Chapter 11
Playing and Creating Videos
Your Mac comes with the tools you need to play movies and digital video as well as to create your own digital videos.
Play Digital Video with QuickTime Player
Add Video Clips to Your Project
Add a Transition Between Clips
Play a DVD Using DVD Player
If your Mac has a DVD drive, you can insert a movie DVD into the drive and then use the DVD Player application to play the movie on your Mac. You can either watch the movie in full-screen mode, where the movie takes up the entire Mac screen, or play the DVD in a window while you work on other things. DVD Player has features that enable you to control the movie playback and volume.
Play a DVD Using DVD Player
Play a DVD Full Screen
Insert the DVD into your Mac’s DVD drive.
DVD Player runs automatically and starts playing the DVD full screen.
If you get to the DVD menu, click Play to start the movie.
Move the mouse (
) to the bottom of the screen.
The playback controls appear.
A Click to pause the movie.
B Click to fast-forward the movie.
C Click to rewind the movie.
D Drag the slider to adjust the volume.
E Click to display the DVD menu.
F Click to exit full-screen mode.
Play a DVD in a Window
Insert the DVD into your Mac’s DVD drive.
DVD Player runs automatically and starts playing the DVD full screen.
Press 
+
.
Note: You can also press 
or move the to the bottom of the screen and then click Exit full screen.
DVD Player displays the movie in a window.
G DVD Player displays the Controller.
When you get to the DVD menu, click Play to start the movie.
H Click to pause the movie.
I Click and hold to fast-forward the movie.
J Click and hold to rewind the movie.
K Drag the slider to adjust the volume.
L Click to display the DVD menu.
M Click to stop the movie.
N Click to eject the DVD.
TIP
How can I always start my DVDs in a window?
Press + to switch to the window view.
Click DVD Player in the menu bar.
Click Preferences to open the DVD Player preferences.
Click the Player tab.
Click Enter Full Screen mode (
changes to 
).
To manually control when the playback starts, click Start playing disc ( changes to ).
Click OK to put the new settings into effect.
Play Digital Video with QuickTime Player
Your Mac comes with an application called QuickTime Player that can play digital video files in various formats. You will mostly use QuickTime Player to play digital video files stored on your Mac, but you can also use the application to play digital video from the web.
QuickTime Player enables you to open video files, navigate the digital video playback, and control the digital video volume. Although you learn only how to play digital video files in this section, the version of QuickTime that comes with OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) comes with many extra features, including the ability to record movies and audio and to cut and paste scenes.
Play Digital Video with QuickTime Player
Click Finder (
).
Click Applications.
Double-click QuickTime Player (
).
Note: If you see the QuickTime Player icon in the Dock, you can also click that icon to launch the program.
The QuickTime Player application appears.
Click File.
Click Open File.
Note: You can also press +
.
The Open dialog appears.
Locate and click the video file you want to play.
Click Open.
QuickTime opens a new player window.
Click Play (
).
A Click here to fast-forward the video.
B Click here to rewind the video.
C Click and drag this slider to adjust the volume.
If you want to view the video in full-screen mode, press +.
TIP
Can I use QuickTime Player to play a video from the web?
Yes. As long as you know the Internet address of the video, QuickTime Player can play most video formats available on the web. In QuickTime Player, click File and then click Open Location (or press +
). In the Open URL dialog, type or paste the video address in the Movie Location text box, and then click Open.
Create a New Movie Project
The iLife suite installed on your Mac includes iMovie, which enables you to import video from a digital camcorder or video file and use that footage to create your own movies. You do this by first creating a project that holds your video clips, transitions, titles, and other elements of your movie.
When you first start iMovie, the program creates a new project for you automatically. Follow the steps in this section to create subsequent projects. Note, too, that iMovie is also available via the App Store.
Create a New Movie Project
Click the iMovie icon (
) in the Dock.
The iMovie window appears.
Click File.
Click New Project.
Note: You can also press +
.
The New Project dialog appears.
In the Name text box, type a name for your project.
Click the Aspect Ratio 
and then click the ratio you prefer: Widescreen (16:9) or Standard (4:3).
To apply a theme to your project, click the one you want in the Project Themes list.
To automatically insert transitions between all your clips, click Automatically add ( changes to ) and then click to choose the type of transition.
If you chose a theme in step 6, the check box changes to Automatically add transition and titles by default.
Click Create.
iMovie creates your new project.
