AwesomeTom
02-21-2008, 06:21 PM
Hey ya’ll. Here is a guide to those users who have Windows 2000 (I believe), Windows XP, and higher developed computers. By following these steps, you can create a successful film.
Accessing the Windows Movie Maker Program:
1) Click the start button on the bottom left of your screen on your toolbar.
2) The next screen you’ll see is the menu. Click “All Programs” to find a new menu.
3) Look through the different options. They are in alphabetical order. Click “Windows Movie Maker” and wait for the screen to appear. It may take a few minutes. Just give it time and patience, and make sure all other programs are closed from your computer. Also, be aware that sometimes windows movie maker is programmed into accessories in your all programs files. 50% of the time it is in accessories, the other 50% it is in alphabetical order.
How to work Windows Movie Maker:
Windows movie maker can be a very complicated process to work through, but if you are able to keep yourself awake by reading this part in particular of this guide, you should be fine. Below are each of the sections on the left side column of your windows movie maker. I will briefly explain how each one works and how it pertains to making your movie a success.
Capture Video
Capture from video device:
This section is just in case you might have a digital camera, maybe a video camera, where if you have the wire, you can connect it to the computer and upload your personal things to your windows movie maker options. It’s a wondrous feature, and works magic.
Import video:
Do you want to import a video, music video, any computer video you have uploaded onto your computer already? Here is the place to upload.
Import picture:
Pictures are what make your movies come to life! If you want to find a picture, all you need to do is right click the picture itself and save it to your computers files. Below is a guide to get VMK pictures. Thank you MrGenie for the guide.
1) With the VMK window selected, press ALT + PRINT SCRN at the same time (PRINT SCRN is next to the F12 function key). This takes a screenshot of the active window (VMK!) rather than the entire computer screen (saves some cropping later on, that's all).
2) Open up a photo-editing program (you can use Paint if you have to, but I'd recommend something else if you have it). Start a new image, and paste your screenshot into the new image. TIP: before pasting an image into Paint, shrink the blank image to a small box. That way, when you paste in the image, it will ask if you want to resize the image (click "Yes") and then your Paint image will be the same size as your screenshot.
3) Crop the screenshot (to select a portion of the image) however you want. If you don't have a cropping tool, use the rectangle select tool to select the portion you want to crop, and then Copy/Paste the selection into a new image.
Import audio or music:
This section will help make your movie livelier and more energetic to your viewers. If you have iTunes, or even windows media player. You can create a play list and save it to the computer. I have personally never had experience with it, but if you have any CD’s, I suggest getting them out and uploading them to your computer. It’s a simple process. When clicking on import audio or music, it will bring you to your video page in your computers folders. Just pick the one you want, and click import.
Edit Movie:
This section is special. It will enhance your movie with fading to black or white, brightness to your movie, transitions, and titles and credits. It will help in the long run with your movie, making it smoother.
Show Collections:
If you click on view video effects or transitions, you come to a new type screen on the windows movie maker screen. This button just means it brings you back to were all your music and photos are to make your movie.
View video effects:
Video effects are how your photo can enter into the scene as the photo itself. It helps make your movie smoother. To use, click and drag it to the photo located in your timeline. That will be discussed later though.
View video transitions:
This works the exact same as the video effects, but instead of working with the entrance of your clip, it works with the exit of your clip. The same way, click and drag the type of transition you want on your clip/photo that is on the timeline.
Make titles or credits:
This section is one of the most used in the entire movie creation process. Below are each of the possible uses:
Add Title at the beginning of the movie:
This section is for the beginning of your movie. Simply click it and type in your information wanted. Then click “Done, add title to movie”. As you can see, there are two other options necessary, but I will be explaining those at the very end of this section of the guide.
Add Title before the selected clip:
In order for this to work perfectly, you must click and highlight the clip you wish for this to go before which is already on the timeline. Then, type in your information and click “Done, add title to movie”.
Add Title on the selected clip:
This is to add a special effect to your production. Here, while your photo/clip is playing, you can have some sort of information or text come up with the clip itself. It is a wonderful feature, but the only thing you lose is a back round color option. When complete click “Done, add title to movie”.
