Importing graphics in iMovie

How can I put a jpg file on my iMovie file. I want to put a bug in the bottom rightcorner. of my video show? HELP!!!!!!!!!!

milesdixon wrote:
How can I put a jpg file on my iMovie file. I want to put a bug in the bottom rightcorner. ..
tell you grafic application to export as .tiff or .png...
this allows iM08 to handle with alpha-channels/transparency..
read my advice on my site:
http://karsten.schluter.googlepages.com/im08tricks
Alpha-channels/Masks & bugs

Similar Messages

Why Does iMovie Distort Imported Graphic Text?

In an effort to get around the fact that iMovie's titles don't display the same way after rendering the same way they do when previewing them, I tried to make my own titles as clips. I took the same colored gradient background still clip that I'm using in iMovie, imported it into several graphics apps (Intaglio, OmniGraffle Pro, Photoshop Elements). Then I added the text that I wanted to use as titles for opening and closing credits, and exported the images for use in iMovie, Then I figured I'd just position them in the timeline in sequence, insert crossfade transitions between them, and that would be that.
But it doesn't work. No matter how high a resolution I use in the imported title clips, iMovie renders them all horribly. The text edges are jagged and it looks like garbage. I've tried JPEG, PNG, JP2, TIF, PDF...nothing seems to work. Even the high resolution images exported from Photoshop look like garbage.
Is there any way to get graphic image text to display properly in iMovie...that is, without using iMovie's own built-in titles, which don't display properly and can't be formatted to look good either.
Thanks!

QuickTimeKirk:
Thanks for your reply. Here's some additional info.
Actually, I thought that I had correctly sized the images, but I admit I'm way out of my depth here. I'm an audio guy (using Logic Pro 7.2.3), and fairly adept in that domain. I know very little about video.
I measured the pixel size of the video screen in iMovie, and made an image exactly that size. When that didn't work, I started making images of progressively larger size, including some humongous images in Photoshop. I figured that if I gave iMovie some very high resolution still images, then when iMovie reduces them they shouldn't LOSE resolution. At least, that's the way digital graphics usually work. I guess video is different...
I tried using QuickTime Pro as a workaround. I stuck all the title images in a folder, numbered them sequentially, selected *Open Image Sequence...* under the QuickTime File menu, chose 5 seconds per frame (for 5 JPEG images), and QuickTime opened them as a QuickTime movie. Sure enough, the text displayed with crystal clear, sharp edges in the QuickTime Player. (I used 29.97 fps, the same frame rate I'm using in iMovie.) So, I saved it as a self-contained .mov file, and then I dragged it into iMovie. It still looks like garbage.
I noticed that I have iMovie HD v6.0.3 on my MacBook Pro, so I tried all of the above in that version of the app. All of the still images still look terrible. I'm used *iMovie's Edit:Create Still Frame* command to make the stills, but it's no good. The QuickTime .mov file looks a little better when I import it into iMovie HD v6.0.3 and play it there (the edges are somewhat less jagged, at least), but it's still not anywhere near as crisp and clear as it looks in QuickTime.
If QuickTime can display the text properly and turn it into a movie, why can't iMovie play that movie properly at the same frame rate? Sorry to afflict you with my video newbie ignorance, but I don't get it. This is going to be a problem going forward, because the movie I'm trying to make is full of still images. Basically, it's an audio program (a lecture), with a bunch of visual aids. It seems like iMovie should be able to handle it, but I've got to solve this text displaying problem.
Can you tell me how to "size my image format to match my iMovie Project dimensions"? I ought to be able to do that easily with the graphics apps I have, but how do I determine what those dimensions are?
Meantime, I'll keep trying stuff.
Thanks again!

What's the best format to import in to iMovie?

