Help - Trying to Combine Clips in Movie Maker

[Guest]

I have about 53 15-20 sec clips I am trying to arrange into one movie. According to the help tab in Movie Maker, these clips can be edited together to create one continuous movie, however it is not working no matter what I have tried to do - whether it be in the contents/collections/storyboard/timeline frames. The "combine" just will not highlight for me to use to put it all together (not to mention neither does the "automatic movie" function work either).
When I import these clips from my computer, it also creates a "new collection" every single time rather than allowing me to combine them into one usable collection. I have noticed if I import a longer movie, it will automatically divide the movie into clips of its own, and will remain in one collection folder. And, these files can be "combined" - but they already were one file!!! So, how do I combine separate imported clips in what I am beginning to believe is some half-baked ridiculous program that cant do squat!

Thanks,
Duane

 

[print_maker]

you must learn the jargon...

"combine" is for joining clips "back together" - meaning they are from the
same file and you split them

What you are actually wanting to do is to make a "movie"

drag any clips you have down to the storyboard in the order you want them,
and

File > Save Movie

(not just plain old Save, which saves the project)



"Help in Combining Clips in Movie Maker?" <Help in Combining Clips in Movie
[email protected]> wrote in message

I have about 53 15-20 sec clips I am trying to arrange into one movie.

According to the help tab in Movie Maker, these clips can be edited together
to create one continuous movie, however it is not working no matter what I
have tried to do - whether it be in the
contents/collections/storyboard/timeline frames. The "combine" just will
not highlight for me to use to put it all together (not to mention neither
does the "automatic movie" function work either).

When I import these clips from my computer, it also creates a "new

collection" every single time rather than allowing me to combine them into
one usable collection. I have noticed if I import a longer movie, it will
automatically divide the movie into clips of its own, and will remain in one
collection folder. And, these files can be "combined" - but they already
were one file!!! So, how do I combine separate imported clips in what I am
beginning to believe is some half-baked ridiculous program that cant do
squat!

 

[John Kelly]

Hello there,

First to put all of the clips into one selection simply drag and drop them.
Afterwards right click the many empty collection folders and delete them.

Importing a large file when Movie Maker creates clips is not the same thing as
your several clips. When Movie Maker has the automatic option to make clips
turned on in the import dialog all it does is make a list of where it believes
a change of scene has occurred. This can be caused by a jump in the time code
or by a severe change in the actual picture. The clips created are not clips in
the sense that most people would think of them. Searching your hard drive will
not reveal their location...this because they do not actually exist....

To combine two or more clips into one clip....this is best done in the timeline
mode not the story board mode. Drag all of the clips down to the time line each
time moving the mouse to the far right of the existing clip before releasing
the mouse. Now for the fun bit.....

Notice the two small icons a plus sign and a minus sign, they are on the left
of the screen. Click on the right one so that you zoom into the timeline as far
as it will go. Now using the slider below the time line move to the point where
clip one ends and clip two starts. If you grab the second clip and move it
slowly over the end of the first clip you will see that the two clips actually
overlap. Release the mouse button. You will now see a short section of another
part of the time line has appeared. More fun to come...

The small section mentioned above deals with the overlap only. If you grab the
left edge of the section you can move it left and right. As you do so you will
see that a small time indicator shows the time duration of the overlap going up
and down. Moving that carefully can give you fairly accurate control over the
duration of the overlap....the resolution is 8 frames (That's as muck as movie
maker can do, but its still useful)...yet more fun...

If you look in the Tasks bar, you will see the option View Transitions. Take a
look at those transitions by clicking them once and then press the play button
under the preview window. When you find one you like drag and drop it onto the
top of that small bar describing the duration of an overlap I talked about
immediately above this paragraph.

You now have the ability to control how long a transition from one clip to
another takes and what the transition looks like.

Have fun !