Creating Still frames

Using FCP 5 I am having a problem creating a photoshop still from motion video. The image edges are not sharp. This is a recent problem, i had no problems in the past.

Your video camera is probably shooting at 1/30th of a second. If your subject is in motion, movement will show up either as a smear or as an artifact of comb-like edges that occurs between the separate fields, if you're shooting interlaced. You don't mention the video format.
Solving this is as simple as choosing a frame where your subject is not moving.
There are many other possibilities that others will mention over the next few hours.
bogiesan

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Any way to capture a still frame as an image in Imovie HD? "Create Still Frame" just gives me short MOV files

I'm trying to export a still from a project I'm working on so I can add some things to it in photoshop before importing it back in to the imovie project.
It's from the end of a clip I have. I know I could just use grab and take a screen capture but the quality would be awful.
Imovie HD has this feature, "Create Still Frame" and when I google this problem all the answers tell me to use that.
HOWEVER: When I do use Create Still Frame, instead of giving me a JPG I can use or another image format, it creates a short 5 second .mov clip of the still. If I wanted it in movie format I'd just use the original clip, what I need is an image format!
There doesn't seem to be an option anywhere to change what type of still frame format it uses. There must be a way to do this however, all the answers I've found say it should be JPG and I should be able to locate it then in the project package - what am I doing wrong?

The shortest way to accomplish this is to download a copy of MPEG Streamclip as relayed by longtime iMovie Discussion Group participant AppleMan1958
https://discussions.apple.com/message/15808352#15808352
First, get an app called MPEG Streamclip, which is free. (google MPEG Streamclip from Squared 5)
Open MPEG Streamclip.
In iMovie, select the clip you need. Then, right-click/Reveal in Finder.
Drag this clip into MPEG Streamclip
In MPEG Streamclip, move the playhead to the frame you want.
In MPEG Streamclip, click FILE/EXPORT FRAME.
Choose JPEG, TIFF, or PNG and give it a name.

Still Frame conversion to JPEG

Anyone know how to convert a still frame created with the "Create Still Frame" option w/in iMove into a JPEG?
MB 17in, PB G4 15in, PB G4 12in, iMac G3, iBook G3, PB 1400c, PB 5300 Mac OS X (10.4.7) Loyal to Apple since the Apple ][+

you're welcome!
… it's a nice "effect" to freeze the end of a sequence, and add THEN the fadetoblack… looks so... "pro"… or, vice versa, composite some freezes, BEFORE the movies starts... have a look here (<< don't bookmark, site url will change.. when finished... whenever…)
thanks for the Big Green One...

Still Frames causing audio blips

A still clip via Edit - Create Still Frame, when it is played in Timeline, always causes an audio blip as Playhead advances into any next clip in project. I cannot mute this other than by unticking audio box at end of Timeline.
I am using iMovieHD 5.0.2 in G5 iMac.
Any suggestions?
Graham Wilson
iMac G5 1.8 GHz 2GB RAM. Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Hi Graham - I am also using iMovie 5.0.2, but it does not display the problem you describe, so it is not an inherent 'bug' in the app. The placing of a transition can cause this problem, but I assume that is not the cause in your case.
You could try extracting the audio on either side of the still, and see if that has any effect.
Sorry I can't be of more help.

Can I save my still frames in iPhoto or similar

Hello ...
I have taken a number of still frames from my video event and made a picture project ...
However when I export it .. it ends up as a video file ...
Is there a way of saving single pictures into iPhoto or whatever ... so that I can use these single pictures in say Word?
Thanks ... for any info ...

In iMovie 6 you can create stills. Select the clip then Edit/Create Still Frame.

Importing Still Frame .pict file comes in slightly squished...