Okay, here is the situation, I have a lengthy Keynote presentation which I plan to export via QuickTime so it can be imported in to iMovie in order to do voice-overs. The question I have is what the best format is to use to export from Keynote in order to import in to iMovie. I am obviously looking for the format which is the smoothest, doesn't lose any quality, and will look clear once imported in to iMovie. Also, there is no reason to use H.264 since size during the transfer doesn't really matter to me, besides, H.264 seems to be somewhat jerky with Keynote exports (or maybe it's just my computer) as I am using some of the graphics intensive transitions and effects.
Also, I know that when you send movies directly from Keynote to iDVD or from iMovie to iDVD, it uses a format which is directly compatible and there is no conversion that takes place, is there a format which will work this way from Keynote to iMovie or does it always have to do the conversion.
Finally, the other thing you should know is that I created the presentation in Keynote using 1280x720 in order to achieve the true widescreen aspect ratio. Now, I am NOT looking to keep this in HD, once I import it in to iMovie, I only need the standard DV Widescreen resolution since I will eventually transfer it to iDVD to burn it as a widescreen DVD. So, I would also appreciate some sort of input as to whether I should export the QuickTime file out of Keynote as the full 1280x720 and then let iMovie do the down-sampling, or should I export it directly out of Keynote using the standard definition widescreen resolution? Please, I would appreciate ANY help on this!!!

Thanks for your suggestion Bruce, however I found another way as well. I finally found that using the full resolution (1280x720) with Apple Intermediate Codec @ 60FPS turns the best results (for a relatively low disk usage). I finally went with the 60 frames per second because I was having problems getting a somewhat jerky output using Current or 30FPS in any format. I realize that iDVD reduces the FPS eventually, but it seems to be perfect when I take that route. Although the jerkiness isn't noticeable on most effects and transitions, if you use the newer transitions like Reflection or Doorway, you will definitely notice a less than perfect playback.
I know that I said that file size didn't matter, but I decided using uncompressed video was just too large, I think the file size was like 25-50GB or something like that. I took forever to import in to iMovie, so I quit with that route.
I really appreciate the Garageband suggestion, that was by far the best way to go. I never really tried using the new GarageBand in iLife '06 so I didn't even realize that it had movie scoring—what a GREAT feature! I definitely should have recorded directly in to GarageBand rather than in iMovie, something is just not right with iMovie's audio handling. Anyway, thanks for the help!

Achieving Clean-Looking (non-pixelated) Graphics in iMovie

Here's my situation... Please help if you can!
I made a short movie to be played as the "auto-play" movie in my iDVD project. This movie is about a minute long, and includes several titles, as well as one logo. Because of the limited titling options in iMovie, I created my titles/logo in Illustrator, imported them into Photoshop, and saved them as high-res jpgs. I then imported the jpgs into iMovie to be used as clips.
Here's the problem: Everything I try seems to result in jagged graphics in iMovie -- especially, and importantly, my logo. I have tried copying different sizes of the vector art in Illustrator before "placing" in Photoshop. I have tried saving the jpg files in different resolutions from Photoshop. When I look at the resulting jpgs in Photoshop or Preview, etc., they all look clean and "high-res." Why then, don't they look good in iMovie, and what can I do?
Here's what I've also tried: I have saved the vector art as a .swf file from Illustrator. I can open it in Flash or Flash Viewer and it looks great. Since iMovie doesn't allow .swf files, I think I need a way to export the .swf as a Quicktime movie. Since I don't have QT Pro, I'm sorta stuck. I'm willing to pay for it, but I'm nervous that it won't work well, since I tried using the Quicktime export feature of the trial version of MediaEdit Pro, and it didn't look good.
Does anyone have any thoughts on 1) how to best achieve clean graphics in iMovie, 2) if my theoretical QT Pro solution would produce a good (great?) result, and 3) if there are any other options besides the complex routine I described above?
Many thanks in advance for your help...
-Jason

If you pressed the Create iDVD Project button in the iDVD tab of iMovie, the jaggies may have been added by iMovie when it rendered the images. There's info about that bug and workarounds here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=194962&tstart=0
Karl

