How to embed movie scenes...

Question

How do I go about, using Mac OS X (10.6.5) and Keynote'09 to embed short scenes from a movie (either downloaded or DVD) for use in Keynote presentation?
Thank you.

Answer 1

You have asked a very complex question in a few short words. Since I am at a point of marking time, I'll try to cover your question as simply as possible.
1) you must get the video clip into a format that will permit you to place it in the Keynote. These natively are .mov, .avi, .dv. If your video is downloaded using piracy software from YouTube, it will be either H264 (HTML5) or .flv (Flash Media player) or .wmv (Windows Media). To play .flv or .wmv on a Mac, you need to install Perian as a helper app. It will assist QuickTime to play many formats it doesn't natively. So, with Perian, you can install .wmv or .flv into Keynote or other Mac Apps. The other option is to buy the .mgeg plug in for QuickTime. You have other options for .mpeg, so do a Google search.
2) using YouTube videos or clips from DVD, places you in liability for copyright infringement unless you pay a royalty on the clip or you are using the "fair use defense." Sometimes you hear people call it the fair use provision, or doctrine, or something else, but the fact is that there is no such thing as a written fair use clause, provision, or anything else. Fair use is a set of criteria that are suggested guidelines. They can be the basis of potential defense if you are sued for use of the copyright material. It is up to a judge to determine if you meet the criteria and, therefore, do not have to pay royalties. There are four main criteria. You can look them up.
3) if you meet the fair use criteria and you want to take the chance, then you can acquire software to help you capture the clips from various sources. TVTube can be used to capture YouTube videos into .mov files. Snap-Z-Pro 2 can be used to screen capture video from a number of sources that play on the computer screen and they can be saved in .mov files. And of course, you can download those that are set up for such download.
4) once you have the clip captured and on your computer you can insert it into your Keynote presentation by using Insert>choose and selecting the video, If you have Perian installed, you can use almost any format for the video and it will play. If you want to make things nicer, buy QuickTime Pro and it gives you the option of opening any file format (if you have Perian installed) it reads and exporting it to .mov.
So this just scratches the surface of an answer to your question. Basically, remember..
1) Is your intended use one for which you can meet copyright expectations by paying a royalty or that it seems to meet the provisions of fair use? If it doen't, don't do it. It's not worth breaking the law or exposing yourself to civil liability. ("I am just doing it for my company and our employees will be the only ones to see it!!!" Right!!! Do you REALLY want to take the chance?)
2) Capture the video in a format compatible with QuickTime. Add plug ins and helper software (even if it costs) to expand the capabilities of QuickTime.
3) Insert into Keynote using the Insert>Choose menu option. Use the Build Inspector to control entrance and exit of video, if used, and the QuickTime Inspector (far right of the Inspector box) to control the characteristics of the video.
So, this is a start to understanding a complex issue.
Message was edited by: David Sturges3