the iPad with me. And I hit the nail on the head!
I'll share 3 things that came to me during this trip that make iMovie on iOS incredible useful application for me. The first is its interface and functionality. The interface perfectly embodies the idea that it is not only possible, but even convenient to work on creating content on a tablet. The design and arrangement of the main control elements is implemented as simply and concisely as possible - we will always intuitively understand what and where to be. A huge number of features have been moved from the older version of iMovie to the Mac, but here they look and feel completely different, because now everything is based on finger gestures, and not on a mouse and keyboard. The functionality of the application is noticeably cut down in comparison with the OS X version, but it does not prevent you from making an excellent video from good material. I would call it this: “You are given only what you can use on the way home to create quality video in 15 minutes." If you get creative, you can create a really interesting video! In addition, the iOS version has a “trailer” project type, which allows you to literally create a trailer for anything in a couple of minutes.
Here's a couple of examples of a trailer made in iMovie (a couple of other applications were also used, for example "Action Movie" to create a car explosion):
The second thing is the actual concept of using iMovie on the iPad. The basis of the idea is this: we go on a trip, go to an event or just have fun, at this time we always have a personal device with us. iPod, iPhone or iPad will help us capture what interests us on video and thus "gather material". After that, in 10-15 minutes we edit this material in iMovie on the same device and immediately share it with friends or family via the Internet. All. Imagine the situation. You went to the resort. You have active rest all day, excursions, and you simply don’t have time for targeted shooting of material. But you always have an iPad with you. You are simply filming the most interesting points and then, in the evening, at the hotel, when you have 15 minutes before bed - on this same iPad edit the material into a beautiful video and upload it to YouTube. You can safely give the link to your friends :)
And the third thing is how I used iMovie during my trip to Moscow. I really love using my iPhone as a camera. Then I had a 4S and throughout the trip I was constantly photographing, filming and tweeting a huge amount of material. During the Apple conference They convincingly asked me not to shoot a video and not to use a tweeter, but I still managed to shoot some material, and if you take into account the music overlaid on top of the video and the cutting out of the audio track of the material itself in the video, then I think nothing bad will happen if I post it online. In general, throughout the day I shot a video on the iPhone 4S, then in the evening I uploaded all the footage to my iPad (via the wonderful iFiles application, be sure to check it out in the AppStore) and literally in 10 minutes I edited the video I needed. It’s also worth adding that I used material from my previous videos, which I also store on my iPad in the camera roll (how to transfer a video to an iOS device into the camera roll? It’s very simple. Drop it into iFiles, where you can select the option Copy video to Camera Roll) . When I returned to Kyiv after some time, I used this video as a background for my speech at the next educational conference.
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