Import a Video File
With the iMovie application, you can import digital video from a camera for use in your movie project. If you have video content on a USB digital camcorder or smartphone (such as an iPhone 3GS or later), you can connect the device to your Mac and then import some or all of the video to your iMovie project.
If your Mac or monitor has a built-in iSight or FaceTime HD camera, you can also use iMovie to import live images from that camera to use as digital video footage in your movie project.
Import a Video File
Import all Clips
Connect the video device to your Mac.
iMovie displays its Import From dialog.
Click Import All.
iMovie prompts you to create a new event.
Click Create new Event (
changes to 
).
Use the Create new Event text box to type a name for the import event.
A If you want to add the video to an existing event, click Add to existing Event ( changes to ) and then choose the event from the pop-up menu.
Click Import.
Import Selected Clips
Connect the video device to your Mac and place it in playback mode, if necessary.
iMovie displays its Import From dialog.
Click Manual.
Deselect the check box under each clip you do not want to import ( changes to ).
Click Import Checked.
iMovie prompts you to create a new event.
Click Create new Event ( changes to ).
Use the Create new Event text box to type a name for the import event.
Click Import.
iMovie begins importing the clips.
Click OK.
Click Done.
TIP
How do I import digital video from my iSight or FaceTime HD camera?
Follow these steps:
In iMovie, click File and then click Import from Camera.
Click Capture.
Follow steps 5 and 6 in the section Import Selected Clips.
Click Capture.
When you are done, click Stop.
Click Done.
Add Video Clips to Your Project
To create and work with a movie project in iMovie, you must first add some video clips to that project. A video clip is a segment of digital video. You begin building your movie by adding one or more video clips to your project.
When you import digital video as described in the previous section, iMovie automatically breaks up the video into separate clips, with each clip being the footage shot during a single recording session. You can then decide which of those clips you want to add to your project, or you can add only part of a clip.
Add Video Clips to Your Project
Add an Entire Clip
Click the Event Library item that contains the video clip you want to add.
Press and hold 
and click the clip.
A iMovie selects the entire clip.
Click and drag the selected clip and drop it in your project at the spot where you want the clip to appear.
B iMovie adds the entire video clip to the project.
C iMovie adds an orange bar to the bottom of the original clip to indicate that it has been added to the project.
Add a Partial Clip
Click the Event Library item that contains the video clip you want to add.
Click the clip at the point where you want the selection to begin.
Click and drag the right edge of the selection box to the point where you want the selection to end.
Click and drag the selected clip and drop it in your project at the spot where you want the clip to appear.
D iMovie adds the selected portion of the video clip to the project.
E iMovie adds an orange bar to the bottom of the original clip to indicate that it has been added to a project.
TIPs
Is it possible to play a clip before I add it?
Yes. The easiest way to do this is to click the clip at the point where you want the playback to start and then press 
. iMovie plays the clip in the Viewer in the top-right corner of the window. Press again to stop the playback.
I added a clip in the wrong place. Can I move it?
Yes. In your project, click the added clip to select it. Use your mouse () to click and drag the clip and then drop the clip in the correct location within the project. If you want to delete the clip from the project, click it, click Edit, and then click Delete Entire Clip (or press +
).
Trim a Clip
If you have a video clip that is too long or contains footage you do not need, you can shorten the clip or remove the extra footage. Removing parts of a video clip is called trimming the clip.
Trimming a clip is particularly useful if you recorded extra, unneeded footage before and after the action you were trying to capture. By trimming this unneeded footage, your movie will include only the material you really require.
Trim a Clip
In your project, click the clip you want to trim.
A iMovie selects the entire clip.
Use your mouse () to click and drag the left edge of the selection box to the starting position of the part of the clip you want to keep.
Use your mouse () to click and drag the right edge of the selection box to the ending position of the part of the clip you want to keep.
Click Clip.
Click Trim to Selection.
Note: You can also press +
.
B iMovie trims the clip.
TIP
How can I trim one frame at a time from either the beginning or the end of the clip?
In your project, click the clip you want to trim.
Click Clip.
Click Trim Clip End.
Select the trim direction by clicking Move Left or Move Right.
Repeat step 4 until you reach the number of frames that you want to trim.
Add a Transition Between Clips
You can use the iMovie application to enhance the visual appeal of your digital movie by inserting transitions between some or all of the project’s video clips. By default, iMovie jumps immediately from the end of one clip to the beginning of the next clip, a transition called a jump cut. You can add more visual interest to your movie by adding a transition between the two clips.
iMovie offers 24 different transitions, including various fades, wipes, and dissolves. More transitions are available if you applied a theme to your iMovie project.
