Windows Movie Maker
Sun, 02/17/2008 - 22:01 — Ciprian
Windows Movie Maker is one of the applications that have not been changed much since Windows XP. The new version includes relatively minor updates such as: new effects, new transitions and support for the DVR-MS file format which is used in Windows Media Center to record television. In Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate, Windows Movie Maker offers as an additional feature the capacity to capture video from HDV camcorders. Another difference, compared to the older version from Windows XP is the fact that it no longer supports importing video from analog video sources such as web-cameras.
Windows Movie Maker is a tool that allows users to create and edit video content. The interface is pretty simple and easy to use: you have a storyboard view and a timeline view, a preview screen, collections of imported media and a tasks list. The timeline consist of one 'Video' bar, an 'Audio/Music' bar and one 'Title Overlay' bar. The content from each bar can be edited. You can stretch the content, cut it in segments, etc.
The tasks practically take you through the features offered by Windows Movie Maker. You can import videos, pictures, audio and, if you have Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate, video directly from your digital video camera.
When it comes to editing you can add special effects, transitions, titles and credits.
The list of available effects and transitions is quite big. One nice thing is the fact that you can preview them directly in the Collections area of the interface.
As you can see in the below screenshot, titles can be added practically anywhere.
Publishing your videos is very easy. Windows Movie Maker offers you the following options: saving the video on your computer, directly to a DVD, CD, publishing it directly to someone's e-mail address and to a digital video camera.
Working with Windows Movie Maker is pretty straightforward. Even though it cannot compare itself to professional video editing solutions, it can certainly get the job done for the average user.
Related articles:
How to connect a video camera and import a movie
How to burn a Video DVD using Windows DVD Maker
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Comments
How come when I drag a video
How come when I drag a video clip onto the video timeline, it doesn't allow me to? It just goes to the audio timeline instead.
WMV File olny
I am guessing it is a mpeg file of some kind. My suggestion is to capture video in WMV only. I have had a lot of trouble with AVI and I have seen other apps capture as mpeg. Like Roxio. If you are making the Movie in Movie Maker use it's video capture software to get the video into your computer. Capture in wmv only avi. Dp Not the sotware that came with the camera unless you are going to edit the movie using that software.
Wow you posted in June with no reply. I bet you don't even need/want this help any more.
Windows Movie Maker playing audio instead of video
Did you ever resolve this issue? I'm having the same problem... Thanks
HELP!!!
I'm trying to burn my movie made in Windows Movie Maker onto a DVD but when I "publish movie" it will not give me the option of burning it to a DVD. What can I do so I am able to burn my movie onto the DVD to view in our DVD player on the TV?
Windows Movie Maker Project wont play back!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a hp laptop and it came with the movie maker.
I have been using Movie maker Project for a couple days now for my wedding. Now all a sudden its not replaying! its not replaying on Storyboard OR timeline, all it has is a black screen and the play button does nothing. Is it a problem? can you help me fix it? If i burn it on a DVD will it still not play on the DVD???
please answer me ASAP with every answer possible!
thank you!!
did work once and won't work now? misc WMM Issues
Hmmm.. I am not sure you gave enough info. But... things I would try are...
First I would empty my Temp Directory. Sometimes a program will write a file there during rendering or saving and that file will go corrupt. The computer crashs or locks up while saving or rendering or just during normal use. So try to empty that first.
Second; Are you sure you didn't move or delete the a source video file or files that you used to make the movie using Windows? My bro did this thinking he was just making room and that all the files are now in Movie Maker but they aren't you are working with the source files you haven't copied them into Movie Maker?
Third: How much space do you have left on your HD? Windows needs room to work. My laptop starts to complain with less than 300mb but I know it works its best with 1gb of free space.
Fourth: How many clips and how many minutes? Shorten a long movie into smaller segmets and then clip them together later using Movie Maker or DVD burning software. Maybe you added just 1 too many cliip for you Memory pr Graphics Card to handle. I work with 20-30 mins at a time. Start with a full length file and remove parts from the timeline and do a "save as" then open the orginal again and repeat. Maybe try cutting it in half first to see if it fixes it. Then you can build all future videos in 20-30 min segmants.
There are MovieMaker Forums and other sources of support. I think this site is for Vista Beginners so there is probably not a lot of experience browsing around up here. And it is hard to get folks with experience to take the time to help. So do a Yahoo or Google Search for Movie Maker User Groups or Discussion Boards or goto the Microsoft Support page.
Last comment: Movie Maker isn't as bad as some make it sound. Use wmv files for video and MP3's or Wav for music and jpgs for photos and you should be fine. Make sure you didn't add a bad clip, song or photo to the work area. AVI's have given mne nothing but trouble.
I just found this site and I try to pop in. I am not sure any of this helps but at least I tried. I am gonna try to get some sleep. Good luck with your video.
Today is my first day with
Today is my first day with Movie Maker......or any other video editor for that matter. Your tips were excellent! What some posters sometimes forget is that not only will the knowledge they post here help the person that it is directed to, but it will also help probably thousands of others that are looking for the same info. So your post is always helpful for months or years after you write it!
Thanks for your time and help!
can't publish movie maker
after an hour of editing, inserting clips and everything, when i WANT TO SAVE IT ALREADY LIKE PUBLISH - IT'S not publishing.... any ideas guys??? thanks!
can't publish not enough info
what happens when you try to publish? How much disc space do you have? How big is your project? My suggestion is to only publish in wmv. Did you save the project first?
Windows Movie Maker Presentation
I worked for days on creating a presentation on windows movie maker. I saved my project after every major change. I replayed it for my husband before publishing (to DVD). It was perfect. I emailed it to myself to see how it would come thru and burned it to DVD.
Now it is gone. Completely gone except for the movie maker logo and the name of the presentation. It says it is 6.0 kb but nothing is there when I open it. It says it burned it to disk but it is only the title of the presentation.
I have searched my computer and only the name of it exists. Even the name I was saving it under all while editing - nothing is there. Not even bits and pieces. My imported media I used to make the presentation is all there but in its original form before I did anything to it.
Anyone know where it could possibly be or what happened? I hate to do this over again and if I do, will it happen again?