New imovie project - no auto save, losing work.

new user here....this is my scenario: I create a new imovie project and add in all the video clips, photos, transitions, titles, music, etc. It is looking good but it is getting late so I will finish this the project tomorrow. There is no save function so I just shut down the computer. Next day I open my project and the auto save function has not worked. A few video clips have been saved but 90% of my work has just disappeared. What have I done wrong?
Supporting info - brand new IMAC9,1 with Snow Leopard, 1 terrabyte memory + 2 terrabyte timecapsule.

normally it should save.
Sometimes if you don't give the project a name it is easy to start another new project with the same default name - "new project"
Sometimes I have noticed that if I have a title edit screen open and do not click done, it will not save.
Also, did you shut down iMovie before shutting down your computer? It should not matter but it couldn't hurt.
The Project File is a text file and it is updated after every edit.
Some people have reported that when they use two many of the fancy titles (Quartz Extreme titles) that their project gets corrupted and wont save. I haven't experienced this myself, because I keep my titles pretty simple.
Maybe others will have ideas as well.
Message was edited by: AppleMan1958

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I asked this question before but I can't find it now. Anyway, I'm trying to import a DVD video that was made on a MAC and use it on a new iMovie project.

I asked this question before but I can't find it now. Anyway, I'm trying to import a DVD video that was made on a MAC and use it on a new iMovie project.
How do I do the importing.

If the video is already on a DVD:
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:
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, 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. You don't have to install QuickTime 7.

I can't open new imovie project

I bought imac 3.2 Mac OS X 10.6.6 approximately 2 weeks ago.
I can use all of software except imovie. I can't open new imovie project. Let's have a look what I did...
- Open imovie
- Click + for new project then project themes screen opened
- Choose one of the project then click create
- NOTHING HAPPENED.
I tried hundreds times...
Can somebody help me please..

elikness wrote:
In the previous messages it's written out like this:
Go to MacHD > Users > your home folder > Library > Preferences > com.apple.iMovieApp.plist (drag that to the trash)
This method didn't work for me, I've created an alternate thread for mi case. I'd appreciate any other alternative.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4448472
Message was edited by: mat060 (adding quote)

Auto save not working

I am running AE 13.1.1.3 and it is not auto-saving. I tried setting a target folder and using the 'next to project' setting.
No files are being created and I have lost a large amount of work as a result of this as my computer keeps crashing due to other Adobe software related issues.
Even if I don't save manually and make changes, no auto-saves are created.
Is this a bug with the new version of AE?

Hi Mike,
What version of Premiere Pro do you have installed? There were a few changes that should help in build 8.0.1.
It sounds like your familiar but just in case I'll explain it here for others. Autosave will not trigger exactly at the preference value, we look at a window of inactivity around the value to try not to be annoying. Example, if it is set to 5 minutes it will aim at firing between 4:30 and 5:30. Of course if you are doing something like playing during that time that will block it.
Keep in mind if you are not doing actions that dirty the project file (i.e. trim media, adding effects) there will be no autosaves.
Hope this info is useful.
If you're still seeing issues outside of this scope can you please provide more details about your system configuration?
Thanks,
Peter Garaway
Adobe
Premiere Pro

Using selected clips to start new iMovie project

This must be a fairly simple question. I've searched on the Apple discussions and haven't found the answer. I've imported a large video into iMovie. I want to choose only a selection of clips to do a second iMovie project. Is there a way to select them and begin another project? Thanks for your help.

