PE3_iMovie

Some Great Features

Green screen is another feature that makes a beginner look like a professional! iMovie can lay one clip over another so that one image can be superimposed over another. It only really requires that one of the clips is recorded in either green or blue. iMovie can then delete the background color and lay the remaining images over the second clip.

Adding movie trailers is another exciting feature. It seems like it sort of like adding a theme, but on steroids. The storyboard organization format in the project pane is quite helpful. The trailers come complete with transition, music and even the length of video clip required for each segment.

Audio adjustments allow the user to cut down on background noise, create fade in/out effects and also includes a graphic equalizer to make several adjustments. Because most projects will have multiple clips, iMovie offers a feature to equalize volume so that one clip is not louder than the other.  If adjustments in clip volumes doesn’t create the effect the user wants, they can add many audio clips from iTunes by simply clicking on the musical note icon in the middle tool bar.

There’s no doubt that iMovie is a fantastic product that is allowing more and more people to become the creators of media, rather than just the consumers. The interface and general operations of the software are simple enough for a beginner to create at least a rough video. The tutorial presenter, Garrick Chow, gave an excellent overview of iMovie and its functions. One thing I must note is that he repeated the phrase “you’ll have to play with it” over and over again. He’s absolutely right! It seems to this casual observer that in order to present a quality video that appears polished and semi-professional, iMovie could require a large amount of time. I’d like to offer this short iMovie video below as an example of one completed by a beginner over several hours.

Yes…it’s rough. It is a testament that iMovie and creativity takes time. Advice: if you’re just learning to use iMovie, don’t rush. Allow yourself time to enjoy creating something new. It really is a rewarding feeling – even if it’s as bad as the one I did!

Regards

Certificate...for the record.