Error while importing music in iMovie 11 From itunes 10

Error while importing music in iMovie 11
I have the same error explained in a other post which was still left unanswered
I have this sound problem after reorganising folders by itunes, i tried to delete al files in itunes and also
deleted the xml file in the itunes dir, created new playlists, but still i have no music sound in imovie timeline
after dragging a mp3 into it. When i preview the file in imovie it souds ok.
Also i see the red dot with the number 1 in the itunes logo while dragging the mp3.
Is there a solution for this problem?
Former post;
Re: Error while importing music in iMovie 09 from iTunes 09
Posted: Jul 24, 2010 8:08 AM in response to: vincentplaces
I'm having the exact same issue, but still haven't figured out what it is. I note that at the top of this thread it indicates that there are two "helpful" entries and one "solved" entry, but I can't find the solved one, so maybe someone will repost it here or kindly link to it.
There is one icon missing though.
As I read through the excellent tutorial at http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/imovie_09stone.html I scroll down to the point where he talks about dragging music in from iTunes, which is what I'm trying to do. I can see, in his screen shot, the extra little icon that is a red oval and a white "1" in it. I don't get that icon when I am trying to drag my music into the video. I do get the green and white plus icon when I try to drag my music in. Also I DO get BOTH the red 1 and the green plus when I try dragging in a sound effect, which I can do with no problem. But why not the music?
I've been able to drag in music with no problem in other productions, so I can't figure out what is going on with this one. I'm sure there is a setting somewhere that got flipped, but I can't figure out where.
In desperation I also tried adding an extra title slide at the end of my video just to make sure there is more video time than music time in the production, but that didn't help at all.
Any help guys?
iMac 27" Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Hi
Due to some kind of copy protection in iTunes - I don't copy directly from this in iMovie
to my projects. (Most often the result of doing it in iMovie is a DVD without any sound)
I do
• In iTunes - collect needed audio into a new Playlist
• then burn this out as an Audio-CD .aiff (NOT .mp3)
• This CD I copy into a folder on my Mac (often containing other material that's connected to the project)
• And then I drag and drop these .aiff files into my movie project in iMovie.
This works Greatly and even more so when I do my DVD.
Yours Bengt W

I need a digital camcorder that imports direct to iMovie - any ideas

I have been using a MiniDV JVC camcorder to import direct into iMovie - worked great but the camcorder heads are now worn out. So I use an Hitachi HD flash card camcorder that outputs AVI files. I then have to convert through Handbrake to get a useable file for iMovie.
This is much too slow as I produce lots of short video for customers - is there a better direct camera to get files straight into iMovie or should I use different software on the mac?
Last resort, I have been told to buy a pc to use for producing edited DVD movies - I don't really want to move off the mac - HELP?

Wow...good question.
Do your FCP setups have capture cards? You could send a signal from the toaster machine to FCP via the capture card and recapture the footage in FCP. Will take a while, but it should work.
Tough working with proprietary formats.
Shane

No sound after importing mpeg from imovie

Hello, i'm new to IMovie and i have the problem that all my video files made with my photocamera loose the sound when i import them into Imovie. the FAQ's tell me it is because they are in mpef-muxed structure. Can anybody help me with the solution on HOW to get my movies with sound into Imovie ???

I have exactly the same problem and took your advice, downloading MPEG stream clip. But it is not clear to me how to do this.
Previously I dragged the MPEG clips from iPhoto ( which played fine in QT with sound) into my iMovie and there was no sound ( as the OP describes).
So if you could spell out the exact procedure, I would be most grateful

Importing Video from iMovie HD - What's the Trick?

Hello brilliant Mac Fans,
I've been working steadily to create a cool demo reel for a client using iMovie HD (6) and Keynote '08. Well, the file in iMovie is Widescreen DV, and looks great. When I export it at full quality (as a dv file,) I play it in Quicktime and everything looks dandy, but when I drag that same file into Keynote, it has the wrong aspect ratio and has skips here and there...
I guess my question is, for Widescreen video, what are the ideal settings? Does anyone know the best frame rate, kind of file, etc. that plays well with Keynote?
Thanks to all for reading...

