Using Movie Maker

in the Classroom
This course covers the following topics:

 Importing Media
 Editing a Movie
 Rendering and Saving a Movie File

November 2007
Table of Contents
Topics: Page(s):

Introduction to Movie Maker

2
Before Beginning a Project
2-3
Collecting Project Media 2
Locating Movie Maker
2-3
Importing Media
3 - 11
Video 4
Pictures 5
Audio 6 - 11
Recording Options 6 - 10
Editing a Movie 11 - 17

Adding Video Effects 11 - 12

Adding Video Transitions 13
Adding Title and Credits 13 - 17
Synchronizing Audio and Video 17
Saving a Movie Maker Project 17 - 18
Rendering and Saving a Movie File 18 - 20

OTAN activities are funded by contract #5000 of the Federal P.L., 105-220, Section 223, from the Adult Education
Office, Secondary, Postsecondary and Adult Leadership Division, California Department of Education. However,
the content does not necessarily reflect the position of that department or the U.S. Department of Education.
OTAN Online Training Using Movie Maker in the Classroom

Handout Conventions

First let’s cover a few things about this instruction handout. Since each section builds on the
previous section, we recommend you complete each section before moving to the next one. In
each section, you will be guided through step-by-step instructions.

Instructions that you should follow will look like this:

()1Instructions for you to follow will look like this (use the “outlined numbered” format under
Format>Bullets & Numbering. Choose the “Outline” tab.)

If we want you to type something, we will set it in bold like this:

()1Type POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS in the box

If you are to press a key on your keyboard, the key will be in brackets like this:

()2Press [CTRL]

Unless otherwise stated, all “clicks” will be with the left mouse button.

Whenever we say “Place your cursor…” we want you to put your cursor in the place you need
it to be and click so it blinks there.

Introduction to Movie Maker

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Movie Maker is a video editor that comes standard on Microsoft Windows operating systems. It
can be used to create Windows Media Audio/Video files from video, digital photos, and sound
files. The movies can be shared via the Web, e-mail, or CD, burned onto DVDs using a DVD
burner, or uploaded to video sharing Web sites such as Youtube or Google Video.

Getting Started: Saving Media in One Folder

It is important to first create a folder on your computer and put all media (video, pictures, sound
files) that you plan to use into that folder. You can make a folder on your desktop by right-
clicking with your mouse, choosing New and Folder.

Then type a name for the folder.

Finding Movie Maker:

If the Automatic Updates feature in Windows is turned on, Movie Maker should be downloaded
onto your computer. Click the Start button and choose Programs to locate Movie Maker.

The Movie Maker icon looks like this: Double click on the Movie Maker icon to open the
program.

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If you do not find Movie Maker, you can find downloading instructions at
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/moviemaker2.mspx.

This is the Movie Maker interface:

Preview
Movie Window
Tasks Collections Area
pane

Story Board

Click “Show Timeline” for time line view

Note: If you don’t see the Movie Tasks pane, click “View” and “Task Pane.”

Importing Media

Movie Maker allows users to capture video from a device (a webcam or videocamera) and
import video files, picture files, and sound files through the Capture Video in Movie Tasks.

You can import files with the following file name extensions into Windows Movie Maker to use
in projects:

Video files: .asf, .avi, dvr-ms, .m1v, .mp2, .mp2v, .mpe, .mpeg, .mpg, .mpv2, .wm, and .wmv

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Audio files: .aif, .aifc, .aiff, .asf, .au, .mp2, .mp3, .mpa, .snd, .wav, and .wma
Picture files: .bmp, .dib, .emf, .gif, .jfif, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .tif, .tiff, and .wmf

To import video:

1. Click “Import video” under Movie Tasks on the tasks pane.

2. Select the video file you want to import from the folder where it is located on your
computer by clicking on it.

3. Click import.

4. The video file will appear in collections area, and storyboard view will automatically
change to timeline view. If the “Create clips for video files” box is checked, longer video
files will be separated into clips.

5. Drag video clips onto timeline.

To import pictures:

1. Click “Import pictures” under Movie Tasks on the tasks pane.

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2. Select the picture file you want to import from the folder where it is located on your
computer by clicking on it. Select many files at once by dragging the mouse over them.

3. Click import. The pictures will appear in the collections area.

4. To return to the story board view, click “Show Storyboard.”

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5. Drag the photos from the collections area onto the storyboard in the order you want
them to appear.

Using audio:

First, there are a few ways to record audio with a computer that has a built-in or plug-in
microphone.