Add a Transition Between Clips
Click the Transitions Browser button (
), or press +
.
A iMovie displays the available transitions.
Note: To see a preview of a transition, position your mouse () over the transition thumbnail.
Use your mouse () to click and drag a transition and drop it between the two clips.
B iMovie adds an icon for the transition between the two clips.
Position your mouse () over the beginning of the transition and move the to the right.
C iMovie displays a preview of the transition.
TIP
How can I change the duration of the transition?
Double-click the transition icon in your project.
The Inspector appears.
Use the Duration text box to set the number of seconds you want the transition to take.
If you want to change only the current transition, click Applies to all transitions ( changes to ).
Click Done.
Add a Photo
You can use the iMovie application to enhance your movie projects with still photos. Although most movie projects consist of several video clips, you can also add a photo to your project. By default, iMovie displays the photo for 4 seconds.
You can also specify how the photo fits in the movie frame: You can adjust the size of the photo to fit the frame, you can crop the photo, or you can apply a Ken Burns effect to animate the static photo, which automatically pans and zooms the photo.
Add a Photo
Click the Photos Browser button (
), or press +
.
A iMovie displays the available photos.
Click the event or album that contains the photo you want to add.
Click and drag the photo and drop it inside your project.
B iMovie adds the photo to the movie.
Click the photo.
Click the Crop button (
).
iMovie displays the cropping options for the photo.
Click Ken Burns.
C You can also click Fit to have iMovie adjust the size of the photo to fit the movie frame.
D You can also click Crop and then click and drag the cropping rectangle to specify how much of the photo you want to appear in the movie frame.
Click and drag the green rectangle to set the start point of the Ken Burns animation.
Click and drag the red rectangle to set the end point of the Ken Burns animation.
Note: Click and drag the corners and edges of the rectangle to change the size; click and drag the interior of the rectangles to change the position.
E The arrow shows the direction of motion.
Click Done.
TIP
How can I change the length of time that the photo appears in the movie?
Double-click the photo in your project.
Click Clip.
Use the Duration text box to set the number of seconds you want the photo to appear.
To change the duration for all the photos in your project, click Applies to all stills ( changes to ).
Click Done.
Add a Music Track
Using the iMovie application, you can enhance the audio component of your movie by adding one or more songs that play in the background. With iMovie you can also add sound effects and other audio files that you feel would enhance your project’s audio track.
To get the best audio experience, you can adjust various sound properties. For example, you can adjust the volume of the music clip or the volume of the video clip. You can also use iMovie to adjust the time it takes for the song clip to fade in and fade out.
Add a Music Track
Click the Music and Sound Effect Browser button (
), or press +
.
A iMovie displays the available audio files.
Click the folder, category, or playlist that contains the track you want to add.
Use your mouse () to click and drag the song and drop it on a video clip.
B iMovie adds the song to the movie.
Note: iMovie treats the song like a clip, which means you can trim the song as needed, as described earlier in the section Trim a Clip.
Double-click the music clip.
iMovie displays the Inspector.
Click the Audio tab.
Use the Volume slider to adjust the volume of the music clip.
If you want to reduce the video clip volume, click Ducking ( changes to ) and then click and drag the slider.
To adjust the fade-in time, click Fade In: Manual ( changes to ) and then click and drag the slider.
To adjust the fade-out time, click Fade Out: Manual ( changes to ) and then click and drag the slider.
Click Done.
TIP
When I add a video clip before the music clip, the music does not play with the new video clip. How can I work around this?
You need to add your song as a background track instead of a clip. Click (A). Click and drag a song onto the project background (B), not on a clip or between two clips. The background turns green when the song is positioned correctly (C).
Record a Voiceover
You can use the iMovie application to augment the audio portion of your movie with a voiceover. A voiceover is a voice recording that you make using audio equipment attached to your Mac.
A voiceover is useful for explaining a video clip, introducing the movie, or giving the viewer background information about the movie. To record a voiceover, your Mac must have either a built-in microphone, such as the one that comes with the iSight or FaceTime HD camera, or an external microphone connected via an audio jack, USB port, or Bluetooth.
Record a Voiceover
If your Mac does not have a built-in microphone, attach a microphone.
Note: You may need to configure the microphone as the sound input device. Click System Preferences (
), click Sound, click Input, and then click your microphone.
Click the Voiceover button (
).
The Voiceover dialog appears.
Click the spot in the movie at which you want the voiceover to begin.
iMovie counts down and then begins the recording.
