BP13_iMovie Basics

Below are some things I learned through the Lynda training:

iMovie basics

Transitions should only be used where necessary, for example, to change locations or to highlight a specific scene. Most professional videos use very few transition effects and simply switch between most clips - too many transitions, especially flashy transitions are a sure indicator of an amateur.

In precision editor, users can fine tune the transitions between video clips as well as adjust the entry and exit transitions of the audio from each clip. If there is audio from a video clip that isn’t being shown, it can be used as the audio in an adjacent clip.

Beat markers can be added to edit/create a video that flows with the music selection. Beat markers are not determined automatically and have to be added manually in the clip trimmer. 

Note: automatic transitions have to be turned off in order to use the ‘snap to beats’ function.

iMovie effects

iMovie can analyze video footage for clips that are shaky and won’t likely be good for a video. After the clips have been analyzed a red wavy line shows at the bottom of the section. These sections can be hidden, by clicking the ‘show/hide excessive shaking’ button, so they aren’t accidently used in the video. The amount of stabilizing done can be seen by the color code in the corner (black for very little, orange for moderate, red for significant) or a slash shows that the section wasn’t able to be stabilized.

Note: Stabilized videos cannot be used to create freeze frame clips.

The maps in the background library offer additional transitions and effects that can be added to a video. The animated maps can be used to identify a location or highlight a route taken on a trip. The same effects that can be added to pictures and videos can also be added to these maps.