Option 1: Use the recording option in Movie Maker to narrate a timeline.

1. Click the microphone above the storyboard / timeline.

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2. Click “Start Narration” and speak.

3. Click “Stop Narration” when you have finished.

4. You will be prompted to save your sound file. It is a good idea to save it in the same
folder as your other project media.

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Option 2: Use the computer’s built-in voice recorder.

1. Click “Start” and select “Programs.” The sound recorder should be located in the
“Accessories” folder.

2. Press the record button and speak.

3. Press the stop button when you have finished.

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Record

Stop

4. Click “File” and select “Save As…”

5. Save your sound recording in the same folder with your other project media.

Option 3: Use Audacity, a free audio editor and recorder that allows you to mix multiple
tracks, including voice-over and music, with special effects such as fade in, fade out. It
can be downloaded for free at http://audacity.sourceforge.net.

1. Record by clicking the red record button.

2. Click the stop button (beige square) when you have finished.

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Record Stop

3. Click “File” and choose “Export As WAV…”

4. Save the .wav sound file in the same folder as your other project media.

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To import audio:

1. Click “Import audio or music” under Movie Tasks on the tasks pane.

2. Select the audio file you want to import from the folder where it is located on your
computer by clicking on it. Select many files at once by dragging the mouse over
them.

3. Click import. The audio files will appear in the collections area.

4. Drag the audio file onto the “Audio/Music” area of the timeline. To change to the
timeline view from the storyboard view, click “Show Timeline” above the storyboard.

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To edit the movie:

Video effects, transitions, and titles and credits can be added to your video using these
functions, located in the Movie Tasks pane under “Edit Movie.”

Add video effects:

1. Click “View video effects” on the Movie Tasks pane.

2. In Storyboard view, drag desired video effect onto the star on a picture or video clip.

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3. Preview the effect by pushing the play button in the Preview window. To remove an
effect, right-click on the effect and choose delete or click on the undo button.

or

Add video transitions:

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1. Click “View video transitions” on the Movie Tasks pane.

2. In Storyboard view, drag desired video transition onto the empty box between each item
on your storyboard.

3. Preview the transition by pushing the play button in the Preview window. To remove a
transition, right-click on it and choose delete or click on the undo button.

Add Titles and/or Credits:

1. Click “Make titles or credits” on the Movie Tasks pane.

2. Select where you want a title to appear. A title can appear at the beginning, before, on,
or after a selected clip. Credits will always appear at the end of the movie.

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3. Enter text for the title. It will appear in the preview window.

4. Under “More options,” click “Change the title animation” to change how the text appears
in the movie.

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5. Click “Change the text font and color” to select the letter styles, sizes, and colors, as
well as the text alignment and background color.

6. Click “Done, add title to movie” when you have finished.

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7. To add end credits, the process is the same. Click “Make titles or credits.” Type in the
text.

8. Click “Change the text font and color” to change letter styles and colors.

9. Click “Change the title animation” to change how the credits appear in the movie.

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10. Click “Done, add title to movie.”

11. Titles, credits, and transitions will appear on the timeline:

To synchronize audio with video/images on the timeline:

If your audio track is longer than the video in the timeline view, you can make photos appear
for longer in the movie by clicking and dragging to make the images appear for a desired
number of seconds, shown above the video track.

To save a Movie Maker project:

Save a Movie Maker project if you do not complete it in one sitting and want to revise it in the
future. Remember that it is important to save the project in the same folder as your project
media.

1. Click “File” and choose “Save Project As…”

2. Save the project in the same folder as your project media.

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3. Give your project a name that will help you identify it.

4. Click “Save.”

Important: The file is now saved as a Windows Movie Maker Project with the extension
.MSWMM. It is not a movie file yet.

To finish the movie:

Movie Maker provides several options for saving, as shown under the “Finish Movie” area in
the Movie Tasks pane. Many movie files will be too large, however, to send as an email
attachment. By saving to your computer, you can later burn the movie to a CD or DVD or
upload to a Web site.

To save to your computer:

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1. Click “Save to my computer.”

2. Enter a name for your movie.

3. Choose a location to save your movie.

4. Click “Next.”

5. The Save Movie Wizard will display the rendering progress.

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6. By checking the box “Play movie when I click Finish,” your movie will automatically
begin playing in Widows Media Player upon completion.

7. Click “Finish” to end the wizard.

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8. The movie has been saved as a Window Media Audio/Video file with the extension
.wmv.

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