...with thin vertical black bars on the sides.
I "save frame" as a pict file, edit the file in Photoshop without any resizing done to the file, save it into my iPhoto library as a pict file, import the file into iMovie with the Ken Burns effect TURNED OFF, and the frame appears to be slightly squished horizontally with a thin black vertical bar appearing on the right side of the frame.
This worked just fine in iMovie 3.0 as I ran several tests last year to see if this project of mine was going to work but now in iMovie HD 6.0........AAAARRRGGGHHHHH!!
And also, somewhat unrelated, why can't iMovie save an exact clean frame when using "create still frame"?
Any thoughts and help is GREATLY appreciated!

I don't quite remember what your original goal was but anyway:
If you want to manipulate a video frame in Photoshop:
Export the clips as Full Quality DV from iMovie.
Open the .dv with QT Player and Edit/Copy the desired frame.
In Photoshop File/New... should propose 720x480 (NTSC). Then Edit/Paste... and manipulate the image. Then flatten the image and Save as TIF.
Open the .tif with QT Player. Do Edit/Copy. Then do Edit/Paste so many times that you reach the desired duration (2 seconds, for example).
Then choose File/Export.../Movie to DV stream/DV, NTSC, 16:9.
Import the .dv to iMovie.
The colors seemed to pefectly match the original video clip's colors. I didn't touch the default color profiles at all.
One great benefit of that method is that no scaling is needed so every (unedited) pixel stays the same with no distortion. Of course you can set Photoshop to display the rectangular pixels as sqaure pixel aspect ratio (for 4:3 it is 4320:4739 ~0.9116 and for 16:9 it is (4320:4739)*(4/3) ~1.215).
Oh, no I remember where I got 875: It is (4320:4739)(4/3)720.

Poor quality of still frames

Hello, I have mpeg4 films from which I hope to extract some good quality still photos. Although I am able to create still frames and save them as jpegs the stills are a poorer quality than the film. How can I make the still frame quality as good as the film? Grateful for any help.

Hi Karsten,
Many thanks for your reply. The resolution (dimension?) of one of the mp4 videos is 1280 x 720. I have done several tests and have another at 724 x 576.
You say "screen res is much higher than video res". I'm expecting to get a still photo which is as good in quality as the full screen version - is this not possible? Taking a closer look at the video I now see it's not great quality. With this in mind, if I single out an individual frame - pixelation shows. I suppose when playing the video this pixelation is blurred by movement and the fps. Also I should mention this video has been through a video converter before I could use it in iMovies and the resulting mp4s are nearly the same quality as the original. Thanks for helping a iMovie novice!

How to create and export a still frame from a movie in iMovie 09

Disclaimer: Apple does not necessarily endorse any suggestions, solutions, or third-party software products that may be mentioned in the topic below. Apple encourages you to first seek a solution at Apple Support. The following links are provided as is, with no guarantee of the effectiveness or reliability of the information. Apple does not guarantee that these links will be maintained or functional at any given time. Use the information below at your own discretion.
Are you working in iMovie and realize that certain frames in the movie would be perfect as photographs? Here is how to extract them...
*To get a still frame from an Event*, right-click on the frame and select "Add Still Frame to Project". The still will be added to the end of the current project. Right click on the still frame in the project and select "Reveal in Finder". You will see a jpeg file that is highlighted. Drag this jpeg file in the finder to the iPhoto icon on your dock.
*If you want a still from a project*, rather than an event, the process is similar, except you right-click on the frame and select "Add Freeze Frame", and it adds the freeze frame at the end of the clip rather than at the end of the project. Right-click/reveal in Finder, drag JPEG to iPhoto icon in dock.
*If you are not using iPhoto*, and just want to save to your desktop, click Reveal in Finder as above, then COPY, then PASTE to desktop.
Hint: If you do not want to clutter up your iMovie Project with stills at the end that you would have to go back and delete, then create a separate iMovie Project just for your stills, and follow the instructions for capturing stills from an Event.
Note: If you do not have a right mouse button, then control-click will work instead of right-click.
This is the 1st version of this tip. It was submitted on Dec 5, 2009 by AppleMan1958.
Do you want to provide feedback on this User Contributed Tip or contribute your own? If you have achieved Level 2 status, visit the User Tips Library Contributions forum for more information.