Hello Carol,
you can create slideshows in iPhoto, iMovie and iDVD. In iPhoto you can create your slideshow in a few simple steps with music and transitions, then export it to iDVD for DVD authoring. One drawback (for me) is that you choose the duration for each picture and a transition, and these will be applied to all the pics in the slideshow, so not much room for customisation. On the other hand, if you want something quick and simple, this might be the right approach.
In iMovie you can import the pictures from your iPhoto library and create a slideshow. Here you have the possibility to completely customize all the settings (length of each pic, different transitions and music) and you can add titles and effects if you like. The process in iMovie will be longer as you'll have to import the pics one by one and change settings everytime you want a different outcome, but it will be a more personalised creation.
In iDVD you can create slideshows more or less like in iPhoto with more or less the same options. You can import your pics from the iPhoto library or from a folder and set duration and transition type and add music.
There have been several posts on this forum regarding problems with pic quality when played from DVD on TV - one problem is that pictures and video are not the same (pixels vs. lines, interlacing etc.). I personally have had the best results by importing photos into iMovie and applying a Ken Burns effect to each, but have to say that I don't work much with pictures (mostly video), so you'll probably get other sound advice from other users.
hope this helps
mish

Importing clips from iMovie HD to FCE4

Hi. Have read with interest a couple of questions on this same issue, with the advice from Tom Wolsky seemingly being to not mix the two applications and just get stuck in with FCE. However, i'm finding FCE difficult to like/get to grips with. But more importantly, after attending some Apple onetoone sessions, it seems my Canon camcorder might be a little long in the tooth and there may be some tape slippage as I was getting time code errors when trying to import directly to FCE. The fix seemed to be to capture the footage via iMovie and import to FCE using 'show package contents' route. Having now though imported some footage from a second tape, I have some of the clips showing as Offline for some reason. Is the trick to import clips from IMovie as per Tom's suggested route on 9/8/08?

I import video from my camera into iMovie 4, because that is the last version of iMovie, I believe, that was capable of flushing unwanted video off the hard drive, and I can bring an entire tape into iMovie, trim it down for FCE, and then get rid of the unwanted footage. iMovie 6, like Final Cut Express, is a nondestructive editor and can't erase unwanted footage from the hard drive, and as you know, video uses up hard drive space FAST. To get rid of discarded edits, you either have to use iMovie 4 or Final Cut Pro.
iMovie is also much easier to import video into than Final Cut Express, with all the latter's complicated controls. With iMovie, you just plug in your camera, iMovie then says "Camera Connected," and you hit Play and Import. Stone simple. Also, in iMovie you can hear the audio as it comes in, and if I remember right (it's been a while since I did it in FCE), you can't hear your audio tracks as your video imports into FCE. Not a big deal, but an annoyance.
Once the video is in iMovie, then I cut and trim the video to get rid of all substandard/unwanted stuff, and then Empty Trash, which erases the unwanted video off the hard drive, saving mucho space over the course of a project. Otherwise, you're just stuck with the unwanted video, and all it does is fill up your hard drive. Then you export (or "Share," in iMovie parlance) your video from iMove as a QuickTime movie, and drop that QT movie into Final Cut Express's Browser. Then create your FCE project from it.
The only objection I have ever seen to this procedure is people complaining that their QuickTime movie from iMovie has to be rendered in FCE before FCE can use it, and this takes a bit of extra time. Well, that's true, unless you export your video from iMovie in a form that FCE can use natively. Then it doesn't need to be rendered at all--it's just as though you had imported it from the camera directly into FCE. Most people don't know how to set up iMovie to do that.
Here's how I do it: (this is iMovie 4; I assume other versions are the same), Select Share > QuickTime and choose Expert Settings. On the next screen, select Export: Movie to QuickTime Movie, and click the Options button. In the Movie Settings window that this brings up, on the upper (video) part of it, under the Video checkbox, click the Settings button there, and for Compression Type choose DV/DVCPRO-NTSC, and under Compressor Quality, move the slider to Best, and click OK. Under the Sound checkbox, click Settings, and then choose Linear PCM, Stereo, and 48.000 kHz for Sound Settings. Under Render Settings, choose Qualty: Best. Just below that, uncheck the "Prepare for Internet Streaming" box. Then click OK, and the window will go away, and you're ready to export.
Give the video a name, and a place to save to, then click SAVE. The QuickTime movie that results from this can be dropped straight into FCE and requires no rendering; it works just as though you had imported it directly into FCE from your camera.
Tom B.

