Time to sit in the Director’s chair

Before you can make yourMovie, you need to learn how To use our editing system –

Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie MakerThe logo above represents Windows Movie Maker. Whenever you see that logo, you know it is a Movie Make project.

It is time to get started. Remember you may replay any of the segments if you do not understand something.

Have Fun!

Windows Movie MakerIt is important to understand how Movie Maker works because this will help you avoid some of the most common mistakes. When you are working with movie maker, you are really just creating a recipe for the computer to use to make your movie. None of the video, pictures or audio really exists in your project even though you can see it. What really exists, is just a direction to the computer telling it what file you want to use, where it is located and how much of it you want. This means that your work must stay in the same location and cannot be moved once you tell the computer where it is. The file also must keep the same name. If the file is moved, deleted or altered in any way, you will get the dreaded Red X. This means the computer can no longer find the file.

Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie MakerYou will be able to change the length of your pictures manually in the editing process, but before you begin a project you can also tell the computer how long you want them to be. This way you don’t have to change each one individually. If you are adding 20 pictures to your project, it would take a while to change them one by one, so if you set the duration BEFORE you add them to the timeline you can save yourself a lot of time.

Windows Movie MakerWhat is the collections area and how do you use it? Click here for the answers

Don’t be a slob! Click on the picture to the left to find out how you can organize your collections

Windows Movie MakerWhat is the collections toolbar and how can it make your life easier? Click here to find out

You can copy elements from one collections folder to another and you can also delete elements you don’t need to avoid clutter.

Windows Movie MakerIf you have video on a tape and want to edit it, you must first Capture it. If the video has already been captured and is on the J drive you need to import it. It is important that you understand the difference between capture and import.

Let’s get started – Here is how you capture video from a mini DV tape using your camera and firewire. Click here

Windows Movie MakerREAD THIS BEFORE UPLOADING VIDEO

In order to upload video you MUST follow these procedures. Failure to do so could damage the computer, camera or both. It will also result in you losing your privileges to use our equipment.

Only use the firewire which is attached to the BACK of the computer. There is no reason to move it. If there is no firewire on your computer, see Mr. Rodgers. DO NOT USE THE FRONT PORT.

Windows Movie MakerREAD THIS BEFORE UPLOADING VIDEO

Open the moviemaker software.Shut the camera off and remove the battery. Attach the power cord to the

camera (there is a power cord attached to every computer which allows for uploading).

Attach the firewire to the camera.Turn the camera on and capture the video using the capture video

commands on moviemakers.DO NOT TOUCH THE CAMERA while the video is being uploaded. It

should sit safely and squarely on the top of your computer tower. Be careful not to twist and bend the firewire.

Windows Movie MakerREAD THIS BEFORE UPLOADING VIDEO

Complete the UPLOADING Log. Be sure to list the date, the camera and the computer used. If you fail to log and upload your privileges will be suspended for a full week. The second time you fail to do so, you will no longer be allowed to use the cameras.

When the capturing is complete, end the process on the software. Then shut the camera off and then unplug the firewire. DO NOT REMOVE THE FIREWIRE WITH THE CAMERA STILL ON.

Windows Movie MakerHere at Whitman-Hanson, we always upload our video first to

the computer desktop and then we copy the resulting WMV file (not the moviemaker file!) into our folder on the J drive. After copying it, we delete the wmv file off of the desktop (if you do not do this you will exceed your profile storage space). If you upload to the wrong place, you will likely lose the video and have to start all over. This is VERY IMPORTANT. Also, do not edit in the same window from moviemaker you used to upload, close it and now import that file from the J drive.

Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker

Moviemaker will let you take a still picture from your video. This is a great tool because you could then take that picture and use it in other programs like powerpoint or photoshop.

Windows Movie Maker

There are two ways to view your project, storyboard and timeline. Learn more about the storyboard by clicking here.

You can move clips around on the storyboard. Click here to find out more.

Windows Movie Maker

Very often, it’s easier to use the timeline instead of the storyboard. Follow these mini lessons to learn more

Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker

Remember at the very beginning of this lesson, you learned that moviemaker is just the recipe. Once you are done creating the recipe it is time to “cook.” This process is also called rendering (although moviemaker doesn’t use this word). Without rendering your project, you could never play your video on any computer except the one you created it on. This is an essential part of the process. I WILL NEVER ACCEPT AN UNRENDERED PROJECT.