How to use iMovie for Mac, tips and more

If you could have video clips from a vacation, a celebration or a day out, you is perhaps questioning how to flip it right into a film which you can share with friends and family. The excellent news is which you can simply make a film in your Mac with iMovie – the video enhancing software program that Apple bundles with all new Macs.

If you do not have a Mac, you are out of luck, as a result of Apple would not make iMovie for Windows. But you may play a video created in iMovie on Windows PCs – no want to fear that your Windows cannot watch the video with friends and family. Follow our recommendation under on how to save and export your iMovie for sharing.

A corresponding iMovie app can be obtainable for iPhone and iPad; Here’s how to use iMovie on iPhone. We even have a guide on how to create a video slideshow in your iPhone utilizing Photos Memories.

Here’s how to use iMovie. We’ll cowl the fundamentals right here, then add some useful tips to aid you get even higher outcomes.

How to get good video pictures

Before we get began, listed here are just a few tips that ought to aid you get great things to work with:

A working, absolutely charged video camera

This will seemingly change into your iPhone because the iPhone is now thought-about to be such an excellent video camera that it has been used to report motion pictures just like the Steven Soderbergh film Unsane. The newer your iPhone, the higher the camera options it’s going to give you.

You can even report video together with your iPad, which could be engaging since you benefit from the massive display. But not that the standard is probably not nearly as good as what you’ll get with a new iPhone. And it is clearly bulkier, so it may be a 2-handed process. If you are heading to a friend’s marriage ceremony, going out, or going to a child’s celebration and need to seize a video of the event, take it for granted: make sure that your iPhone (or camcorder) is absolutely charged and if potential convey a spare battery (in any other case you might not get via the day).

Plenty of room for the video

Another apparent 1: you kick your self while you get there and after 10 minutes of recording you end up out of area.

If you are utilizing an iPhone, you may shortly switch some content material by deleting apps you do not use usually, and any movies you might have downloaded from iPlayer and different companies. Here’s how you may make more area in your iPhone or iPad.

Good high quality video clips

We suggest that you simply preserve your clips quick whereas recording your video as it’s a lot simpler to edit quick clips collectively than to view and minimize the most effective bits from longer movies.

Fortunately, the video high quality is significantly better than it used to be thanks to options like steady autofocus and optical picture stabilization for video, which suggests you may report whereas shifting without making the final product jumpy. But we nonetheless suggest that when recording video, you retain the camera comparatively nonetheless and rotate slowly moderately than swipe from 1 to the opposite. In reality, in case you are recording 1 factor and then 1 thing else, cease recording and make the second a new clip.

In normal, we do not suggest utilizing the zoom, as you are seemingly to lose quite a lot of the standard if you happen to zoom in, particularly if it is a digital zoom moderately than optical. Most iPhones for the reason that 6s Plus supply optical zoom for video recording, however, past some extent this can change to digital zoom. Other phones solely supply digital zoom and the standard is poor.

If you want to zoom in on 1 thing, use a tripod and if you do not have a tripod, lean in opposition to 1 thing like a wall. We suggest beginning a new clip after zooming in and utilizing the enhancing options in iMovie to create a pleasant transition. Or higher but, get nearer to your tag, if you happen to can.

Think about the audio you decide up – keep in mind that if you happen to speak, you may be heard within the video until you mute the audio on the time. Avoid taking pictures on a stormy day.

You additionally need to profit from the obtainable mild. You’re seemingly to get the most effective outcomes if you happen to’re taking pictures open air on a sunny day, however, if you happen to’re taking pictures indoors, keep away from photographing your tag in entrance of a window, for instance, if you happen to actually need to see them. And while you’re inside, activate the sunshine and open the curtains.

Buy some b-roll. It’s good to take just a few pictures which you can use to work out your film and set the temper. For instance, make a video of the skin of the church the place the marriage takes place, or the filming of individuals arriving on the reception. If it is a occasion, make a video of individuals speaking and youngsters taking part in.