Importing movies from iMovie 6

I followed the instructions in David Pogue's manual "imovie '08..The Missing Manual" but with no results.
I export the movie project from iMovie 6 in QuickTime, however when it appears on the desktop it is in the .mov format, not Quicktime.
So when I try to import it to iMovie '08 the project is on the desktop, but is dimmed.
I then tried to save the desktop movie (save as) in Quicktime, but the same thing happens. I can't figure out what I am doing wrong.

If you have any intention of creating DVDs from those projects, according to what I've been reading, don't do it. Use iMovie HD 06 and iDVD 09 to create your DVDs.
I've read that iMovie 09 is fine for posting videos online because of how it treats the export but 06 is the way to go to create content to be viewed on a TV.
I've read about this on these Apple boards and these boards: http://forums.macrumors.com/forumdisplay.php?f=80

Importing clips from iMovie - jittery

Just got Final Cut Pro 5 and I'm having a problem with importing clips from iMovie into FCP5. The clips were fine in iMovie, but the images are jittery in FCP. I tried Apple Care, but they wanted to charge me $200 to answer my question eventhough I just bought the software yesterday!
any ideas most welcome - thanks

Nowhere is it advertised that iMovie is compatible with FCP.
One is a consumer format, with less features, like lack of timecode. The other is a professional format, which relies heavily on timecode.
Yes, output to tape from imovie, then capture with FCP.
#20 Using iMovie to Capture for FCP edit
Shane's Stock Answer #20:
iMovie handles the media differently from FCP, specifically where audio is concerned. So it is not a recommended workflow. Here's why...
iMovie captures using DV Stream (.dv) standard which does not use timecode. That is a big disadvantage over the way that FCP captures in that you can't go back and recapture the material at a later date if you need to revisit a project.
The DV/NTSC specification (the one FCP uses) also calls for seperate tracks for audio and video, even if you capture it as one clip. iMovie' DV stream format is muxed audio and video, which means that they are tied together (I can't get into specifics because I ain't no engineer or programmer). FCP is a bit more demanding and captures the seperate audio/video tracks, either in a single media file or as seperate video and audio files. With FCP you could capture video only or audio only because each is defined by the DV specs. while with iMovie you can't.
Also, if you drop the iMovie footage into the timeline, your will get the RED render bar forcing you to render the footage in order to see it...
"There's no need to fear, UNDERDOG is here!"

I want to automatically extract my iphone-videos from the iPhoto library since I have way over 25 000 objects in there. Afterwards I would like to import them into iMovie. Anyone having an idea?

Dear all,
I want to automatically extract my iphone-videos from the iPhoto library since I have way over 25 000 objects in there. Afterwards I would like to import them into iMovie. Anyone having an idea? Or is there no possibility to do so?
Thanks in advace
Andreas

File -> New Smart Abum
Photo -> Is -> Movie
and export those:
This User Tip
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921
has details of the options in the Export dialogue.

Error while importing music in iMovie 09 from iTunes 10

I have the same error explained in a other post which was still left unanswered
I have this sound problem after reorganising folders by itunes, i tried to delete al files in itunes and also
deleted the xml file in the itunes dir, created new playlists, but still i have no music sound in imovie timeline
after dragging a mp3 into it. When i preview the file in imovie it souds ok.
Also i see the red dot with the number 1 in the itunes logo while dragging the mp3.
Is there a solution for this problem?
Former post;
Re: Error while importing music in iMovie 09 from iTunes 09
Posted: Jul 24, 2010 8:08 AM in response to: vincentplaces
I'm having the exact same issue, but still haven't figured out what it is. I note that at the top of this thread it indicates that there are two "helpful" entries and one "solved" entry, but I can't find the solved one, so maybe someone will repost it here or kindly link to it.
There is one icon missing though.
As I read through the excellent tutorial at http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/imovie_09stone.html I scroll down to the point where he talks about dragging music in from iTunes, which is what I'm trying to do. I can see, in his screen shot, the extra little icon that is a red oval and a white "1" in it. I don't get that icon when I am trying to drag my music into the video. I do get the green and white plus icon when I try to drag my music in. Also I DO get BOTH the red 1 and the green plus when I try dragging in a sound effect, which I can do with no problem. But why not the music?
I've been able to drag in music with no problem in other productions, so I can't figure out what is going on with this one. I'm sure there is a setting somewhere that got flipped, but I can't figure out where.
In desperation I also tried adding an extra title slide at the end of my video just to make sure there is more video time than music time in the production, but that didn't help at all.
Any help guys?
iMac 27" Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Made a mistake in the title, version of imovie is 11

