IMovie doesn't allow the Import option when selecting a movie to import

Question

I am just starting to use iMovie '08. There is a movie that I made (of my dog) in 2001. It is in my external hard drive. When I am in iMovie '08 and click the Import button I browse to that external hard drive and select that movie with its component parts, but the ”Import“ link is greyed out and my only choice is Cancel! I do not want to cancel!
How can I get that video/movie of my dog from my external hard drive into my '08 iMovie? I do want to keep all of the iMovie work in that external hard drive and not on my internal hard drive. I sure could use some advice at this point.....
~ Lorna in Southern California
http://web.mac.com/lorna6
Message was edited by: Lorna from Hawaii

Answer 1

do you suggest that I just use a Firewire connection to get the footage out of my Sony camcorder?
For me, that would depend on whether the footage on the camcorder is the original source footage or a tape made from the original project and whether the camcorder is digital or analog. Obviously I would want to avoid repeated conversions as much as possible.
Am I correct in assuming that iMovie '08 will surely accept and be able to manage the footage?
I haven't had problems importing from either an old Sony Hi8/Digital8 hybrid or a newer HDV mini-DV Sony but there seem to be a lot of people having problems in this area. Since you indicate the footage is from 2001, I would assume there would be fewer "recognition" problems than with all of the latest HDD/DVD/AVCHD models.
I can do that and just stop trying to fix a problem that is unfixable at this stage.
Still not quite sure what your basic problem is. Based on various comments your made, I would now assume you were trying to import "project" files contained in a previous iMovie "package" and not regular files "visible" to the Finder. If so, then that may be part of your problem. I believe the manner of storing source/project files has changed more than once as iMovie evolved.
Winston, I am looking now at the files in question. In my external hard drive (”Big Dog“) I see: Cheyenne 2000mMovie -01. Then there is another folder titled Cache and another folder titled Media. In the Media folder I see 126 clips.
If this were an iMovie 06 project, then the 126 files in the "Media" folder represent the current source files, along with, rendered transitions, titles, and/or effects, etc. files and in the "Cache" you would find the ".plist" files and the "Timeline Movie" file. The "Timeline Movie" is a "reference" file representing the "current" status of your edited project. If you open it in QT and check the "Properties" window (if you have QT Pro), then the resources tab will "map" how the 126 files in the "Media" folder are ordered in the various tracks. If you want to import this "timeline" into iMovie '08 rather than the source files or source files and all of the rendered clips, then with the "Timeline Movie" open in QT Pro (if you have it), select the "Save As..." File menu option to create a "Standalone" file to be stored outside of the project package file -- say in your "Movies" folder. This file, which is now visible from within iMovie '08, can be imported into iMovie '08 subject to the restrictions already mentioned. (E.g., make sure you delete the "Tween" track in the file, if present, before attempting to import the Timeline file.)