Add Title after the selected clip:
This feature works exactly like the add title before the selected clip option. Do the same thing, but your text/information will go after the selected clip instead of going before it.
Add Credits at the end:
This option is how to make your credits, meaning, your thanks, those who helps your actors and actresses, etc. The top column represents the top information which will appear first after clicking this option. The left column represents the criteria or category your information in the credits is under. The right column represents who or what is involved within that criteria. Then click “Done, add title to movie”.
Chaning Text Color and or Animation:
When viewing and clicking one of the above, you should see an option more towards the bottom of the new screen. It will allow you to change your animation of regular appearing title to flashing or scrolling, or anything else, and it allows you to change text font, color, and backround color.
Timeline:
The timeline, located at the bottom of your windows movie maker program is the heart to your program. It will keep you in category and straight with everything going on. Below is each section and how it works:
Select Audio Levels:
Here is where you can suggest the audio levels of where you listen to the audio, and to what your audience will hear when your music is playing. Do you want the music loud or soft? Here is how it works. It is the far left icon on the top left of your next to the narrate timeline option.
Narrate Timeline:
This is usually not used and only if you have a computer headphone or microphone, but if any site is using this, I highly suggest not using it due to personal information, meaning, your voice.
Zoom Timeline in and out:
These two options are very simple to use. To see your pictures and audio larger and longer just click these. They are self explanatory.
Rewind and Fast Forward Timeline:
Also self-explanatory. When you have video, picture/clips, or audio in your film, you can fast forward and rewind back and forth through your video to reference.
Show Storyboard:
Storyboard is a new way to view the timeline. It shows every small feature, including the transition, video effects, but does not show the audio. It is a way to view exactly what is going on in a larger format.
The timeline itself has these features from top to bottom: video, audio/music, and title overlay. Each section is self explanatory. If you click the small (+) button next to the video section, two new sections will become available. Transition, which will show all video effects and transitions, and audio which is in particular.
Finish movie:
This section is completely self explanatory. Here you can save it to your computer, save it to a CD which is already present in your hard drive, send it into an e-mail, send it to the web, or send to a camera. Each is for sure self explanatory.
Movie Making Tips:
This section is out of my hands in a way. By clicking each, it will show you some helpful tips and tricks on each of the sections mentioned to help make your movie making process easier and more worth while. Here are each of the sections: how to capture video, how to edit clips, how to add titles, effects, and transitions, and how to save and share movies.
Now, we’ll be moving up to the very top of the screen, right under the title bar at the very top which portrays the words windows movie maker. Each section is simple to go through.
File:
This section has your basic save, open new document, open previously saved document, etc. But there is one feature in particular we must look at. Save movie file. This is necessary when uploading your movie file to a hosting website. It increases your graphics, and is much better quality indeed. The rest of the options are self explanatory.
Edit:
Edit has your based take away clip, select all, copy, paste, delete, etc.
View:
The same old ordinary options that a regular view section has such as zoom in, zoom out, change monitor size, etc.
Tools:
This section is where you will find all of your resources and video effects and transition options that you can find on your timeline already.
Clip:
Clip is a regular clip section with your add to the timeline, take away from the timeline, audio, video, etc.
Play:
This section will allow you to play your video, rewind it, fast forward it, skip frames, go back frames, etc.
Help:
This section is the most self explanatory on the entire windows movie maker program. It will simply help you with questions needed to be asked.
On the line under, we have more self explanatory options. Each are as follows: new project, open document, save project, undo, redo, show or not show tasks (this means, you can show the tasks on the right such as transitions and editing or have them leave the screen), collections (this will take away the collections, which is your audio and clip/pictures, located in the center of your screen), and the collections area, which will change your tasks into transition or video effects when you want it.
Basic Facts:
When you wish to add audio or clip/pictures to your, just click and drag it onto the timeline, and click the play button when you wish to watch it.
Remember to add transitions and video effects to your movie to allow it to become more smooth and natural.
Remember to use the help area at the bottom of your tasks for further questioning to help you along the way.
And that's all she wrote!