An internal error occurred while writing imported graphics in this document. The file has been saved

An internal error occurred while writing imported graphics in this document. The file has been saved, but has lost some image data. Please report this error to Adobe Technical Support.
How do i fix this, there are no images in the document
thanks
emma

We are running FM version 7.2b144 on MS Win xp Pro (32 bit), and I did not notice this until service pack 3 was installed. I believe I have found a work around to the situation and another contributing cause. If graphic files are placed directly in an anchored frame instead of importing by reference, the file somehow becomes misplaced. If you right click the graphic and open the Object Properties dialog box, and see the phrase "no referenced file" below Main Editor: Referenced File: in the lower left hand corner, this has happened. I found if I removed all graphics files without references and imported them by reference, the source file may then be properly saved. I am also using a program called CCleaner, which removes cookies, temp files, browsing history and the like from a system. If the program settings are chosen too aggressively, and the application runs when FM has a file open, this same error will occur, even if all files are referenced properly. I don't know if SP3 has some similar application which is now running in the background and causing this.
To summarize, if you want to retain SP3, I have eliminated this error by confirming the links to referenced graphics files and avoiding using 3rd party "cleaners" while FM is open.

Hi, Can anyone recommended software to import dvd to iMovies. I need to import about a dozen homemade DVD's and edit them into a single DVD comprising the 'best bits'. How best can I do this. I have an external hard drive available for the job

Hi, Can anyone recommended software to import dvd to iMovies. I need to import about a dozen homemade DVD's and edit them into a single DVD comprising the 'best bits'. How best can I do this. I have an external hard drive available for the job

You need to convert the VOB files in the TS-Folder of the DVD back to DV which iMovie is designed to handle. For that you need mpegStreamclip:
http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html
which is free, but you must also have the Apple mpeg2 plugin :
http://store.apple.com/us/product/D2187Z/A/quicktime-mpeg-2-playback-component-f or-mac-os-x
(unless you are running Lion in which case see below))
which is a mere $20.
Another possibility is to use DVDxDV:
http://www.dvdxdv.com/NewFolderLookSite/Products/DVDxDV.overview.htm
which costs $25.
For the benefit of others who may read this thread:
Obviously the foregoing only applies to DVDs you have made yourself, or other home-made DVDs that have been given to you. It will NOT work on copy-protected commercial DVDs, which in any case would be illegal.
And from the TOU of these forums:
Keep within the Law
No material may be submitted that is intended to promote or commit an illegal act.
Do not submit software or descriptions of processes that break or otherwise ‘work around’ digital rights management software or hardware. This includes conversations about ‘ripping’ DVDs or working around FairPlay software used on the iTunes Store.
If you are running Lion or later:
From the MPEG Streamclip homepage
The installer of the MPEG-2 Playback Component may refuse to install the component in Lion. Apple states the component is unnecessary in Lion onwards, however MPEG Streamclip still needs it. See this:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3381
To install the component in Lion, please download MPEG Streamclip 1.9.3b7 beta above; inside the disk image you will find the Utility MPEG2 Component Lion: use it to install the MPEG-2 Playback Component in Lion. The original installer's disk image (QuickTimeMPEG2.dmg) is required.
The current versions of MPEG Streamclip cannot take advantage of the built-in MPEG-2 functionality of Lion. For MPEG-2 files you still need to install the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component, which is not preinstalled in Lion. (The same applies to Mountain Lion even though that has it preinstalled.) You don't have to install QuickTime 7.

Importing graphics in iMovie

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