How to Use iMovie Projects in Final Cut Express

I just upgraded to Final Cut Express because of the feature of being able to start a project in iMovie and then finish it in FCE. The steps look simple in the manual File / Open / etc. But when I do it, it tells me File Error: Wrong Type. Is there something I am doing wrong or some other format for the iMovie projects to make them work?

FCE 4.0.1 is the current version of FCE. There is nothing newer.
A new version of Final Cut Studio was released last year; perhaps it can import iMovie11 projects. You would have to try it to find out. If there is an Apple store nearby, copy your Movies folder to a portable hard drive, take it with you, and ask to try it out with Final Cut Pro on one of the Macs in the store. Most stores will let you do this.
Be aware, however, that even if the import works, there are many limitations: Transitions become cross-dissolves. Cropping, Ken Burns effects, color adjustments, titles, green screen clips, PiP clips, voiceovers, sound effects & music tracks are not exported in the XML file.

Similar Messages

  • Importing iMovie HD projects to final cut express 4

    Hi,
    Is there any way of putting imovie project into final cut express 4 ?
    Thanks in advanced.
    .

    Hi(Bonjour)!
    http://www.apple.com/finalcutexpress/tutorials/
    Look under importing from iMovie title in Capturing and Organizing section.
    MMichel Boissonneault

  • How do i import imovie project into final cut pro

    I movie 08 is seriously lacking titles and transitions, so I want to spruce up my project in final cut pro, but I do not know how to get the project into final cut pro
    thanks for your help

    YES!
    Apple seems to be talking down to users with much of the workflow and nomenclature in the iLife Apps - it's almost insulting.
    But I'm as old as the hills too - grumping has become one of my favorite pass times.
    And while I'm at it:
    I still can't figure out why there is a "GO" item in the menu of OSX. WTH is THAT ? And why can't users change it's contents? Very PC. It would be more tolerable if we could use it like the OLD Apple Menu back in OS9. The Dock is cute GUI eye candy but I'd like the option of "docking" items in a menu too.
    I'll shut up now before I get in trouble...
    g

  • Importing imovie project into Final Cut Pro

    Hello I need help getting my HD imovie project into final cut pro. I recored the project in 24p and it's already imported into imovie. What is the best way to get it into Final Cut Pro so that I can edit it further without sacrificing the quality.
    Another problem is that I have heard that imovie compresses the video and totally ruins the quality. Is this true? And is this reversible in any way? I have already recorded over all the clips for this project on my camcorder. How screwed am I?
    -Michael

    First thing to do is find your original clips that you captured in IMovie. I don't have much experience in IMovie, but see if you can select a clip and control click and choose reveal in finder. If that works, open one of these clips in quicktime player and hit command-i and let us know the format of the clip.
    Kind of doubt you'll be able to actually import your project into fcp, but you should be able to recreate it in fcp without too much difficulty.
    Let us know what camera you shot and captured from. That may be of some help.
    Hopefully someone with more experience in IMovie will speak up, but hopefully this will get us started.
    Message was edited by: Michael Grenadier

  • Can I migrate an iMovie project to final cut pro and keep the edits intact?

    can I migrate an iMovie project to final cut pro and keep the edits intact? It may be a solution to my apparently corrupted iMovie

    The manual tells ..
    http://help.apple.com/finalcutpro/mac/10.1/?lang=en#ver41812c7c
    keep in mind: just the 'plain cuts', not the eye-candy iMovie offers, wil be transfered.
    unfortunately it says ...:
    You initiate the process from within iMovie. The project file and the media used in the project are copied to your Final Cut Pro library.
    For more information, see iMovie Help.
    so, if your iM doesn't work anymore, you can not transfer.
    plus, my personal opinion!, I would start from scratch in FCPx...
    What issues in iM do you expect FCPX to solve,...?

  • I am unable to open my iMovie HD project in Final Cut Express

    I am unable to open my iMovie HD project in Final Cut Express. All I get are error messages, no matter what I try.
    Tried everything, please help!
    Thank you         

    See if this helps explain your difficulties.
    https://discussions.apple.com/message/10831726#10831726

  • How to insert a logo with final cut express 4?

    How to insert a logo with final cut express 4? like this
    http://www.milano.nl/sbs6_2005.jpg

    I'm not certain, but I think, if there's not a background color saved as part of the original file, you'll retain the transparency. Give it a try.
    What application are you using to create the original file?

  • 720p25 projects with Final Cut Express 3.5

    Hello. I wonder if I'm missing something, but I can't seem to figure out how to create 720p25 sequences with Final Cut Express 3.5. Is this possible at all?

    There's no way to create a 720p25 sequence in FCE. 720p30 yes, but not 720p25. I don't even know of a workaround for this in FCE. FCPro can do it.