Speak your voiceover text into the microphone.
A The progress of the recording appears here.
When you finish, click Recording.
B iMovie adds the voiceover to the clip.
Click Close (
).
You can double-click the voiceover to adjust the audio, as described in the previous section.
TIP
Is there a way to tell if my voice is too loud or too soft?
Yes. You can use the controls in the Voiceover dialog to check your voice level by talking into the microphone and then watching the Left and Right volume meters. No green bars or just a few green bars indicate the voice level is too low (A). Yellow or red bars indicate the voice level is too high (B). Use the Input Volume slider to adjust the voice level up or down, as needed.
Add Titles and Credits
You can use the iMovie application to enhance your movie project with titles and scrolling credits. You can get your movie off to a proper start by adding a title and a subtitle at or near the beginning of the movie. iMovie offers a number of title styles from which you can choose, and you can also change the title font.
You can also enhance your movie with scrolling credits. This is a special type of title that you place at the end of the movie and that scrolls the names of the people responsible for the project.
Add Titles and Credits
Click the Titles browser button (
).
A iMovie displays the available title types.
Use your mouse () to click and drag a title and drop it where you want the titles to appear.
Note: To see just the titles, drop the title thumbnail at the beginning of the movie or between two clips. To superimpose the titles on a video clip, drop the title thumbnail on the clip.
B If you want to add credits, click and drag the Scrolling Credits thumbnail and drop it at the end of the movie.
C iMovie adds a clip for the title.
Replace this text with the movie title.
Replace this text with the movie subtitle.
Click Done.
Note: iMovie treats the title like a clip, which means you can lengthen or shorten the title duration by clicking and dragging the beginning or end, as described earlier in the section Trim a Clip.
Play the Movie
The iMovie application offers the Viewer pane, which you can use to play your movie. While you are building your iMovie project, it is a good idea to occasionally play some or all of the movie to check your progress. For example, you can play the entire movie to make sure the video and audio are working properly and are synchronized correctly. You can also play parts of the movie to ensure that your transitions appear when you want them to.
Play the Movie
Play from the Beginning
Click View.
Click Play from Beginning.
Note: You can also press 
or click the Play Project from beginning button (
).
Play from a Specific Location
Position the mouse () over the spot where you want to start playing the movie.
Press .
Play a Selection
Select the video clips you want to play.
Note: See the first Tip to learn how to select multiple video clips.
Click View.
Click Play Selection.
Note: You can also press 
.
TIPs
How do I select multiple video clips?
To select multiple video clips, press and hold and then click anywhere inside each clip you want to select. If you select a clip by accident, +click it again to deselect it. If you want to skip just a few clips, first press +
to select all the clips, then press and hold and click the clips you do not want in the selection.
Can I enlarge the size of the playback pane?
Yes, you can play your movie in full-screen mode. To do this, click View and then click Play full-screen. You can also press +
or click the Play Project full screen button (
).
Publish Your Movie to YouTube
When your movie project is complete, you can send it to YouTube for viewing on the web. To publish your movie to YouTube, you must have a YouTube account, available from www.youtube.com. You must also know your YouTube username, which you can see by clicking your account icon on YouTube and then clicking Settings. Your movie must be no more than 15 minutes long. Before you can publish your movie, you must select a YouTube category, such as Entertainment or Pets and Animals, provide a title and description, and enter at least one tag, which is a word or short phrase that describes some aspect of the movie’s content.
Publish Your Movie to YouTube
Click Share.
Click YouTube.
Click Add.
iMovie prompts you for your YouTube username.
Type your username.
Click Done (not shown).
Type your YouTube password.
Select a category.
Type a title.
Type a description.
Type one or more tags for the video.
If you do not want to allow anyone to view the movie, click Make this movie personal ( changes to ).
Click Next.
iMovie displays the YouTube terms of service.
Click Publish.
iMovie prepares the movie and then publishes it to YouTube.
Click OK (not shown).
TIPs
How do I publish my movie to Facebook?
Click Share and then click Facebook. Click Add, type your Facebook e-mail address, and then click Done. Type your Facebook password. Use the Viewable by pop-up menu to choose who can see the video. Type a title and description, select a size, click Next, and then click Publish.
How do I view my movie outside of iMovie?
Beyond viewing it on YouTube or Facebook, you need to export the movie to a digital video file. Click Share and then click Export Movie (or press +
). Type a title for the movie, and then click a Size to Export option, such as Large or HD 720p ( changes to ). Click Export.