This document provides instructions for creating a movie using Windows Movie Maker. It describes how to import video, audio, and picture files, add them to the timeline, trim clips, add titles and credits, insert transitions between clips, and then publish the finished movie. The key steps are importing media files, dragging items to the storyboard to set the order, adding music to the timeline, using trim handles to adjust clip lengths, and selecting a title and credits option before publishing the completed movie.
2. Getting Started
Locate all of the pictures and/or video files on your
hard drive that you would like to make into a movie.
You may want to place them in one folder for your
project. Don’t move them to a new location after you
have started your project.
Know where your music files are located on your hard
drive – you probably will not want to move them into a
new folder (music programs such as iTunes or
Rhapsody will need them to be in a particular spot to
work)
3. File Formats Compatible with
Movie Maker:
Movie Maker can read all of the following formats:
Video Files: .asf, .avi, dvr-ms, .m1v, .mp2, .mp2v, .mpe,
.mpeg, .mpg, .mpv2, .wm and .wmv
Audio files: .aif, aifc, .aiff, .asf, .au, .mp2, .mp3, .mpa,
.snd, .wav, and .wma
Picture files: .bmp, .dib, .emf, .gif, .jfif, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpg,
.png, .tif, .tiff, and .wmf
Important note: All files must have read/write
permissions for Windows Movie Maker to be able to
import and use.
6. Get ready to make a movie!
Click on any media item that you have imported to
view in the preview window.
Note: You can’t edit any photos in movie maker – all
editing needs to be done prior to importing your
media.
You won’t be able to rotate, crop or zoom in on any
photos once they are imported.
7. Drag your media to the storyboard
Drag your photos and video clips to the storyboard.
You can drag them around if you decide to change the
order.
We’ll add some music next!
9. Adding Music
Go to the view menu and choose Timeline
If you have not yet added any music files to your project, go
to import and locate the music file you want to add.
Drag your music file to the beginning of the timeline in the
Audio/Music Box
You may edit the songs to any length that you desire. Many
songs may be added.
11. I have music and audio on my video clip,
what do I do now?
You can adjust the audio to have the music play or have
the audio from the video clip.
You can use a combination of both, and have music
play in the background of the video clip.
Go to the Tools menu, and choose audio levels
Slide the bar to the left to have more audio from the
video clip.
Slide the bar to the right to have more audio from the
music
Leave the bar in the middle to hear both.
12. What if my video clip is too long?
If you are in the storyboard view, click View, and then click Timeline.
On the timeline, click the clip that you want to trim.
Use the playback controls under the Preview Monitor to find the point where
you want to trim the clip.
Do the following:
When the playback indicator is at the point where you want the selected video
or audio clip to start playing back, click Clip, and then click Trim Beginning.
When the playback indicator is at the point where you want the selected video
or audio clip to stop playing back, click Clip, and then click Trim End.
Notes
You can also drag the trim handles on a clip to set the start and end trim points.
Trim handles appear as small black triangles at the beginning and end of a clip
after you click the clip on the timeline. When you hold your pointer over a trim
handle, the pointer changes to a red double-headed arrow. Click and drag a
trim handle to set the new start or end point of the clip.
The following picture shows a trim handle:
14. How do I add a title and credit to my movie?
Go to the edit menu, and choose Titles and Credits.
Choose Title at the beginning
Type in a title slide for your movie
Choose Credits at the end
Type in credits that will appear as a slide at the end of
your movie
15. Now lets add transitions
When your clips move along the timeline from one to
the next, you can add different transitions .
From the Edit menu, choose transitions.
Go to the View menu, and choose Storyboard.
Now you are ready to drag different transitions in
between your clips.
17. How will I know what the
transition looks like?
Click on any of the transitions, and they will play in
the preview window on the right hand side.
You can always delete or change transitions if you don’t
like them.
Just drag a new transition to the storyboard and get
started!
