Using iMovie Lab

 


The objective of this lab is to learn how to use iMovie to create simple animations.



Creating Animation Files to turn into a Movie File

First we need to make some files that will be our animations.
  1. The first step in creating your movie is generating a set of .jpg files that can be stitched together into a single movie file. For one approach to doing that, take a look at the page of Final Programming Project Tips.

  2. Use (or modify) one of your functions from the Animations lab to generate a set of files that can be turned into a movie.

Turning an Animation into a Movie File

  1. Open iMovie: Go to Finder -> Applications -> iMovie.

  2. Import your pictures into iMovie: Click on the Finder icon again. Browse to find some pictures for your animation. Just drag them into the Project Area (upper left). Do the same thing for sounds. You can place your sounds wherever you would like them on your timeline.

  3. Set the duration for each frame: Click on the "i" (Inspector) icon in the middle of the screen. A window will pop up that will allow you to change the duration of your pictures. Four seconds is too long; one second or a half second seem to be okay values to use. You may choose whatever duration is appropriate for your animation. You may also choose whether you want the same duration for all of your pictures, or whether you want them to vary.

  4. Remove the "Ken Burns" effect: To remove the Ken Burns effect (specifying a starting and ending rectangle to animate between) on each picture, select all of the pictures (Go to Edit -> Select All). Then click on the Crop icon (looks sort of like a square) in the middle of the screen. Choose "Fit" at the top of the picture that opened in the upper right of the screen.

  5. Check that your movie plays correctly at this point: Click on the first picture in the timeline. Then click on the Play arrow to watch the movie. Make modifications if necessary.

  6. Save your movie: Go to Share -> Export using QuickTime (on the tool bar at the top). Follow the instructions to choose a name for your movie file and browse to find a location to save it. Your movie should have a .mov file ending.

  7. Check to see that your movie project and your movie file are saved on your M:Drive or somewhere else where you will have access to them again. (i.e., They should not be saved only on the hard drive of a lab machine!)

What to Submit