Add film clips to iMovie

Now that you’ve got your uncooked footage, here is how to add it to iMovie in your Mac:

Open iMovie in your Mac.
When importing footage out of your iPhone, join the system to your Mac with a Lightning cable.
You might even see a message asking you to verify that you really want to permit the computer to entry the Data in your iPhone, click on Continue. Then verify that you simply belief the computer in your iPhone (you must see a message seem on the system). Enter your entry code.
If the iMovie Import window shouldn’t be open, click on the down arrow subsequent to the pink, yellow and inexperienced shut / reduce / full display buttons.
Click Import Media and wait whereas the Mac and iPhone sync. This could take some time while you first join if in case you have quite a lot of footage in your iPhone.
When the 2 units are synced, click on your iPhone within the record of cameras. Or if you happen to used a camera or camcorder, click on on it.
You will see thumbnails of all clips in your iPhone (or camera). Scroll to the 1 you need to use. Select the clips you need to import. To import any number of clips, press Command (cmd) whereas choosing them, if you choose all of the clips from at some point, click on the primary and final clips of that day whereas holding down Shift, and if u choosing a gaggle of clips click on your mouse and draw a bounding field round it. Once the clips you need to use are chosen, select the place to import by clicking the drop-down record subsequent to Import To: and then Import Selected.
To add more clips later, click on Project Media> Import Media and wait for the Import window to open once more. To keep away from importing the identical clips twice, make sure that the re’s a check mark subsequent to Hide Import.
Once your clips have been imported, you will find them in My Movie within the column on the left. By default, iMovie shows clips in Show particular person days in occasions view, however, this meant that our clips have been proven from latest to oldest, and we wished to see them in date order. To repair this, we went to View and clicked on Show Separate Days in Events. You can even change the order by clicking View> Sort Clips By and selecting Ascending or Descending, however, the outcomes are decided by whether or not you enabled Show particular person days within the Events view.

Edit video in iMovie on Mac

Now that you’ve got imported the video, you can begin enhancing.

There are 3 tabs on the prime of the iMovie window. Media, tasks and theater. Click Projects> Create New.
You could make a trailer or a film. Trailers are an incredible possibility if you would like to make 1 thing quick and enjoyable – they comply with a template created by Apple and let you know just about what sort of clips you need to add to your Storyboard, relying on the temper you are making an attempt to create. It’s a pleasant feature, however, if you would like issues to be a bit more versatile, we suggest the Movie possibility.
After clicking Movie, you will notice a new display with a window to watch the video and a spot under to drag and drop clips to.
On the left you will notice folders wherein try to be ready to find the imported clips. Click on a folder and your edit window ought to fill with the obtainable clips.
If you do not see the clips you’ve got imported, be sure you’ve encapsulated My Media via the choices on the prime of the window.
Before you begin enhancing, we suggest scanning every little thing you could have, if you happen to see 1 thing you want, you may make it favorite by clicking on the center on the backside left of the film viewer.
You can begin the video playback by choosing the primary clip and then urgent the area bar. You can pause the video by urgent the spacebar once more.
If it might take hours to view all movies, we suggest searching every clip by dragging the mouse over it. You will see an accelerated model of the clip that ought to provide you with a good suggestion of the content material. Armed with somewhat files about what clips you could have and the options in every clip, you can begin enhancing the video clips you could have.
It’s simple to drag clips from this part to the bar under. If you do not need to take away bits, you may simply drag all clips to that bar. If you need to trim the clips, we’ll focus on that within the subsequent part.
You should not have to comply with the identical order wherein the clips have been imported. For instance, if you happen to took a B-roll to set the scene, as we urged above, it’s your decision to add these clips originally, center and finish of your film. If you could have video footage of somebody strolling in direction of you, you might choose to use it originally of the film, and if in case you have footage of somebody strolling away from you, it could be good to have it on the finish of the film. use.
If you drag the flawed clip to the timeline, you may delete it there by choosing it and urgent the again delete key.
When you drag 2 or more clips to the timeline, you will notice a spot between every clip. Here you may add a transition. We will focus on how to add a transition right here within the subsequent step.
You can scroll alongside the timeline by clicking the bar on the backside of the display. If you could have a touchpad, you may swipe throughout the timeline.

Before we check out this, although, if you happen to actually need to get inventive together with your iMovie, or if there are content material in your clips that you simply’d moderately not use, you may want to minimize your clips so you may take away the much less skilled wanting elements. We will see how we will try this now.

