Using old iMovie projects files

i created an iMovie about 3 years ago on a mac and I want to use those project files again on my iMovie version 7. Any ideas anyone?

It depends on the iMovie version number that created the files. iMovie 5, and earlier, uses a different folder structure than iMovie 6.
iMovie 6 stores all of the Project data inside a special "package" file (double click launches the app). You can Control-click on the Project file and "Show Package Contents". You can then dig around to find your source file imports and move them to a new location by holding down the Option key while your drag. The cursor will change to a green circle with a plus + sign indicating the file is being duplicated (not removed from the Project).
Older versions of iMovie have a more "standard" folder structure but the Option key is still the trick you need to remember when moving files.

Similar Messages

  • Cannot open old iMovie project

    I have an old iMovie project from 2008 that I cannot open.
    If I double-click it, terminal opens.
    Recommended applications are Textwrangler, Terminal.... not really the right thing to watch a movie.
    Final Cut Pro X cannot read the file, because it's in the "bundle" format. Quicktime is also grayed out.
    Is this some weird format that is no longer readable by anything? Or can I turn it into an .mp4 file?
    Thanks.

    iMovie doesn't support importing one iMovie project to another. When we try, we get exactly the error you quoted.
    You can, however, import all the Timeline video and audio as a single clip to a new project. Or you can drag files from the Media folder of the project to the Timeline of a NEW project.
    In the Finder, Control-click on the project icon and choose Show Package Contents from the popUp menu. You'll see the movie "Timeline Movie.mov" in the window that opens. You want to import that movie to a new project, or import selected files in the Media folder.
    To import, drag the file to the Timeline of a NEW iMovie project. If importing the Timeline Movie, everything on the Timeline of the original project will arrive as a single clip in the new project.
    If the project failed on the external drive, it may be because the disk does not use the disk format required by iMovie. Use Disk Utility to check the disk format, which must be "Mac OS Extended". If it's not that format, use Disk Utility to reformat the drive. (Which will erase all the files on the drive, so make backups.)
    Karl

  • Updating old iMovie projects

    I'm using the latest version of fcpx (10.2) and I'm trying to move all my old iMovie projects into fcp
    I have old iMovie projects on almost every version of iMovie dating including iMovie HD,  iMovie '11, iMovie 10
    I'm very confused between the latest iMovie versions.   I believe that iMovie 11 is actually older than iMovie 10?  ('11 referring to the year it came out and 10 relating it to os X  or fcpX?)
    I think its the iMovie 11 software that used the iMovie project and iMovie events folders.  I think this older iMovie software expected you to import the iMovie project from the old version earliest version of fcpx? (or export an xml file?)  I think the newer iMovie 10 wants you to export the iMovie project to the latest version of fcpx 10.2? 
    Is it possible to move a project from the older iMovie (11?)  to the newest fcpx (10.2)?  Do I need to do an intermediary step and upgrade from the older iMovie to the newest iMovie? Do movie trailers work the same way from both iMovie programs if converted first to movie project form?
    Thanks

    Hi I had the same issue and fixed it with deleting "UpdatedtoiMovie10" see step 4.
    n the Finder, click the Go menu and choose Home.
    Open the Movies folder.
    Move the “iMovie Library” file to the Trash.
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    In the iMovie Projects and iMovie Events folders, you’ll find a file named “UpdatedtoiMovie10.” Move this file to the Trash from both folders.
    Open iMovie.
    Choose File > Update Projects and Events.

  • Old iMovie projects have purple background!!!

    This is a strange one...
    I recently upgraded from iMovie 4.01 to iMivie HD 6.03.
    I opened an old project from mu 4.01 version, and although all the data and edits are correct and identical, all the color is wrong. There is no moving video in this old iMovie, just photo's with transitions and heavy effects editing. Everything that is supposed to be black, even the background, is now a horrible purple and the images in my movie have this discoloration consistantly. Even without playback, the iMovie window is purple and not black. With new projects everything is fine, but this color issue seems only related to opening OLD iMovie projects. I looked in preferences for an option, but thereseemed to be no logical solution. Please help!

