Is it possible to deconstruct an existing video to get its component parts?

Question

I made a video http://gallery.mac.com/lorna6#100193 years ago from footage taken in about 2000 and 2001. In a prior thread I mentioned having somehow losing the AUDIO component. Well, disturbingly, I went and watched the video from my old iMovie '06 and discovered that it was the video clips that were missing, not the audio. In the picture below, those black frames represent no video to be seen. I think that the exclamation mark in the yellow circle means the same thing or that something went awry.
Here is a picture of the clips in the work space part -- the upper left quadrant, of my iMovie '06 project.
To clarify: I forgot how I made that video because it was so long ago. I know from reading about iMovie '09 that I will probably do more videos on it because it sounds less complex but equally good for the most part.
Someone in this forum, John, encouraged me to go over the highlights of that old video using the iMovie '09 program and I liked that idea........ so you can imagine my dismay when I returned to the program, opened it up, and now see that I lack not the audio, but the most precious video.
Sadly, the original footage is lost due to external hard drive crashes. I might have kept a memory chip that had it but after all these years and me being disorganized, I do not know where it is.
Is there a way that I can use the iMovie 06 video that you see at my Mobile Me Gallery to extract the clips and the audio? Or if not the audio, then at least all of the video clips? *Is it possible to deconstruct an existing video to get its component parts?*
~L

Answer 1

I have had a series of iMovie applications but I used them all too infrequently, partly out of Fear of Trying. Now with the iMovie '09 out, I think I can do it. Yes, I know that I made the Cheyenne video with a previous app, but I found it confusing at times, and look now and see how I bollixed it up, losing some clips in ways I do not know.
You (John C.) wrote:
That's a miniDV camera, which uses tape. It's very similar to my earlier camera, as listed in my details below - the Sony DCR-TRV20. I now mainly use a high definition AVCHD Sony HDR-SR7 - that's why I've switched from iMovie HD 6 to iMovie '09.
.......... Lorna says ...........................
John, I call that a Pandoa's Box paragraph up there! First of all, I am left thinking that the type of videocam that I use will determine which kind of iMovie application I use. Yes? Can I assume that since you with your Sony DC-TRV20 have high definition AVCHD, then my DC-TRV11 might also have it.
I have my user manual in front of me and looked in the Index for both HD and AVC (what is the C in AVC?), and neither is listed. I cannot find anywhere in the manual that tells whether my mini digital TRV11 also has high def AVDHC.
How important is that in using the new iMovie '09? If my Sony does not have it, then does that simply mean that I cannot make use of the HD capability of iMovie '09?
All of this would have been a moot question because earlier I had decided to just use the video component in my Canon digital camera, but then getting my Sony mini digital out and seeing and touching it, and remembering it worked, I began thinking that maybe I should use the camera video for when I am away from home and the Sony for when I am here at home.
There is one thing I would say about HD: It is a memory gobbler, and if you make videos for YouTube, you might feel the constraints within that platform. It might be better for showing things to family and friends on your home tv with no megabyte or time restrictions.
You/John C. continued writing:
Your thoughts on archiving and backup sound sensible Lorna. I must admit, I don't backup as often as I should. I've been using the old Apple Backup program, but am considering moving to Time Machine, with an appropriate hard drive to match - maybe Time Capsule like you are using.
.......... Lorna says ...........................
John,if you decide to get Time Capsule to work wirelessly and continuously with Time Machine, then I suggest you consider a 2 terabyte capacity. I began using the Apple Back up but found it confusing and ultimately insufficient.
You/John C continued writing:
Currently (as listed below), I have 4 external hard drives - 3 are FireWire 400 and the largest one is FW 800. None of these has ever given me a problem (touch wood) - they are LaCie 120GB (not your favourite!), and 3 Maxtor's - 250GB, 300GB and 1TB. The 1TB drive is RAID enabled, having two 500GB drives in the enclosure, which I'm effectively using as one drive, that is, one is not a mirror of the other - so if one fails I've lost all the data! A good reason for using Time Machine.
.......... Lorna says ...........................
John I still am not clear on what RAID is and I guess I will Google it to find out. What is the purpose of having two separate drives housed in a shell? Is it about saving space? Or is it about ports? Or what?
Of course, if you get the one that was mentioned by someone earlier, than it would warn you when something is about to go wrong and you could act pre-emptively. But that was suggested for a business or a pro, neither of which I am.
You/John C wrote:
As my HD camera is a hard drive model (60GB), I archive the footage to the Maxtor 1TB drive, using iMovie's "Archive All" feature. From there, it's easy to import clips into an Event, which is also stored on the Maxtor - so double jeopardy! I had better get cracking on updating my backup strategy
.......... Lorna says ...........................
I am lost. What do you mean, your HC camera is a hard drive model? And what you wrote sounds like something important that I should understand more precisely. I am thinking that the salesguy at Best Buy was right: I should get yet another hard drive in which to store specifically and only my homemade video stuff, my iTunes, and my photographs. I don't know how I would do that, though, if I want them to be stored ALSO IN MY 2TERABYTE SEAGATE as a double archive.
-L
John