Unlike earlier versions of iMovie, iMovie HD lets you Copy and Paste clips from Project A to Project B. That may be the easiest way.
When you Copy and Paste a clip, iMovie delivers the source file of the clip to Project B -- the entire source file. (This is so the clip in Project B inherits the non-destructive editing feature it had in Project A.) To avoid iMovie duplicating a source files multiple times, Copy and Paste all the clips you want together.
It's about a different topic, but this thread describes this feature:
http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?128@@.68bc069a
Like that thread, you could export the clips you want to the camera, then re-import them to a new project.
iMovie HD also a new Save As command, which lets you duplicate the entire project. You could use that instead, then discard the clips you don't want.
Karl

FCP X will not auto save my work

I have been working all morning on a photo slide show in FCP X and I will enter several pictures, transistions, keyframes, etc and then I will add some of my custom generators that I make in Motion as well. When I finish, I quit final cut normally and go and work in motion for a while. When I start final cut again after an hour or so, my project has been reverted back to the very beginning state of my work and I loose all but the first 5 minutes. It does not say, "media disconnected" it just simply deletes everything and starts me over like I had not done any work.
Pretty much a unistall the product and use something else for my video editing needs if there is not a fix for this. I can't put 16 hours into a project to then have final cut delete all my work automatically.
PS I did edit a few of my custom generators in motion, but it is deleteing just simple images I places in the timeline also.

A lot of people are reporting the auto-save problem. A clear indication it has stopped working is that the Undo functionality also stops working. Personally, I have never encountered this problem, so there has to be some sort of configuration that only some people have which is causing this.
I think you should probably use something else for editing until Apple releases a fix. Especially for anything important.

New iMovie project problems

I've been trying to copy and paste clips from an iMovie project into a new project, but at some point in the pasting process, the little rainbow wheel pops up and begins spinning and everything just stops. So I have to force quit the program, except it won't force quit and I have to restart the iMac. I have several projects from which I'd like to extract clips to form a whole new project, but I'm frustrated as to how to go about it. Any thoughts?

Repairing permissions is important, and should always be carried out both before and after any software installation or update.
Go to Disk Utility (this is in your Utilities Folder in your Application folder) and click on the icon of your hard disk (not the one with all the numbers).
In First Aid, click on Repair Permissions.
This only takes a minute or two in Tiger, but longer in Leopard.
Background information here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25751
and here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302672
An article on troubleshooting Permissions can be found here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2963
If you were having any serious problems with your Mac you might as well complete the exercise by repairing your hard disk as well. You cannot do this from the same start-up disk. Reboot from your install disk (holding down the C key). Once it opens, select your language, and then go to Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. Select your hard disk as before and click Repair.
Once that is complete reboot again from your usual start-up disk.
More useful reading here:
Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417?viewlocale=en_US

IMovie - need to auto save to MyVideos. Where is the preference?

iMovie - I need to save all my iMovie imports, "MyVideos" folder might work.
How do I make any folder the default folder to save certain documents?
Looked in Preferences. Everything winds up in Home.

All your imports should be in the <user>/Movies/iMovie Events folder.
What version of iMovie are you using?

Re: auto save not working with microsoft office on OS Lion

Is there anyone else having issues with the auto-save/versions not working with Microsoft office on the OS Lion Upgrade?

It seems (from some testing I've just done) that:
1. It's not an explicit choie or preference - it's just there, in the background, invisible
2. Your textedit document has to have been saved once (i.e given a name), or you've reopened a previously saved document
If those conditions are met, Textedit will keep the doc saved.
My test was:
Open existing docuement
Make changes
Wait a few seconds
Quit Textedit
Reopen Textedit - and there's the doc with all the changes.
I ran the test again, quitting Textedit immeditaley I had made the change - and it saved the change successfully.
Hope that helps

IMovie no longer auto-saves?

I have imovie '09 and lately my videos don't save automatically. If I close imovie and open it back up again any projects I have been working on are gone. Also, all past projects I have worked on are not viewable. This first starting happening when I reinstalled iLife because imovie would freeze and crash every time I opened it. What am I doing wrong? Thanks

Not sure what's causing these symptoms... Here's a couple of things you could try:
A> Ensure you have the latest update of iM09 using Software Update tool.
B> When you're done editing a project, go back to the Project Viewer and use the Duplicate Project option in the context menu when you right-click on your project. This way, you'll have a copy of your project, before you exit iMovie. I do this for safe measure on longer projects
C> Use the Share -> QT Export option to save a rendered copy in the highest resolutoin you're working with... this way, at least you have a backup version if iM doesn't save your project!

