iMovie is a built-in editor for iOS and Mac devices. When it comes to video editing, users rely on this platform as several video clips are quickly joined together. The platform makes editing video clips easier, navigating between different scenes, etc.
Thanks to the platform’s user-friendly interface and a wide array of features, iMovie is the go-to platform for beginners and professionals.
Although it is one of the best apps offered by Apple, it has its share of glitches. For instance, why does iMovie keep crashing, or why do file exports fail. The primary reason for such issues is a lack of storage space or corrupted projects. However, the problems are nothing to worry about because you can quickly fix them.
So if you want to become a pro at using iMovie for editing your videos, here are some tips.
-
Keyboard shortcuts
Boost your productivity when working with the iMovie program by memorizing some keyboard shortcuts. For example, press Command + Z to undo, speed up any track by pressing L, Command + B is used for splitting video clips, and the Up-Down arrows will help you reach the starting and ending portions of the video clip.
Thanks to these shortcuts, you don’t have to click here and there to get things done aimlessly.
-
Add file names and duplicate the last title in bulk
If there’s more than one movie in the timeline, it won’t be easy to add titles for all clips. That’s when the Duplicate the Last Title function in Clip can come in handy. By choosing this function, all you need to do is edit the text in each movie that is selected.
You can choose this function by clicking Clip > Duplicate Last Title. You will save time than adding titles and file names individually.
-
Import multiple files
If you are using Drop Box, you can sync files on different devices by logging into the same account. For example, the iMovie Drop Box plays the same role on Mac.
Open iMovie and drag all the clips before editing so that they get synced to the Library. Next, you must download Drop Box and drag all the media files into the Drop Box folder.
Then, you can choose to Import Now to enable importing multiple files to iMovie.
-
Transfer files across Apple devices
If you have more than one Apple device, the need to transfer files across these devices would be common. So if you have an iPad, iPhone, or MacBook, you would want to share all the edited videos in iMovie across your devices. This will ensure that the edited video is readily available whenever you need it.
iMovie Theater is designed to work with iCloud. So ensure all your Apple devices are logged into the same iCloud account to enable easy syncing.
-
Display the edited video on another monitor
If movie editing is your profession, you may consider using Side-by-Side Display to edit two movies or clips simultaneously.
With iMovie open, you can easily show an edited project in the second display. Click on Windows > Viewer on Other Display, and then you will have the entire top or bottom of the video displayed on two independent monitors. This will let you edit the clips with much more clarity.
For this trick to work, ensure you have a second monitor connected to your Mac.
-
Decrease background noise
iMovie 11.0 focuses on the Audio function, and you can get this version by choosing the Apple menu > App Store > clicking Updates.
You can use the Equalizer to balance the audio in this iMovie version. The best function for Audio Adjustment will be to Reduce Background Noise.
For instance, you might have shot a video on the street, but you may need to mute or quiet the background. You can use this function to do so. In the middle of the toolbar, open Inspector > click Audio > Pick up Enhance: Reduce background noise by. Then, drag the percentage bar to get the best result. Of course, the percentage must be higher if you need stronger noise reduction.
-
Handle motion distortion
Unless you are a professional videographer with years of experience, it is common to shoot wobbly videos.
When you sit to edit your videos in iMovie, go to the Inspector option to Reduce Motion Distortion. Then, you can have a tuned video.
-
Directly share to Facebook
If you have an upgraded version of iMovie, the app is integrated with Facebook. Besides Facebook, you can even directly share to other social platforms like YouTube, CNN, Vimeo, etc.
You can directly share your edited videos to Facebook and get the much-needed social media attention by clicking Share > Facebook > log in to your account to share directly.
Conclusion
These iMovie tips and tricks can come in handy to make you a master at editing videos.