Cut clips in iMovie on Mac

We suggest that every clip in your iMovie is just a few seconds lengthy. It makes for a more participating film if clips are saved quick and snappy.

Another cause to minimize clips is that if the re’s footage you do not need to use. Let’s say you could have a 15-second video clip, however, you need to minimize it in order that it begins just a few seconds when everyone seems to be within the image and ends when the tag disappears from view. Fortunately, it’s simple to delete elements of a video in iMovie.

First click on on the clip within the view on the left. Once the clip is chosen, the body will flip yellow and the border will flip yellow, and you will notice parentheses on either side.
Click the bracket on the left and arrows will seem.
Drag the left fringe of the clip to the place you need the clip to begin, as proven under.
Do the identical on the proper aspect of the clip.
Now you may drag the a part of the clip you set in parentheses to the timeline under.

The remainder of the clip remains to be obtainable within the part above, so if you happen to wished to use a distinct a part of that clip, you may. Just repeat the method. You will see an orange underline representing the a part of the clip that you’ve got already added to your film.

Add transitions in iMovie on Mac

Now that you have stuffed your timeline with the clips you need to show in your video, it is time to add some transitions. When you add transitions, your clips mix more naturally.

At the highest of the window you will notice the My Media, Audio, Titles and Transitions tabs on the finish. Click Transitions.
Before you begin including transitions, it’s your decision to check out the transitions from iMovie. You can get an thought of what these are doing by clicking on every and dragging the mouse over it.
Once you find a transition you need to add between 2 clips in your film, drag it to the timeline.
We like Cross Dissolve, which fades the second clip on the primary. Cross Blur is 1 other good transition that blurs the primary clip earlier than taking part in the second. If you need to go for a more eye-catching possibility, the re’s Cross Zoom, which provides the transition a swirl, Ripple that makes it appear to be a puddle, and Mosaic that twists little squares throughout the picture. There is way to attempt.
Browse your timeline and add transitions between your clips. To see how all of them look, first click on on the clip (you may choose the tip of the clip, you do not want to view your entire clip) and click on the area bar to play.
After including all of the transitions, you may play your entire film by scrolling again to the start and urgent the area bar.

How to change the size of transitions

You may determine {that a} transition is taking too lengthy, or that your video could be higher if the transition was slower. It’s simple to edit your transitions by doing the next:

Click on the transition between the 2 clips – the transitions appear to be 2 inward-pointing triangles. If you click on on it you will notice how many seconds the transition takes. In this case, 1.0s.
Double-click the transition icon to change the period. You can select a period and apply it to all your clips, however, beware: if you happen to do, all clips will routinely have the identical type of transition.
If you like that each transition is totally different. Drag and drop the totally different transitions into the timeline, then double-click every of them to watch out solely to apply the change to that transition.
Note that you simply can not add longer transition durations to quick clips, if you happen to do this you will notice the message ‘The clips do not have sufficient media obtainable’. If you’re decided to have an extended transition, you may decelerate the clip earlier than the transition. We’ll present you how to change the velocity of the clips under.
For even more fine-tuning, right-click on the transition and open the Precision Editor. This permits you to select precisely the place you need the transition to begin and finish.

How to change the velocity of clips in iMovie

If you need to prolong a clip, as we talked about above, you may sluggish it down. This permits you to add an extended transition. But slowing down or rushing up clips could be a good method to make your iMovie more engaging.

Let’s say you could have an extended clip that shows somebody strolling in direction of you. You might want to use your entire clip, however, it might be boring for the viewer to watch somebody strolling down a hill for 2 minutes.

Above the viewer on the proper aspect of the window, you will see a set of instruments together with coloration stability, coloration correction, cropping, stabilization, quantity, noise discount, velocity, plus fill and audio results. Click Speed (which seems like a clock face).
Click the drop-down record subsequent to Speed: to select from Normal, Slow, Fast, Freeze body and Custom. If you select slowly, you will notice a turtle icon on the timeline, if you happen to select shortly, a hare icon will seem.
You can select how quick or sluggish the clip needs to be made. Next to the drop-down menu you will notice choices. If you select Fast, you will notice choices for 2x, 4x, 8x and 20x. If you select Slow, you will notice 10%, 25%, 50% and Auto. Slow Auto and Fast is 4x by default.
If you need to make a clip final for a sure period of time, you may refine issues by discovering the dot that may seem on the timeline on the finish of the clip and what the accelerated or decelerated clip seems like, find the dot proven and transfer your cursor over it till you see the Drag message to decelerate or velocity up the clip. The clip size could be seen on the left aspect of the clip.