First, click iMovie/About and see which version you have.
Versoon 9.0.2 would be iMovie 11.
Follow the instructions [in this post|http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=13065602#13065602]
If you have Version 8.0.6, that is iMovie 09 and you should see the Reveal In Finder option.

Creating a still frame without timex

Hi, I'm wondering if there is a really quick way to create a still frame without using timex (it freezes up my entire tree for some reason when I use it with the keymix layer), without having to render out a single image (I dont want to loose quality) and without having to drag it through timeview (I get real finicky trying to drag the time bar back and forth with the mouse or pen)?
There has got to be an easy way!

Just change it from 1145-1325 to 1-5000 or something(you are allowed to change those values). Either that or do a new filein and only pick the frame you need, not the entire frame sequence and it will automatically set the in and out as infinity(uncheck the "sequence listing" in the file browser).

Creating a quiz in iMovie: Showing multiple still frames simultaneously

I am trying to create a short quiz in iMovie which involves choosing one of 4 video clips. After each of the clips has been played I want to show 4 still frames (one from each clip) together on screen. This will allow participants to see all their options at once, insted of relying on memory. I have the frames saved on my hard drive but cannot figure out how to create a four window display. Is there any way of doing this on iMovie HD? Or is it possible to make such a collage in iPhoto and then import it?
Any help would be much appreciated

Because you've suggested "..doing this on iMovie HD? Or is it possible to make such a collage in iPhoto and then import it?.." here's a simple way to do it with those programs ..and with QuickTime!
With iPhoto, just import your stills into iPhoto, then use the bottom-right 'magnify' slider to give yourself a 'four-up' view (..four photos onscreen together). Then hold down Shift and the Apple key and jab the '4' key to give you a set of cross-hairs, and hold down your mouse/trackpad button while you drag the cross-hairs over the four pics, then release the mouse button/trackpad.
That'll give you a .pdf file (..or .png file..) which you can view using Preview:
Optionally Export or Save As a .jpg and import it into iMovie - or just import it in its default format - where it'll appear as a 5-second still which you can add onto the end of your four clips.
Doing a similar thing with QuickTime, open individual QuickTime players, each with one of your chosen clips in. Arrange them into a rough 4x3 shape, and take a snapshot of the four together, using - as before - ShiftApple4 and drag the cross-hairs to cover all four:
If 'Ken Burns' is on, by default, in iMovie, any extra black edges will be trimmed off when you import the still which you created with ShiftApple4 ..or, if you turn OFF the Ken Burns effect before importing, any black edges will remain, so that you get the most of your four images. [..You'll get black edges if your overall composite of the four pics is not exactly the 4x3 ratio which iMovie normally expects..]
When you import into iMovie, your '4-up' pics should look like this:
For larger images, click on 'Start Slideshow' on this homepage..
Oh; and welcome to iMovie Discussions!

How do i create a still frame from a clip in iMovie 11? thanks

Good morning. How do I create a still frame from a clip in iMovie 11. Thanks

First, get an app called MPEG Streamclip, which is free. (google MPEG Streamclip from Squared 5)
Open MPEG Streamclip.
In iMovie, select the clip you need. Then, right-click/Reveal in Finder.
Drag this clip into MPEG Streamclip
In MPEG Streamclip, move the playhead to the frame you want.
In MPEG Streamclip, click FILE/EXPORT FRAME.
Choose JPEG, TIFF, or PNG and give it a name.
You can then drag this photo into iPhoto.
Here is a video I made that steps through this...

Creating Motion Sequence From Still Frame

I have a still frame that I want to animate using FCE, but I can't figure out how to do it. The frame is a Photoshop file of a starburst with a transparent background. Over the course of 10 seconds, I would like to slowly shrink and rotate image so it can move into position over another still frame creating the final image. How do I do this? Thanks.

See if this helps
http://www.fcpbook.com/Motion%20Control%20in%20FCE.html

Can I create a still frame with compressor?

i have over 1000 clips and I need a still frame of each clip.
Is there a way like a droplet in Compressor?
I am using Compressor 3.5.
If not in compressor, any other oprion? I need to retain the original filename as well.
Thank you.

