Playing and Editing a Clip

Movie Files | Playing and Editing a Clip

Playing and Editing a Clip

Before you can play or edit an iMovie clip you must select it. Clicking once on a clip that is on the shelf will cause it to be selected (a yellow border will surround the clip) and it will appear in the Monitor area.
The selected clip will play if you click the Play button. As the clip is played the Playhead travels along the Scrubber bar and the running time is displayed. (The Scrubber bar appears under the monitor when a clip is selected.)

In order to edit a clip, click once on a clip in the Shelf, drag and drop it in the Clip viewer or Timeline viewer. As long as the Clips editing button is selected, clips can be dropped in the Clip or Timeline viewers. These clips can be rearranged in any order by clicking, dragging, and dropping.

Notice that at the top of the Clip viewer or Timeline viewer there is information about the clip that is selected. The number of the clip, the time length, and when the clip was recorded are shown.

Now, when you click the play button notice that a red bar travels across the clip image in the Clip viewer area.

When looking at the Timeline viewer, a playhead travels across the clip with the running time being displayed.

Highlight or Select a Part of a Clip to Cut, Copy or Paste

Using iMovie to cut, copy, or paste a part of a clip is pretty straightforward. It is mainly a matter of highlighting a section of the footage. First, click on a clip. This will activate the iMovie Monitor window and the controls under it. Drag the Playhead to the place on the Scrubber bar that begins (or ends) the part you want to highlight. Now place your cursor under the tick marks beneath the Scrubber bar. You should see two faint triangles.
Hold down the mouse button and drag left (or right), highlighting the footage turning it yellow. You should see that one triangle stays with the Playhead and the other travels with the cursor. Releasing the mouse button will complete the selection. That area can now be cut, copied or pasted.

Highlighting to Crop Footage

Sometimes it is easier to select the area you want to keep and delete the rest of the footage. This is also a straightforward process. Select the clip. Drag the Playhead to the place on the Scrubber bar that begins (or ends) the part you want to keep. Now place your cursor under the tick marks beneath the Scrubber bar. Again you should see two faint triangles. Hold down the mouse button and drag to the left (or right) highlighting the area you want to save. It should turn yellow as you drag under the tick marks. Releasing the mouse button will complete the selection. Now choose Crop under Edit. Everything except the highlighted, yellow area will be put in the trash.

Tips to Remember

There are a few points to remember that will make your editing job easier when you are using iMovie 2.
1. As always, save often.
2. When you empty the trash, the footage is gone and can not be retrieved.
3. You can undo the last ten steps with the Edit....Undo command.
4. By using the Advance...Restore Clip Media command, the footage is return to its original, imported from the camera, footage — that is as long as the trash has not been emptied.
5. If you cut out a middle section of footage, the remaining footage will be in two parts.
6. If you have highlighted an area of footage and you want more (or less) footage, use the arrow keys. By using the left or right arrow keys the selection area is increased or decreased.
7. If a clip is selected, only that clip will play when you click the Play button. To play the entire movie, make sure that no clip is selected.


			Movie Files \| Playing and Editing a Clip
		Playing and Editing a Clip Before you can play or edit an iMovie clip you must select it. Clicking once on a clip that is on the shelf will cause it to be selected (a yellow border will surround the clip) and it will appear in the Monitor area. The selected clip will play if you click the Play button. As the clip is played the Playhead travels along the Scrubber bar and the running time is displayed. (The Scrubber bar appears under the monitor when a clip is selected.) In order to edit a clip, click once on a clip in the Shelf, drag and drop it in the Clip viewer or Timeline viewer. As long as the Clips editing button is selected, clips can be dropped in the Clip or Timeline viewers. These clips can be rearranged in any order by clicking, dragging, and dropping. Notice that at the top of the Clip viewer or Timeline viewer there is information about the clip that is selected. The number of the clip, the time length, and when the clip was recorded are shown. Now, when you click the play button notice that a red bar travels across the clip image in the Clip viewer area. When looking at the Timeline viewer, a playhead travels across the clip with the running time being displayed. Highlight or Select a Part of a Clip to Cut, Copy or Paste Using iMovie to cut, copy, or paste a part of a clip is pretty straightforward. It is mainly a matter of highlighting a section of the footage. First, click on a clip. This will activate the iMovie Monitor window and the controls under it. Drag the Playhead to the place on the Scrubber bar that begins (or ends) the part you want to highlight. Now place your cursor under the tick marks beneath the Scrubber bar. You should see two faint triangles. Hold down the mouse button and drag left (or right), highlighting the footage turning it yellow. You should see that one triangle stays with the Playhead and the other travels with the cursor. Releasing the mouse button will complete the selection. That area can now be cut, copied or pasted. Highlighting to Crop Footage Sometimes it is easier to select the area you want to keep and delete the rest of the footage. This is also a straightforward process. Select the clip. Drag the Playhead to the place on the Scrubber bar that begins (or ends) the part you want to keep. Now place your cursor under the tick marks beneath the Scrubber bar. Again you should see two faint triangles. Hold down the mouse button and drag to the left (or right) highlighting the area you want to save. It should turn yellow as you drag under the tick marks. Releasing the mouse button will complete the selection. Now choose Crop under Edit. Everything except the highlighted, yellow area will be put in the trash. Tips to Remember There are a few points to remember that will make your editing job easier when you are using iMovie 2. 1. As always, save often. 2. When you empty the trash, the footage is gone and can not be retrieved. 3. You can undo the last ten steps with the Edit....Undo command. 4. By using the Advance...Restore Clip Media command, the footage is return to its original, imported from the camera, footage — that is as long as the trash has not been emptied. 5. If you cut out a middle section of footage, the remaining footage will be in two parts. 6. If you have highlighted an area of footage and you want more (or less) footage, use the arrow keys. By using the left or right arrow keys the selection area is increased or decreased. 7. If a clip is selected, only that clip will play when you click the Play button. To play the entire movie, make sure that no clip is selected.