    Others have reported this problem too, with a variety
    of colors.
    I believe it helped when they changed their iMovie
    playback preferences. The Quality setting.
    Karl
    Thankyou. That helped. Everthing looks normal, as it should. strange bug though, I dont understand how this could occur... weird. I just hope my output now looks normal as well, as when I 'Bounced' to Mpeg with the quality setting fo rplayback at 'highest', it was purple throughout the subsiquent movie file. Now, it saves as normal, but I wonder exactly what the 'Quality' preference really does???
    Having said that, Thank you karl, I can get back to work!
    Top advice!
    Trent.
    G4 1.2 Ghz   Mac OS X (10.3.9)  

  • Moving an iMovie project file for editing on a different iMac

    Does anyone know if an iMovie project file started on one iMac can be saved to a usb drive or dvd/cd to be opened on another iMac computer to continue editing? What I have done before is go to: movies>iMovie projects>selected file and save the selected file to a usb drive. I also save the pictures and voice overs/music files that I used with the iMovie project on the same usb drive. However, when I open the iMovie project file on another iMac all of the work that I had previously done is not there. I end up starting all over. I would like to start my project at home and do any finishing touches on the second iMac in order to decrease the time I have to spend at the second location. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

    When you move files to your second iMac, they need to be in the EXACT location. If you have your videos and photos in a folder on your desktop named "Movie Stuff," and you just throw them into a folder in documents called "Stuff" on your second iMac, iMovie will not recognize the files. You need to create the same path as the first iMac. In this case, you would have to make a folder called "Movie Stuff" on your second iMac's desktop, and move the files there.
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  • Cannot open an iMovie project file

    I can no longer open an iMovie project file from my external hard drive. Other iMovie projects on the hard drive can be opened, but not my main project. I've transfered it back to my MacBook Pro and then tried importing it into a new project, but I get an error -43 message about Quicktime not able to 'parse' the file. I have also tried Lennart Thelander's "File Fixer" but this still does not open the file. File icon and file size (39.02GB) seem to be the same as when the file could be opened. Is there a way to recover this file?
    Merci

    iMovie doesn't support importing one iMovie project to another. When we try, we get exactly the error you quoted.
    You can, however, import all the Timeline video and audio as a single clip to a new project. Or you can drag files from the Media folder of the project to the Timeline of a NEW project.
    In the Finder, Control-click on the project icon and choose Show Package Contents from the popUp menu. You'll see the movie "Timeline Movie.mov" in the window that opens. You want to import that movie to a new project, or import selected files in the Media folder.
    To import, drag the file to the Timeline of a NEW iMovie project. If importing the Timeline Movie, everything on the Timeline of the original project will arrive as a single clip in the new project.
    If the project failed on the external drive, it may be because the disk does not use the disk format required by iMovie. Use Disk Utility to check the disk format, which must be "Mac OS Extended". If it's not that format, use Disk Utility to reformat the drive. (Which will erase all the files on the drive, so make backups.)
    Karl

  • I previously made an iMovie project, but with the new version of iMovie (10.0.1) it does not have the option to import. How do I retrieve my old iMovie project?

    I previously made an iMovie project, but with the new version of iMovie (10.0.1) I cannot import the project. How do I retrieve and import my old iMovie project?

    You have to upgrade your iMovie 9 projects from iMovie 10 before you can use them.  See:
    http://help.apple.com/imovie/mac/10.0/#mov902ad0c31
    Geoff.

  • Opening old iMovie projects in new iMovie HD

    I have a few old iMovie projects from around 2001/2002 on an external hard disk. If I try to open them, they won't open in iMovie. Instead it would give a "Parse Error". The folder looks something like this:
    Is there a way I can open these projects? I can open the single clips by adding .dv as an extension, but then I'd have to rearrange/remix everything again which I don't want to do.
    Thanks and best regards,
    C.

    It seems as your external disk is not Mac-formatted (Mac OS Extended), but PC-formatted (FAT32).
    First copy your files over to a disk that is Mac-formatted (Mac OS Extended).
    Then you apply my file fixers a bit down on this page:
    http://www.berga.nu/%7Eusrlt/imovie/index.html

  • Problem old iMovie project to iMovieHD

    I upgraded to iMovieHD ages ago, and today decided to send an iMovie Project I created in old iMovie to DV tape. When I opened the project it asked to convert it to iMovieHD, when it did that playing the project was very jerky. I set it streaming to tape and the DV result is very jerky then stops.
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    update:
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    3. Made loads more space on HD, disconnected Firewire and USB external drives and disabled Airport, ran Mac Sweeper again: same results as 1
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  • Opening Old iMovie Projects