  • Upgrading from iMovie 11 to Final Cut Express, Worth It?

    I was thinking about upgrading from iMovie 11 to Final Cut Express. I know the cost and I was wondering if it is worth it, is it?

    Since Final Cur Pro X will be release in June, you may want to wait for it.
    Allan

  • How do I make titles in Final Cut Express HD

    How do I make titles in Final Cut Express HD?

    Effects > Video Generators > Text -or-
    Effects > Video Generators > Boris
    Select the kind of title you want, drag it to the Viewer.  Click the Controls tab in the Viewer.  Enter your titles, tweak your settings (color, font, etc).  Then move the clip to your sequence.   In general, Boris Title 3D and Title Crawl work best.
    If you want the titles to appear over video, place the title clip(s) on a track that is higher than your video.

  • Problems Opening iMovie Project in Final Cut Pro

    We created a 12 minute Video in iMovie for a client last year (basically starting Video editing as an experiment). However because they now want a multilingual DVD version we've decided to take the plunge and invest in FC Studio, thinking it will be able to open the project and allow us to add the additional audio tracks.
    However, on opening the iMovie project in FCP, a lot of the clips along the timeline are missing, and the few clips that have transferred successfully seem to have spread themselves over 5 or 6 hours with huge gaps between them.
    Are we doing something wrong? Final Cut Express seems to have a seamless upgrade path, does Final Cut Pro not have this ?
    We don't really want to remake the whole video in FCP if there is a way of just importing the iMovie project.
    iMac 20" G5   Mac OS X (10.4.8)   Using latest FCP and iMovie

    Thanks everyone for your help.
    I've just finished the project. As Steve mentioned I didn't actually need to add the audio tracks in FCP, in fact after adding them to Sound Track Pro and adjusting the volume I then realised they needed to be exported from there and added as separate tracks to DVD Pro. (everything has a timeline)
    I used FCP to superimpose a new sequence and a logo to the top corner, I'm getting more comfortable with the programs now.
    I think I've got my head around what application does what now, and have established a better work flow.
    Once again thanks for your help.
    PS. I get the feeling FCP is a slightly older program than iMovie or any of the other applications. The lack of live scrolling and audio wave forms (in the timeline) gives me that impression. But the whole FC studio an amazing piece of software, don't think I'll ever look back.

  • IMovie 08, iMovie 6, or Final Cut Express

    I just got a new Sony HDR-SR12 HD camera. It records in 1080i. I tried iMovie 08, but I don't like the export options. I used the iMovie 08 import .mov file and opened it in iMovie 6. I exported the video and it doesn't look that good. I'm thinking about Final Cut Express but I don't know how it integrates with iLife apps. What's the best option?

    iMovie 08 imports AVCHD in full 1080i. The AVCHD is converted to Apple Intermediate Codec 1920x1080.
    The issue comes when you render the project. The iMovie 08 presets max out at 960x540 for Apple TV. Apple TV looks very good because most TVs will upscale it back to 1920x1080.
    It is possible to export to Quicktime in full 1920x1080.
    However, then you have the problem of how to play it back.
    You can play it back at 1920x1080 on your Mac, if your screen is large enough.
    You can play it back on a Sony Playstation 3.
    You can play it on a BluRay Disk Player.
    Toast 9 permits burning a BluRay Disk in full 1920x1080. You will need a BluRay disk Burner for this. Toast 9 also lets you do a short AVCHD/Bluray disk on a regular DVD on a regular DVD burner, but you are limited to about 20 minutes of playing time.
    If you burn to a normal DVD in MPEG2, you are limited to 480i, so that is the worst option.
    Message was edited by: AppleMan1958

  • How do I delete tabs in Final Cut Express?

    Final Cut Express 4:  I know I can't delete whole projects; what I'm worried about is doing a bunch of short projects and having the tabs that show the titles of each project become so many I can't even use the program.  If I do 5 short videos and have 5 tabs designating them, what happens when I get to 20?  Or are they temporary files and will disappear soon?  Thanx in advance.