Split a clip in iMovie

Sometimes you can see that you’ve got an extended video clip that you really want to use, however, it might be boring to watch without including good transitions, velocity modifications, crops and the like. The finest method to carry out this sort of enhancing is to cut up the clip into totally different elements so as to add the transitions and different features to the totally different clips.

In the My Media view, drag the brackets to the place the primary clip ought to begin and finish and drag that portion to the timeline under.
Then drag the brackets to the second a part of the clip you need to use and drag that half to the timeline.
Now you may add your transition to the middle of the unique clip.

Zoom in on a clip in iMovie

If you could have a clip with the motion all centered within the distance, you may zoom in on that a part of the clip utilizing the Crop device. You can even use the cropping device if you would like to body the clip somewhat higher.

Find the clip you need to zoom in in your timeline and click on it so it seems within the viewer on the proper.
Click on crop within the toolbar. You see the next fashion choices: Fit, Crop to Fill and Ken Burns.
To zoom in on the clip, select Crop to Fill and drag the corners in to body the clip as you need it to seem. The whole clip performs with solely that a part of the body that’s displayed.
To present a zoom impact whereas the video is taking part in, select the Ken Burns possibility. This impact permits you to select a begin and finish level for your zoom, in order that the video clip zooms out or zooms in whereas the video is taking part in.
Once the Ken Burns impact is chosen, you may select to zoom in or out by dragging the corners of the beginning and finish crops. Make the tip crop bigger or smaller relying on whether or not you need to zoom in or out.
Alternatively, you may create a pan impact by inserting your cropping containers aspect by aspect.

Rotate a video in iMovie

What about that nightmare state of affairs the place you simply shot an incredible video to find out that both since you turned your iPhone a bit, or since you turned on the portrait orientation lock, the panorama video truly seems in portrait view or vice versa. Fortunately, you may use iMovie to repair it.

Trim the video clip in order that it incorporates solely the a part of the video you need to use (assuming there are elements of the video wherein you rotate the phone) and drag the new clip to your timeline.

Click the Crop possibility within the menu bar above the video viewer.
Click the rotate clip icon corresponding to the path you need to rotate the clip.

Flip a clip in iMovie

You could have a clip the place folks stroll from left to proper, however, you’ll moderately have them wake up from proper to left. Here’s how to change path.

Select the clip within the timeline.

From the choices above, the viewer selected the Filters (3 circles) possibility.
Click the dropdown subsequent to Clip Filter.
Choose Flipped from the filters supplied on the left. This flips the clip over to make it appear to be a mirror picture of what it was.

How to roll again a clip in iMovie

Another method to make a video more engaging and maybe add some humor is to flip a clip so that somebody walks backwards, for instance.

Drag the video you need to flip to your timeline.
Click on the video within the timeline so you may see it within the clip inspection window.
Assuming you do not need the audio to play backwards, we suggest muting the audio – we’ll clarify how to try this under.
Click the Speed icon above the clip inspection window.
Below that you will notice the choices: Smooth, Reverse, Preserve Pitch. Choose Invert.
Now when that clip is taking part in, it occurs in reverse.

Add filters and results in iMovie

There are many filters you may use in iMovie.

Add your clip to the timeline and click on it in order that it seems within the clip inspection window.
Click the Clip filter and audio results icon.
Click the drop-down menu subsequent to Clip Filter and a set of filters will open subsequent to the clip inspection window. There are 30 to select from, together with Aged Film, Sci-Fi, Old World, Dreamy and Flashback.
If you hover your mouse over 1 of many filters, you may see what it’s going to appear to be.
Choose your filter and will probably be utilized to that clip.
To apply the filter to all your clips, simply choose cmd + A to choose all and then apply the filter.
To apply the filter to just a few clips, you may choose any clip you need by clicking it whereas holding the cmd key.