    I have many, many old iMovie projects that I would like to open in iMovie HD. Is there any way to do this? The only thing I've been able to do is open a new iMovie HD and drag old media files to the clips pane.
    LaVonne

    Hi Stephen,
    Your memory is probably better than mine but I would go as far to say that you can probably open them with iMovie HD 5 without much ado just not on your intel or any machine running 10.3.9 with QT 7 as things have changed considerably with that combination. If you have or have access to a computer running 10.3.9 or earlier with QT 6.5 or earlier you should be golden provided you didn't save anything while it was opened in 6..
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    Hope this helps. Please let us know how if it works out for you.
    Thank You.
    Sweet Polly

  • IMovie Project File Problem - Won't Play After HD Format

    Hi everyone, I have a MacBook Pro (OSX 10.4.11) running iMovie 08 (7.1.4). A few months ago I created a slideshow in iMovie and it was saved in a folder on my laptop as an iMovie Project file (159MB). Whenever I wanted to show someone the slideshow, I just double-clicked the iMovie Project file and it opened automatically in iMovie and the slideshow played without any problems.
    Earlier this week I had to format the HD of my MBP (I wanted to get rid of the Windows partition I had). Before I did this, I obviously backed-up all my files onto a portable HD and reinstalled them on my MBP. Today, when I attempted to open the iMovie Project file (again, by double-clicking on it in Finder) I ran into a problem: iMovie 08 opens, but the file will not play. It doesn't even appear anywhere in iMovie. Before, it would appear in iMovie and show all the individual frames, audio track, etc.
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    Can anyone tell me how I can open this file in iMovie again and/or import it back into iMovie and watch/edit it there? It is quite important that I can open it again.
    Thank you very much, Scott

    AM1958, you are a lifesaver!! Thank you very much -- moving the .rcproject file to user>/Movies/iMovie Projects/ fixed my problem and I can now play my slideshow movie. I really appreciate the assistance. One more (small) thing: it seems to me that the quality of the movie has been somewhat compromised, in that I recall the images looking sharper and clearer before. This could be my mind playing tricks on me, but I am just wondering if this is possible... Or am I imagining this?

  • Find imovie project file in Finder

    I'm trying to find an imovie project file in finder.  I can see the project when I'm in iMovie, but when I go into user - movies - imovie projects, it doesn't appear.  I've searched for file type imovieproject, and searched my external hard drive.  In all these places, other project files are there, older ones, but not my current one.  Any ideas?  I have iMovie 10 mac OS Mavericks.

    iMovie 10 stores everything in a package which in the Finder looks like a file with extension .imovielibrary.  If you right-click "Show package contents" you can see what's inside.  The "iMovie Projects" folder you are looking at is from iMovie 9 so it won't contain any projects that you have created since you updated to iMovie 10.

  • I can't open old IMovie project done with ILife09

    I can't open old IMovie project done with ILife09 on my new MacBook Pro Retina with Lion Mountain system.

    you can't just move a project that way. It all needs to be contained properly. If you can find the original imovieHD project folder, you can start again.

  • Old iMovie Project Comes Out Choppy on New iMovie

    A couple of years ago, I asked on this forum the best setting to export an iMovie project in HD and to burn in a Bluray format on a DVD. I got a good answer and it worked. After picking up iMovie'11 I dug up that old project, rendered it and burned it under the same settings as before. This time, the movie came out a choppy. The settings I used, which I noted so I would not forget are:
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    image size 1920x1080HD
    frame rate 29.97
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    Yes it is choppy in the QT player as well. And when I say choppy I mean not as smooth as my old movie nor as smooth as when I connect my camera directly to the TV via HDMI cable. It's most noticeable when things are moving fast. It's as if a few frames were pulled out. For example, there's one scene where I'm filming outside the car window. A light pole zooms by. There is an illusion of movement because the pole flashes several times from left to right causing the look of movement. In the new movie, picture only the pole flashing half as much so that the pole moving across the screen looks like a choppy movement instead of a smooth one. Does that help?
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  • Opening old iMovie projects in iDVD

    I'm relatively new to all this. I've made several iMovies and have burned them all through iDVD. But, when I look to re-open them on iDVD only a couple show up on my RECENT PROJECT list. The others do not. Is there a way to reopen those on iDVD? I've tried going through OPEN and IMPORT, but I can't seem to get it right. Thanks...

    Sorry, I interpreted "old projects" as having come from an older version of iMovie.
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