You build a movie by adding clips to it from your events.
Drag a clip to the timeline
1. In the Libraries list, select an event containing footage you want to add to your movie.
Event clips appear in the browser to the right of the Libraries list.
2. In the browser, do one of the following:
o Select a range of frames in a clip: Drag across the clip.
o Select an entire clip: Double-click the clip.
3. Drag your selection to the timeline.
To split a clip in your movie and insert the video between the two segments, drag the selection on top of an existing clip in the timeline, and choose Insert from the menu that appears.
Add a clip to the end of your movie
1. In the Libraries list, select an event containing footage you want to add to your movie.
Event clips appear in the browser to the right of the Libraries list.
2. In the browser, do one of the following:
o Select a range of frames in a clip: Drag across the clip.
o Select an entire clip: Double-click the clip.
o Choose the first frame of the clip that will be added: Click a clip.
The point at which you click determines the first frame of the clip that is added to the timeline. To choose a different start frame, click elsewhere in the clip.
3. Do one of the following:
o Choose Edit > Add to Movie.
o Click the Add button (+) that appears on the clip in the browser.
If you selected a clip or a range, the selection is added to the movie at the end of the timeline. If you clicked within a clip in the browser, a preset amount of the clip is added to the movie at the end of the timeline. The duration of the added clip is determined by the setting for the Clips slider in your movie settings. For more information, see Customize movie settings.
Replace a clip in the timeline
1. In the Libraries list, select an event containing footage you want to add to your movie.
Event clips appear in the browser to the right of the Libraries list.
2. In the browser, do one of the following:
o Select a range of frames in a clip: Drag across the clip.
o Select an entire clip: Double-click the clip.
3. Drag your selection on top of the clip you want to replace in the timeline.
4. In the menu that appears, do one of the following:
o Replace the clip, keeping the new clip’s duration: Choose Replace.
o Replace the clip, keeping the original clip’s duration and using the new clip’s start point as the beginning: Choose Replace from Start.
o Replace the clip, keeping the original clip’s duration and using the new clip’s end point as the end: Choose Replace from End.
Insert a clip in the timeline
1. In the Libraries list, select an event containing footage you want to add to your movie.
Event clips appear in the browser to the right of the Libraries list.
2. In the timeline, position the playhead where you want to insert the clip.
3. In the browser, do one of the following:
o Select a range of frames in a clip: Drag across the clip.
o Select an entire clip: Double-click the clip you want to select.
o Choose the first frame of the clip that will be inserted: Click a clip.
The point at which you click determines the first frame of the clip that is added to the timeline. To choose a different start frame, click elsewhere in the clip.
4. Choose Edit > Insert.
If the playhead is positioned on top of a clip, the clip in the timeline is split into two segments, and the new clip is inserted between the two segments.
Video that’s been added to a project is marked along the bottom with an orange stripe in the browser, so you can see at a glance which video you’ve used. You can add the same video to as many projects as you like.
Important: If you add 4:3 standard-definition video to a 16:9 high-definition project, iMovie automatically crops the video to fit the full 16:9 frame. To show the full 4:3 frame, see “Restore a clip’s original aspect ratio” in Crop a clip.