Add audio results in iMovie

You can even add some good audio results in iMovie. Just like within the part about including filters above, click on the Clip filter and audio results icon on the prime of the clip management window.

Click the drop-down menu subsequent to Audio impact and a set of results will open subsequent to the clip inspection window.
There are 20 to select from, together with Robot, Cosmic and Echo Delay, there are additionally a number of pitch choices to make the voice increased or decrease.
You can hear to all of them by hovering the mouse pointer over them. Select the 1 you need and will probably be utilized to the clip.
We’ll cowl more audio tips under, however, there are just a few more particular results obtainable for that.

Add particular results in iMovie

More results can be found in iMovie, together with Picture-in-Picture, Cutaway, Green and Blue display and Side-by-Side.

We’ll describe how to do a picture-in-picture impact subsequent – the opposite results work in the same method.

Set picture-in-picture in iMovie

If you select the Picture-in-Picture possibility, you may play 2 clips on the similar time, 1 is proven as a smaller window within the different clip. That’s how you try this:

Find the clip you need to show as a picture-in-picture and drag it above the clip you need to play concurrently. You need the 2 to overlap in the course of the time you need the picture-in-picture to play.
You will see a new icon seem within the menu above the clip management, it seems like 2 containers. This is the Video Overlay Settings button. Click on that.
Directly under the menu you will notice a drop-down record with the choices: Cutaway, Green / Blue Screen, Split Screen and Picture-in-Picture.
Choose Picture-in-Picture and drag the image into the body.

How to decline background audio in iMovie

Well, you are virtually executed together with your blockbuster, however, a few of the audio sounds terrible. Here’s how to flip it down or mute it utterly. (Although you may at all times attempt including 1 of many audio results listed above to see if it makes it sound higher).

If you take a look at the timeline, you will notice that the re’s a blue part under the video. This represents the audio. You can see peaks and troughs the place you want to be if the audio is loud and quiet.
If you click on on this blue space, you will notice a line right here which you can transfer up and down. Doing this can lower or enhance the quantity.
To modify the audio, click on the Volume icon within the menu above the clip management.
There is a rotary knob right here which you can slide to a place the place the audio will likely be performed on the desired degree.
You can even click on Auto and iMovie will do its finest to enhance the audio for you.
Slide the rotary knob to 0% to change off the audio.

Add audio or a voice over to iMovie

You can report a voiceover for your film from iMovie.

Click on the timeline on the level the place you need to begin recording.
Now click on on the microphone icon under the clip management, so {that a} report button seems.
You will obtain a 3-second warning earlier than recording begins, 3 beeps sound and you can begin speaking.

Import music into iMovie

Now that you’ve got your film, it is time to add some music.

In the left a part of the window you will notice the choices My media, Audio, Titles, Backgrounds and Transitions.
Click on Audio.
You see all of your music in iTunes. Find the monitor you need to use and click on and drag it to the timeline under.

How to export an iMovie

Now that your blockbuster is prepared, it is time to export it.

Click the Share icon in the proper nook.
Select 1 of many following choices: The ater, Email, iTunes, YouTube, FaceBook, Vimeo, Image and File.
Choose File to save the film. You can change the outline, add tags, select the decision, high quality and compression charges. The final 3 choices permit you to make a small film if the re’s little area, if you would like to watch the film on a big 4K TV, however, you need to select 4K, as a result of on this case a bigger file measurement is useful.
If you need to e-mail the film to a friend, you may select the Email possibility from the Share icon and select from Small, Medium and Large decision, in addition to 720p and 1080p HD.

Further iMovie coaching

If you need to know more about iMovie, you may attempt these applications.

Linda

Linda.com has iMovie coaching and tutorials. You get limitless entry to the content material and tutorials obtainable on the web site. There is a 30-day free trial. Sign up and obtain more info right here.

Udemy

Udemy has a newbie to superior iMovie course obtainable. Normally the course prices £ 59.99, however, on the time of writing the re’s a suggestion the place you will get it for £ 13.19! Register for the Udemy course or receive more files here.