I want to create new imovie project without having to upload iphoto video thumbnails.

I just loaded 4 iphoto libraries onto a new external hard drive. When I open up iMovie to try to begin creation of a new project, I can't start my project until "video thumbnails" are uploaded. I am getting a message on screen that says "Time Remaining is 100 hours."
How can I bypass this so that I can just continue to work on my new project?

If it's a drive that you've previously used with a PC, just double-check the format - click the drive once on the desktop to highlight it, and click cmd-i (the command key and the i key together) to see the Info window. That will tell you, under Format, how it's formatted.
If it's "NTFS", that's the current Windows format. You can read but not write to it with a Mac. If you want full read/write access, you should look into Paragon NTFS, which allows you to do both. Note that some features of te Mac (Time Machine, for example) will only work with Mac-formatted drives.
Matt

Imovie project to idvd

I'm trying to export an imovie project to idvd. The project is a slideshow of photos from iphoto with an itunes soundtrack. When I click "create idvd project", it advises that its needs to "render & proceed" , but nothing happens. I've also tried using "Share" and clicking idvd in the imovie menu, but that does not work either. I'm using imovie 4 and idvd 4. Has anyone else encountered this?
Thanks,
Peter

Hi Peter
This is an often reported problem.
No I don't have a direct solution but
instead of using iPhoto to make Your Slide Show You could do as I do.
I start a new iMovie project
open pictures/photos in iMovie and drop the photos into Time-Line
edit:
- duration for each photo +
- adding sound and narration.
- transitions
- color correction
- etc
now
a) Close iMovie and save.
b) find the project icon/folder
c) Ctrl-click on it and Show package.
d) in this there are a folder -> Shared Movies -> iDVD
e) in this there are a QT movie nnnnnnn.mov
f) drop this into an open theme in iDVD and save it as a desktop image
(if iDVD prior HD/5 You have to add a hack to make this possibly
named HPfurz and install it)
Test this with Apple DVD-player - OK then burn it with iDVD
or Toast if You have and dont want to re-code the movie.
Yours Bengt W

How to get iMovie HD 6 to save automatically to external hard drive?

And now: With regard to iMovie:
To get it to save automatically to my external hard drive, do I do it the same way that I would do it for iPhoto, by finding MOVIES in that left-hand vertical panel under "Computer"?
Is it that I take that little icon of the movie board and drag and drop it into my external hard drive? And the same with the Pictures folder? Drag both the icons of Picture and Movies to the External Hard Drive? Or what? I am assuming that I have to take it away from the Internal Hard drive or iPhoto and iMovie will find it there and place files there.
The thing is, can iPhoto and iMovie find the Pictures and the Movies folders in my External Hard Drive without being given a map in the form of a toggled set of instructions, like for iTunes? Are the programs like bloodhounds in that they can just smell where those folders are even if they (the bloodhounds) are blindfolded?
I have ideas for the little videos that I want to shoot, and I need iMovie to automatically put those files in my Big Dog 500 gig external hard drive.
— Lorna in Southern California

