Why can't I open my iMovie projects?

Hello!
I have upgraded to the new iMovie, but I have had this problem before too. So I have an External Hard Drive (It's called "Seagate") that I have saved iMovie projects for a while now because I needed more space on my Mac. But I can't open the projects anymore? I can't even click on them. It just showes me this:
Can anyone help me to understand how to open it? Or is it impossible and the project is gone forever? Please help, I would be so thankfull.

Did you update your iMovie 9 projects from within imovie 10?
See: http://help.apple.com/imovie/mac/10.0/#mov902ad0c31
I'm puzzled where your screen shot comes from. Top left on the iMovie 10 window should display "LIBRARIES", followed by"All Events" and "All Projects". Below this there should be an entry for each library.
Geoff.

Similar Messages

Newbie Question: Why can't I open my iMovie project in FCP?

Hello all--
I'm sure some variation of this question has been posted a bajillion times but I can't seem to find the answer. At this point I feel like a damsel in distress. Rescue me?
I've been working with iMovie for about two years now and I've recently been learning Final Cut Pro to up the ante on my videos. However, when I tried to import an iMovie project into FCP yesterday, it didn't quite work. Let me explain what I did and what happened:
1) I exported my (edited but previously unpublished) iMovie project by clicking Share>Export Final Cut XML
2) I opened FCP and clicked File>Import>XML and then selected the XML, leaving all the boxes checked
3) FCP imported the project as a sequence; however, the entire sequence reads "Media Offline" in the Canvas.
4) I clicked File>Reconnect Media and the list of offline files is overwhelming. I tried my luck by clicking "locate" and going to my imovie folders to find the clips, but even when the browser allowed me to select a clip, when I double clicked it, nothing in the sequence changed - it's all still "offline."
I really don't know much about media management, I'll admit - I'm wondering if maybe iMovie saves edited clips in a folder other than the events or originals folder - maybe the edited clips become "temporary items"? I know I have a ridiculous amount of imovie cache and temporary items and I never touch them because there are just so many of them and I don't want to mess anything up. But could the files that FCP claims to be "offline" in fact be located in these "temporary" folders? I mean, I've looked everywhere else on my hard drive and nothing is working! Sorry, I am probably just confusing myself MORE (and you), but maybe SOMEONE will know what in the world I should do
Thanks in advance.

Welcome to the family. I don't think many of us have ever used iMovie so your post might be more quickly answered in that forum.
My suggestion is to forget trying to move the project. Rebuild it in FCP. The exercise will teach you much more about your new software than fighting XML.
If you don't feel like doing that, try a smaller iMovie project, something with only two or three clips and one dissolve.
The larger issue is probably how iMovie stores its captured media which is completely different from how FCP does it. And the format is different. FCP does not, IIRC, view iMovie's default dvstream codec. You will want to export your movie clips as DV.
bogiesan
Message was edited by: David Bogie Chq-1 correct fifth grade typos

Why can't I open a FCE project file that I have saved? (It now says ZERO kb

Hello...
I have just started working on a project in Final Cut Express - I render, save, and close out of FCE - but, when I go back to FCE, the project I was working on does not open.
Why can't I open a project file that I have saved?
Here was my process in a nutshell:
~ When I opened FCE, I went the System Preferences and set the Scratch Disks to a folder on my external hard drive.
~Then, I went to File - New Project - worked on the project for a while (including creating bins, importing images and video, and creating a sequence.
~I saved the project file to the same folder that I set my Scratch Disks to.
as often throughout this process.)
~When I was done, I saved again andd closed FCE.
~Then, soon after, I opened FCE again and my project did not open automatically.
~So, I clicked File - Open Recent - browsed to and chose the project file name and FCE gave me a "Unable to open file" message.
~When I check to see if the project file actually saved to my external hard drive, the name appears, but it says the file size is ZERO kb.
I have done this twice with the same unfortunate result. What am I doing wrong? I have worked on FCE on this same computer before, setting the Scratch Disks the same way, and I did not have this problem.
Please help. Thank you so much for your feedback.
...Rae

Are you sure you are trying to open the project file you actually saved ?
Try using Spotlight to search for your project file name. I might be wrong, but I guess you try to open an empty copy while your real project file (what you saved) is somewhere else in either your startup disk (Documents folder ?) or the external drive. If so do not use Open Recent in FCE but simply double click the "real" project file.
Piero

Why can't others open my imovie posted on my web gallery?

I created a webpage thru iWeb, and have created a hyper-link to an imovie I uploaded to web gallery. Several people I know have had trouble viewing the movie from my web gallery. Some have received a message, "you must install Safari to open". I thought that any computer could open the movie (MAC or IBM)? Why are some having trouble opening the imovie from my webgallery? It opens up on my computer from hyper-link just fine... My webpage address is //web.me.com/nicolewillis2 ... go under 'minute maid' link and click the soccer ball.. Please help

What format is your movie? I had trouble with it playing - very slow and therefore not streaming well. Did you compress for the web? I must admit I am no expert when it comes to movies but mine are exported for the web using Quicktime Pro or compressed using Visual Hub. I am using Firefox 2.
Just tried in Safari and it is marginally better but some frames are dark and can't be seen very well.
Message was edited by: Hazell

Why can't I open an existing project in Final Cut Pro X?