_____________________________
This guide is not a copy of MisterToads. His deals with a recorder and mine deals with camera shots imported and the use of windows movie maker to create a video. His is present recording, this is using a program to make a video.
Accessing the Windows Movie Maker Program:
1) Click the start button on the bottom left of your screen on your toolbar.
2) The next screen you’ll see is the menu. Click “All Programs” to find a new menu.
3) Look through the different options. They are in alphabetical order. Click “Windows Movie Maker” and wait for the screen to appear. It may take a few minutes. Just give it time and patience, and make sure all other programs are closed from your computer. Also, be aware that sometimes windows movie maker is programmed into accessories in your all programs files. 50% of the time it is in accessories, the other 50% it is in alphabetical order.
How to work Windows Movie Maker:
Windows movie maker can be a very complicated process to work through, but if you are able to keep yourself awake by reading this part in particular of this guide, you should be fine. Below are each of the sections on the left side column of your windows movie maker. I will briefly explain how each one works and how it pertains to making your movie a success.
Capture Video
Capture from video device:
This section is just in case you might have a digital camera, maybe a video camera, where if you have the wire, you can connect it to the computer and upload your personal things to your windows movie maker options. It’s a wondrous feature, and works magic.
Import video:
Do you want to import a video, music video, any computer video you have uploaded onto your computer already? Here is the place to upload.
Import picture:
Pictures are what make your movies come to life! If you want to find a picture, all you need to do is right click the picture itself and save it to your computers files. Below is a guide to get VMK pictures. Thank you MrGenie for the guide.
1) With the VMK window selected, press ALT + PRINT SCRN at the same time (PRINT SCRN is next to the F12 function key). This takes a screenshot of the active window (VMK!) rather than the entire computer screen (saves some cropping later on, that's all).
2) Open up a photo-editing program (you can use Paint if you have to, but I'd recommend something else if you have it). Start a new image, and paste your screenshot into the new image. TIP: before pasting an image into Paint, shrink the blank image to a small box. That way, when you paste in the image, it will ask if you want to resize the image (click "Yes") and then your Paint image will be the same size as your screenshot.
3) Crop the screenshot (to select a portion of the image) however you want. If you don't have a cropping tool, use the rectangle select tool to select the portion you want to crop, and then Copy/Paste the selection into a new image.
Import audio or music:
This section will help make your movie livelier and more energetic to your viewers. If you have iTunes, or even windows media player. You can create a play list and save it to the computer. I have personally never had experience with it, but if you have any CD’s, I suggest getting them out and uploading them to your computer. It’s a simple process. When clicking on import audio or music, it will bring you to your video page in your computers folders. Just pick the one you want, and click import.
Edit Movie:
This section is special. It will enhance your movie with fading to black or white, brightness to your movie, transitions, and titles and credits. It will help in the long run with your movie, making it smoother.
Show Collections:
If you click on view video effects or transitions, you come to a new type screen on the windows movie maker screen. This button just means it brings you back to were all your music and photos are to make your movie.
View video effects:
Video effects are how your photo can enter into the scene as the photo itself. It helps make your movie smoother. To use, click and drag it to the photo located in your timeline. That will be discussed later though.
View video transitions:
This works the exact same as the video effects, but instead of working with the entrance of your clip, it works with the exit of your clip. The same way, click and drag the type of transition you want on your clip/photo that is on the timeline.
Make titles or credits:
This section is one of the most used in the entire movie creation process. Below are each of the possible uses:
Add Title at the beginning of the movie:
This section is for the beginning of your movie. Simply click it and type in your information wanted. Then click “Done, add title to movie”. As you can see, there are two other options necessary, but I will be explaining those at the very end of this section of the guide.
Add Title before the selected clip:
In order for this to work perfectly, you must click and highlight the clip you wish for this to go before which is already on the timeline. Then, type in your information and click “Done, add title to movie”.
Add Title on the selected clip:
This is to add a special effect to your production. Here, while your photo/clip is playing, you can have some sort of information or text come up with the clip itself. It is a wonderful feature, but the only thing you lose is a back round color option. When complete click “Done, add title to movie”.
Add Title after the selected clip:
This feature works exactly like the add title before the selected clip option. Do the same thing, but your text/information will go after the selected clip instead of going before it.