    You can delete entire projects, but it isn't a 'one button' method.  When you start and save a new project in FCE, FCE will create several files and folders.  First is the project file which will be saved wherever you decided to save it with the name you give it.  Next, when you bring footage into a project using Log & Capture or Log & Transfer, FCE will create a folder for those files inside the Capture/Scratch folder - the sub-folder will bear the same name as the project.  And then when you render anything in that project, FCE will create a sub-folder inside the Render Files folder and the Audio Render Files folder - both will also bear the same name as the project.  FCE will also create folders for that project in the Autosave Vault folder.  To delete a project completely, navigate those files/folders and delete them and your project will no longer exist, nor will any media or renders associated with it.
    Here's a typical set up:
    Macintosh HD/
         Users/
              Projects/
                   ABC Music Video
                   Jones Project
                   Smith Documentary
    Media Drive/
         Final Cut Express Documents/
               Audio Renders/
                   ABC Music Video
                   Jones Demo
                   Smith Documentary
              Autosave Vault/
                   ABC Music Video
                   Jones Demo
                   Smith Documentary
              Capture Scratch/
                   ABC Music Video
                   Jones Demo
                   Smith Documentary
              Render Files/
                   ABC Music Video
                   Jones Demo
                   Smith Documentary
    To delete the project named "Jones Demo" navigate to where those files are stored and delete the folders named "Jones Demo" then empty the trash; the project and all of its associated media will be gone.  The only files that FCE might create for that project that are not stored inside a folder bearing the project's name are the Waveform Cache files - I usually delete the contents of that folder when ever I'm finished with a project.
    Personally, I keep all of my project files just in case I ever need to go back to a project.  Project files are relatively small so hard drive space isn't really an issue.
    As for the issue of having too many projects open at one time, that's a simple user error.  All you need to do before opening a new or another existing project is to close the project you were working on.  So if I were working on the "ABC Music Video" project and wanted to work on the "Smith Documentary" project for a while, I'd close the "ABC Music Video" Project, then open the "Smith Documentary" project.
    -DH

  • HD quality iMovie vs. Final Cut Express (AIC)

    Hello,
    I was finally able to carry out a simple test to compare output from iMovie '09 vs. Final Cut Express (FCE), which has proven to produce much cleaner output when compared with iMovie '08. Just as I have received help from online mac community I feel obliged to share my experiences with you in case it's of interest to you and helps you.
    * Footage: filmed on Canon 5D Mark II (1080p, bitrate >40Mbps
    * Imported into iMovie '09, no stabilization and other tricks, exported to Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) with as little quality loss as possible
    * Imported into FCE, exported to AIC
    Resulting file from FCE is sharper and cleaner when compared side by side in QuickTime. Not surprisingly the same AIC export has different sizes, too.
    * FCE: 477 MB for 32 seconds of footage
    * iMovie: 253 MB for the same 32 seconds of identical footage
    Hope this helps someone. Happy filming!
    Roman

    It's been long discussed, but your conclusion is not fully correct:
    1) If you import at FULL, no pixels are lost by iM. Thus, his Canon footage could have come in perfectly.
    2) "One field is DISCARDED with 1080i." Not true. IF AND ONLY IF you use a function or FX that performs scaling, ALL video is chopped to 540p.
    3) The functions that do NOT cause conversion of ALL video to 540p include SPEED, DISSOLVE, and FADE. If you use only these FX, then EVERY pixel that is recorded by your camera CAN BE exported by iM 09.
    4) If you use no FX, then EVERY pixel that is recorded by your camera CAN BE exported by iM 09.
    5) To export ALL pixels, you of course, must choose the correct settings in the QT dialog. They would be the same as you use with FCE or FCP.
    The fact he got different sized files shows HE did something to cause the difference. Had he done things "correctly," he would have the same size file.
    PS1: Page Curl is a perfect example of a scaling FX. So, by violating the #1 rule of using iM 09 you get support for your incorrect conclusion. Folks shooting with a camera like the Canon do so mostly to get a high-end film look. Very few folks making a film use anything other than SPEED, DISSOLVE, and FADE. In fact, no one making a high-end video would use anything other than SPEED, DISSOLVE, and FADE. So, it is perfectly possible to NOT use any of the "bad" FX. (Although they can be fun I admit!)
    PS2: Be aware the black Background IS one of the bad FX. Unless, this bug was fixed in the last update. A static background should not need to use scaling! If this bug remains, use a black JPEG! I keep a black and white matte in iPhoto to use with "Fade TO" FX.

  • I NEED HELP! How do you do this in Final Cut Express 4?

    Hey guys,
    I am a pretty amateur video editor, and I have been using Final Cut Express 4 for some time now for my YouTube drum covers. What I mostly use it for is for audio and video syncing and some small effects.
    My question is, how the **** do you make a small video appear as a window over another video? I know that is not the best way to explain it, but I really don't know. If you don't know what I mean, I will post a screen shot of an example. Also, if there's a YouTube tutorial on how to do that that you have seen, that would be even more helpful.
    I'm looking forward to your replies. Thanks for the help!
    Message was edited by: DrummerGS
    Message was edited by: DrummerGS

    I will ditto what skalicki said, and add that you can graphically change the little clip's position by clicking on the Viewer's 'Center' button (has a plus sign in it) in the Motion tab, and then clicking in the Canvas where you want (you can drag it around if you haven't unclicked yet).
    You can also add a border effect to that clip, which I would recommend for vids like the one in the screenshot you posted; the inset blends in too much with the underlying clip and seems undefined...

Maybe you are looking for