Use Quicktime Pro 7...

Is there a way to create still jpegs from video clips in iMovie?

I shot some video on Christmas day and imported them to iMovie 9.
I want to creat some jpegs from the video clips and print them as photos.
Is there a way to create a jpeg from a video clip and save the file?
Thanks for the info!
Len

Here is a method for extracting a still from iMovie 09.
Are you working in iMovie and realize that certain frames in the movie would be perfect as photographs? Here is how to extract them...
*To get a still frame from an Event*, right-click on the frame and select "Add Still Frame to Project". The still will be added to the end of the current project. Right click on the still frame in the project and select "Reveal in Finder". You will see a jpeg file that is highlighted. Drag this jpeg file in the finder to the iPhoto icon on your dock.
*If you want a still from a project*, rather than an event, the process is similar, except you right-click on the frame and select "Add Freeze Frame", and it adds the freeze frame at the end of the clip rather than at the end of the project. Right-click/reveal in Finder, drag JPEG to iPhoto icon in dock.
*If you are not using iPhoto*, and just want to save to your desktop, click Reveal in Finder as above, then COPY, then PASTE to desktop.
Hint: If you do not want to clutter up your iMovie Project with stills at the end that you would have to go back and delete, then create a separate iMovie Project just for your stills, and follow the instructions for capturing stills from an Event.
Note: If you do not have a right mouse button, then control-click will work instead of right-click.

Creating stills in photoshop cs2 for 16:9 HDTV

Hi,
I've been reading posts regarding creating stills and still need some clarification. I'm from a print world, so dealing with square pixels vs. non square, hdv, vs dv widescreen is all a bit confusing....
I've been to this link: http://www.fcpbook.com/Photoshop1.html and several others, plus reading the manuals which all have been helpful, but each instance deals with different specs, not necessarily what I've listed below.
First, I am creating the stills for 16:9 viewing on a hidef tv (1080). The FCE HD project is an animated, narrated story with overlays, keyframe motion and some limited effects.
Here are my questions:
1. In creating my original photoshop template: should I use pshop's presets under "new document":
HDV, 1920 x 1080 (with guides) and if yes, what should the aspect ratio be set at? Square or HDV anamorphic? (When I do "HDV anamorphic" I get a squashed look in FCE, with "square" it looks good.)
2. Saving the photoshop file to be imported into FCE, would it be better to save as a jpg, or photoshop or other format? I've been reading differing opinions as to which...
3. Once I create this template (above) can I crop down the still if it doesn't fill the entire photoshop template (I will have some overlays that will not require a full frame in FCE).
4. some images will be enlarged in FCE. Instead of enlarging them in FCE, should I be enlarging them in photoshop? should I be enlarging exponentially, ie doubling the size of my original photoshop template? And if I'm enlarging them less than 150% in FCE, would the image lose it's sharpness at that enlargement?
5. And finally, I've already created some of the stills in photoshop using the photoshop presets for HDV 1920 x 1080, pixel aspect: square and brought them into FCE. Is WYSWYG in the FCE's canvas window what I'll be seeing on my TV monitor (16:9 1080 HDTV). The images are not squashed and look great, but I'm not sure if that's what I'll end up with when I finally view on my tv.
Thanks for any help!

1. If you're working in FCE in a 1920x1080 sequence then that's what you should make in Photoshop, square pixels not HDV.
2. Save as Photoshop, TIFF, or PNG, not JPEG.
3. Yes.
4. Enlarge in Photoshop if they have to be enlarged. You should never double the size of an image. It will quickly start to deteriorate, especially when it's re-compressed. You'll have to live with it not being full size. You should never enlarge an image more than 115%. It will start to soften and make encoding more difficult.
5. No. The Canvas is a lo res representation of the final output. For professional work most editors use an external video monitor to view their material. This can't be done unfortunately in FCE with HD material.

Creating Still frames

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