Lesson 6 - iMovie

On September 24th we started working with iMovie HD, the video software program. I need you to learn this program very slowly; so that you can understand very well how it works and avoid making too many mistakes when creating slide shows and movies later on. Yesterday you started creating a small slide show with six or more pictures of your choice. Some of you already added a "title" at the beginning of the slide show and transitions on some of the pictures. Today you can continue adding more transitions, practice slowly, and remember you can undo the last thing you did by going to Edit > Undo or pressing Command - Z. Check the papers I gave you (photocopies) "iMovie HD at a Glance" and "Adding Photos to Movies" - READ THEM PLEASE! On Monday I'll give you more hand-outs explaining how to add transitions, special effects, music and sounds.

When you add transitions, pay attention to the speed (check the slider!!!) - move the slider to the left and to the right and see what happens. Also, with some transitions you may need a greater "timing" on your pictures. If this is the case, go to "Media" on your Toolbox Pane and click Show Photo Settings and increase the timing on the picture - note that if you already added text to that picture, you will have to delete the text first in order to change the timing. To delete text, transitions and pictures, all you have to do is highlight the desired picture and press the delete/backspace key on your keyboard. To trim a clip, go to the Timeline View (clock button) and place the playhead where you want to cut, then go to Edit > Split Video Clip at Playhead or Command - T and delete desired section.

You should have at least six pictures on this slide show and all the pictures should have transitions on them. Also, go to "Editing" in your Toolbox Pane, select "Transitions" and preview the different transitions available. Do the same with "Video FX" and preview the different special effects available in the iMovie program. Don't forget to save your work by going to File > Save Project > Quit iMovie. You can help each other while doing this class assignment.

By now, you should have in the Server (in the Digital Applications Folder and under your name): the Cool Pieces iBook and the iBook with pictures of your choice. On Monday I'll show you how to convert your movie project into a QuickTime Movie.

Please copy the following in your notes:

You can change the arrangement of your workspace using Clip View and Timeline View. When you click the Clip View button or Clip Viewer - you see your video/movie/slide show as a series of representative slides. When you click the Timeline View button or Timeline Viewer - you see the video tracks in lengths relative to their duration. Each viewing option will be useful at some point. You will find yourself toggling back and forth between these views. You can drag your shots around the workspace on either Clip View or Timeline View to reorder them (pressing the Clip Viewer or the Timeline Viewer). To delete a shot you just select it and press the Delete/Backspace key on your keyboard.

The Playhead is the vertical line you see in the Timeline View, which shows the frame you are seeing in the Viewer or Monitor. A good way to play a sequence of your slide show is to drag the playhead to the beginning of your project and click the Play button under the Viewer or Monitor. Sometimes, when you click the Play button and you only see one clip, you have to drag the playhead to the end of the movie/slide show and click the rewind button (next to the Play button) to play the entire movie/slide show. You can also precisely move the playhead to the spot where you want your music to begin and click the Place at Playhead button, which will automatically insert the music at the right location. You can access iTunes and drag songs to your Timeline - where you want to place them - from within iMovie. iMovie will import the songs and place them where the playhead is parked.

Print your Lesson 6 notes (with your name on them). Try to understand your notes. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Mrs. Feld.

Test: October 1st on Lessons 3, 4 and 5 (iPhoto) and the iLife paper I gave you (explaining all the different iLife Suite of products). Please review your notes.