Add Credits at the end:
This option is how to make your credits, meaning, your thanks, those who helps your actors and actresses, etc. The top column represents the top information which will appear first after clicking this option. The left column represents the criteria or category your information in the credits is under. The right column represents who or what is involved within that criteria. Then click “Done, add title to movie”.
Chaning Text Color and or Animation:
When viewing and clicking one of the above, you should see an option more towards the bottom of the new screen. It will allow you to change your animation of regular appearing title to flashing or scrolling, or anything else, and it allows you to change text font, color, and backround color.
Timeline:
The timeline, located at the bottom of your windows movie maker program is the heart to your program. It will keep you in category and straight with everything going on. Below is each section and how it works:
Select Audio Levels:
Here is where you can suggest the audio levels of where you listen to the audio, and to what your audience will hear when your music is playing. Do you want the music loud or soft? Here is how it works. It is the far left icon on the top left of your next to the narrate timeline option.
Narrate Timeline:
This is usually not used and only if you have a computer headphone or microphone, but if any site is using this, I highly suggest not using it due to personal information, meaning, your voice.
Zoom Timeline in and out:
These two options are very simple to use. To see your pictures and audio larger and longer just click these. They are self explanatory.
Rewind and Fast Forward Timeline:
Also self-explanatory. When you have video, picture/clips, or audio in your film, you can fast forward and rewind back and forth through your video to reference.
Show Storyboard:
Storyboard is a new way to view the timeline. It shows every small feature, including the transition, video effects, but does not show the audio. It is a way to view exactly what is going on in a larger format.
The timeline itself has these features from top to bottom: video, audio/music, and title overlay. Each section is self explanatory. If you click the small (+) button next to the video section, two new sections will become available. Transition, which will show all video effects and transitions, and audio which is in particular.
Finish movie:
This section is completely self explanatory. Here you can save it to your computer, save it to a CD which is already present in your hard drive, send it into an e-mail, send it to the web, or send to a camera. Each is for sure self explanatory.
Movie Making Tips:
This section is out of my hands in a way. By clicking each, it will show you some helpful tips and tricks on each of the sections mentioned to help make your movie making process easier and more worth while. Here are each of the sections: how to capture video, how to edit clips, how to add titles, effects, and transitions, and how to save and share movies.
Now, we’ll be moving up to the very top of the screen, right under the title bar at the very top which portrays the words windows movie maker. Each section is simple to go through.
File:
This section has your basic save, open new document, open previously saved document, etc. But there is one feature in particular we must look at. Save movie file. This is necessary when uploading your movie file to a hosting website. It increases your graphics, and is much better quality indeed. The rest of the options are self explanatory.
Edit:
Edit has your based take away clip, select all, copy, paste, delete, etc.
View:
The same old ordinary options that a regular view section has such as zoom in, zoom out, change monitor size, etc.
Tools:
This section is where you will find all of your resources and video effects and transition options that you can find on your timeline already.
Clip:
Clip is a regular clip section with your add to the timeline, take away from the timeline, audio, video, etc.
Play:
This section will allow you to play your video, rewind it, fast forward it, skip frames, go back frames, etc.
Help:
This section is the most self explanatory on the entire windows movie maker program. It will simply help you with questions needed to be asked.
On the line under, we have more self explanatory options. Each are as follows: new project, open document, save project, undo, redo, show or not show tasks (this means, you can show the tasks on the right such as transitions and editing or have them leave the screen), collections (this will take away the collections, which is your audio and clip/pictures, located in the center of your screen), and the collections area, which will change your tasks into transition or video effects when you want it.
Basic Facts:
When you wish to add audio or clip/pictures to your, just click and drag it onto the timeline, and click the play button when you wish to watch it.
Remember to add transitions and video effects to your movie to allow it to become more smooth and natural.
Remember to use the help area at the bottom of your tasks for further questioning to help you along the way.
And that's all she wrote!
_____________________________
This guide is not a copy of MisterToads. His deals with a recorder and mine deals with camera shots imported and the use of windows movie maker to create a video. His is present recording, this is using a program to make a video.