This tutorial covers the basic functions of using Windows Live Movie Maker

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Creating and Editing Movies Using Windows Live Movie Maker
Once you have collected footage using a video camera, you can assemble and edit it in Windows
Live Movie Maker. Once your movie is finished, you can produce it and upload it to the Internet.
Please note that this tutorial is designed using Windows Live Movie Maker. If you are using an older
version of Movie Maker, there are some differences.
To edit footage, you must first save it to your computer. If you do not save it to your computer, Movie
Maker will not be able to access it and you will not be able to complete your project.
After you save the footage to your computer, you must
import it to Movie Maker. The easiest way is the drag &
drop method. To do this, open Movie Maker and then
open the folder where the video footage is stored, so
both are visible on your screen.
Select the files you need and click
and drag them into the Content
area of Movie Maker.
After you click and drag, you should
see your clips in the Content area.
You should also see the first frame
of the first clip in the playback area.
You can rearrange the order of the
clips by clicking and dragging them
to different places in the order.
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Once you are certain the footage you need has been imported,
you should save your video project. Open the dropdown menu
to the left of Home and choose Save Project. From there you
will be able to choose a name and location to save your project.
Remember to save your project occasionally as you work on it so
that edits you make will be saved.
To review your clips before editing, go to the Playback area and
click on the Play button on the controller at the bottom of the window.
As you go through the playback, you will see
a vertical black line move through your clips.
While you are doing the playback, you should
also have the Edit menu open so you can have
access to the Split,Trim, and other editing tools.
Use the Split tool to cut clips into smaller pieces.
Use the Trim tool to trim out parts of clips that you
will need use. You can also click and drag individual
clips to change the order in which they will appear
in your video.
To create a split, stop playback at the point where
you want to create the split. Use the Previous
Frame and Next Frame buttons by the Play/Pause
button to get to the exact point where you want to
create the split. When you get to that point, click
on the Split button in the Edit area.
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After you click the Split button, you will see that
the clip is now separated into two pieces. If you
want to delete one of the two pieces created, you
can click on it to select it and then click the Delete
key on your keyboard.
To remove footage at the beginning of a clip,
end of a clip, or both, use the Trim tool. For the
beginning, play to the point where you want it to
start and click the Set start point button. For the
end, play to where you want it to end and click
the Set end point button. To trim both, set a start
and end point.
After you do the trimming, you will see that the clip
is now shorter.
You may want to put animations (often called wipes
or transitions) in between clips. Do this by setting the
black line in between two clips and then choosing an
animation. You can set the duration in the Duration
area. When the video is played, the two clips will be
blended using the effect you have chosen.
To add a title, click before the first clip and then click
the Title button in the Home menu area. You can
choose different texts and effects. You can also add
titles between clips if you need to do so.
Captions can help identify people or objects in
videos. To add a caption, pause at the place where
you want to add a caption and click on the Caption
button in the Home menu area. You can set the color,
size, font, transparency, and duration of the caption.
You can also add credits that will appear at the end
of your video. To add credits, click on the Credits
button in the Home menu area. You can set the color,
size, font, and speed of the credits.
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When you are finished making all your editing, you can produce a movie that can be shared in a
number of ways. You may choose to produce the movie more than once depending on your needs.
To save your movie for local use, go to the dropdown menu
to the left of the Home menu and choose Save movie. Under
Save movie, choose the option that most closely meets your
needs.
You can also produce your movie for popular online sites like
YouTube, Facebook, and Flickr. To produce for one of these
sites, go to the dropdown menu to the left of the Home menu
and choose Publish movie. Then choose the online site for
which you want to produce.
You will need to choose the resolution for your movie. There
is normally a recommended resolution which you can choose.
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Most of the online sites will require you to have
an account before you can upload to the site. If
you have an account, you can sign in and then
you will be able to upload your movie.
Things to Keep in Mind
• Having a movie project is not the same as having a produced movie. To share something with
others, you must produce your movie.
• Captions must be readable to be useful. Try using different colors and options for your captions
to ensure that viewers can read them.
• When choosing animations, titles, and other effects, simplest is best. Too many different effects
and too many “flashy” effects will make your movie look unprofessional.
• Clean edits make for a more professional looking movie. Make full use of the Previous Frame and
Next Frame buttons to make your edits as clean as possible.
• Editing can be a very time consuming process. Budget adequate time and start early on editing
so you won’t be rushed to finish.
• If you are new to making movies, you might want to consider using storyboards or flowcharts to
help you organize your ideas and the flow of your movie.
• If you are uploading to an open, public site, you must get talent releases from the people in your
movie before uploading it. You should also let people know if you intend to make the movie public
before you start filming so they can opt out of being on screen.
• Ensure that you have the capability to hook up your camera or insert the card from you camera
into your computer before you start filming.
• If you plan on uploading to a public site, it is best to set up an account ahead of time so you can
upload quickly when your movie is ready.
• Different public sites will have varying restrictions and terms. You should be certain that you can
agree to all the terms before uploading your movie.
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