I am new to FCP. There is no "save project" option anywhere. So I assumed it saves my project automatically, since it always reopens. So I went and started another project, assuming the first one was saved. Now I can't find the first project. I spend over 100 hours on it, and now it's gone? I'm a PC user not used to macs and never used FCP before. But I turned out this amazing project for work, got me a promotion, and now I just need to tweak it, and the deadline is tomorrow, and I have to start over again? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you look IN the events? If not there and to be certain it exists, try Open Library to see if there is another Library. If you are using 10.1.1, in the finder, in Movies, rt. click on the fcpbundle Library Icon/show contenets/projects. Do not change anything while in there. Perhaps you have more than one library? The projects are in the seperate libraries/events.
Yes it auto saves. You can make a project snap shot to freeze in time and save everything in the project up to that point.
Hope This Helps

Why can't i open my color projects nor send

I have bought FCP-X Motion5 and Compressor4. And did continue to work with FCP7 (FCS3)
Suddenly al my Projects from Color are now folders (not icons where I click on and then start Color 1.5) Even in Final Cut Pro 7 the send to Color is not selected any more.
But If I copy back Color to the Programs folder the projects icons are back in place, but when I start the project there is missing media.
When I start the project again from FCP7, Yes the option Send to Color is not graded out anymore, and I use to send the project again to Color then everything is back in place and have to save a new project file. But are my Color changes wich where in the first project file are gone.
It seems that this issn't tested by Apple!

O boy You can't even edit your own reply?
What I mean is that Nw I have placed Color in the programs root In another account the project icons from color are again folders.
Not from the account on which I installed FCP-X. And also put back Color from Final Cut Studio folder back in the Programs folder
From that account I have project icons again (color projects).
When I switch accounts (another user, I am teaching FCS to students) then the icons are folders and it seems I can not put that back as in my main user account.

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

Why can't I open my project in Prem. Elements 10?

Why can't I open any project in Prem. Elements 10? Message says Windows must close the program because of "a problem," and will notify if a solution can be identified. I reinstalled the Premiere Elements 10 portion of the (bundled) program but never installed Photoshop Elements 10, and am currently continuing to run PS Elements 8. This has worked in the past, so I don't understand what the problem is. I am running Windows 7, 64-bit. Thanks!

loloboz
Am I correct in reading that you have never been able to open your Premiere Elements 10 running on Windows 7 64 bit? If so, we can rule out problems with the source media and damaged projects and concentrate on the installation and system requirements.
You write that you have attempted uninstall reinstall of Premiere Elements 10. Is that correct?.
Adobe also has a Tech Note directed at troubleshooting Premiere Elements installation issues, including how to install if your installation disc might be damaged.
http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/kb/troubleshoot-installation-problems-pepe-winxp .html
It would be interesting to see how Photoshop Elements 10 installs from this same installation disc on this same Windows 7 64 bit.
We will be watching for your progress.
Thanks.
ATR

I can not open my iMovie project

I can not open my iMovie project. Everytime I click on it, the spinning wheel keeps spinning and spinning until I force quite the iMovie. Please help?

OK Let's take a step back.
If you imported video clips from a camcorder there would be an Events folder in the Movies/iMovie Events/ folder.
You have the option as you import from a camcorder to send your Event to an external drive instead. In this case, it would be in the iMovie Events folder at the top level of the external drive.
If your project has no video clips, but only photos, there may be no events folder, only links to iPhoto.
Similarly, if your camera imported your video clips to iPhoto, and you used the iPhoto event in iMovie, then your clips are in iPhoto, and there is no separate iMovie event.

Why can't I open DVD-RTAV files on iMovie from my HDD video camera?

Why can't I open DVD-RTAV files or RTR-EXTN on iMovie from my HDD video camera? I'm not sure which one has the video files anyway. Does anyone know how to import these to iMovie? Thx

rodhamilton wrote:
... I'm not sure which one has the video files anyway. ...
none.
tell us manufacturer and type/model of cam you're using ...

HT201109 Why can't I open a final cut project from one computer in another computer?

I'm using Final Cut Pro Trial. Why can't I open a final cut project from one computer in another computer? When I try to open the project on my desktop it doesn't recognize the format. Please help!

I downloaded FCPX trial on my laptop as well as on my desktop. I did some editing on my laptop but I need to get the project I created on my laptop onto my desktop. When I import the project onto my desktop the videos are Red and they say "Missing File."

Can I open an imovie project from an external hard drive on a different computer than my own? If so how?

Can I open an imovie project from an external hard drive on a different computer other than my own? If so how?

If you used the Finder to move the files, iMovie will have lost track of them. iMovie holds the locations of the Event files, and Project files contain references to those locations. If you move the files, iMovie has no way of knowing where they are.
If you can, first move all the files back to their original locations. Plug in the external drive. Open iMovie and move the files in iMovie's interface (help explains how, but basically, just drag and drop in the event pane).
Then you can connect the drive to the new computer, and iMovie will see them.

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)

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.

Can I open an imovie project in Final cut pro?

I have an imovie project that I want to open in final cut pro. It doesnt seem to want to let me. Any clues?

Hi mattyme,
It sounds like this thread might be answered, but I thought I'd offer a successful test case as my two cents. I just opened an iMovie project that one of our clients dropped off in FCP 5.1.4.
As Da Nam mentioned, open FCP, choose File > Open, navigate to the iMovie Project file and open it. It should ask you to save the new FCP Project file, and perform the rest of the functions for you automatically. (as it just did for me; project, clips and all)
Hopefully this offers a little reassurance.
Regards,
-James-

Why can't I open my iMovie projects?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for