When you first create a new iMovie Project you're
asked where to save it.
Choose the external drive to store the Project and
all the files will be stored there.
Thank you, QuickTime Kirk. Now I understand why there is no generic "Save Files To" in the Preferences.
This brings up another question now but I have not experimented with it in my iMac: I had old video clips from 2001 in my hard drive and yesterday I moved all my Photo and Audio files from Small Dog Ext. HD to Big Dog 500 gig Ext. HD. Since in 2001 I, of course, must have designated my old INternal hard drive as the place to save my work, does this mean that those clips are now "invisible" unless I manually go into Big Dog Ext. HD to see it?
In other words, by moving those 2001 video clips from my old iMac internal hard drive to my Small Dog 125 gig Ext. HD and now, last night, to my Big Dog 500 gig Ext. HD, is there no pathway from the iMovie application to the clips where they now are stored?
I didn't realize that such questions would ensue if I shift files from the internal hd to one external hd to another ext. hd.
— Lorna in Southern California
Edit to say:
Well, now I know the answer. I clicked onto iMovie and clicked onto "Find An Old Project" (or whatever), and rather than finding my old 2001 video clips, I was given a window in which to identify where those clips are now stored. I clicked "Big Dog 500 gig" and was taken there, and from inside there I found my old 2001 clips.
So the answer is: The old clips that were moved from Site A to Site B were invisible at first request, but the option of defining the road map was presented. This presupposes that the person knows where they actually are, and since I do, there is no problem.
But of course in the future when I Save To Big Dog 500 gig, I can immediately access my new clips when clicking "Find Old Project."
— Lorna in Southern California

Lo-o-o-ng project in 3 iMovie projects. How to combine?

I'm editing a long trip I took, and have it in 3 different iMovie projects, 1 an hour and 22 min., 1 an hour 15 min., and 1 less than hour. Any way to combine these into one iMovie without having to learn FCP?
As it is now, any audio added to these corrupts. HELP!!--Porter

Do you want to put the movies together and edit them down to less than 2hrs so you can make a DVD?
You can either edit each one separately and put 3 movies on one DVD, just be sure that the total time of all of them is less than 2hrs.
Or, you can open up movie 2, copy the movie, close movie2, open movie 1 and paste the clips into it. Then save and close movie 1. Open movie 3, copy and close, then open movie 1 and paste those clips. Now you have all 3 movies in one iMovie, and you can edit it. However, you may notice that the playback in iMovie is now jerky and stuttering. The final DVD should be ok, if you can edit in this manner.
Or, you can finish editing each movie individually, then export them back to camcorder DV tape, reimport into a new iMovie project so that all 3 are on the same movie.
Or, you can save each movie as a QuickTime Full-Quality movie, and open a new iMovie project and drag the QT movies into it. You cannot edit these in the same way as the original iMovies. The QT movies are new movies with the sound/video you put in when editing them the first time. This method will give you a very smooth playback. It will require more free space as you are basically making a copy of each movie. However, once you have created the QT movie, you do not need to save the original iMovie, and can delete it to free up hard drive space.
Then, you can use the QT movies to make your DVDs, either separately,or as one long movie.
One thing to remember: if you made chapter markers in your original iMovie, they will not show up in the QT version, so you will have to create them again.
Hope this is helpful!

Deleted iMovie projects recovered with DataRescue II

Hello all,
I had 2 iMovie projects stored on my iPod. When the iPod failed to communicate with iTunes, I restored the iPod. When I remembered about the iMovie projects I promptly cursed and kicked the dog (no, not really).
I used Data Rescue (full version) to scan the iPod drive and recovered about 20 GB worth of movie files. The .mov files are stored in the Quicktime folder and .iMovieProj files in iMovie folder. I am not able to open the files except for 2 .mov files. I tried to import the files into a new iMovie project without luck.
So am I screwed?
Any help would be appreciated.
Imac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.6) Airport Express

My guess is the prospects for recovery aren't good.
From reports posted here, file recovery software never seems to work well with iMovie projects. The only comments I recall seeing are similar to yours: "It's not working — what can I do?"
iMovie projects are actually folders that contain other folders and files. Unless the recovery software knows how to re-build the folder as it was before it was discarded, recovery isn't going to work. (iMovie is very particular about what goes on inside the folder.)
Your best bet is to try playing the Timeline Movie.mov that was inside the "Cache" folder of the project. It's a "smart" QuickTime reference movie, with pointers to the files that were in the project's Media folder. If all those files were recovered it's possible the reference movie can still play the project. If it does, then you could import it to a NEW iMovie project. Most likely, however, it won't be able to play everything from start to finish. If something is still missing, or the pointer is useless, the movie won't play.
Karl

New imovie project - no auto save, losing work.

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