iLife® '09 Portable Genius

Chapter 4. How Do I Import Video into iMovie?

iMovie '09 not only packs a huge amount of power but it also includes lots of cool, new features that make it even better than before. If you've wanted to get started with iMovie but felt daunted by its complexity, start at the beginning of this chapter. If you're ready to go ahead and start importing your video from your DV camcorder or another source, jump in at the middle of the chapter. And if you've already imported video and want to review and sort it, go directly to the end of the chapter.

• Navigating the iMovie Interface

• Choosing Preferences to Make iMovie Work Your Way

• Starting a Movie Project

• Importing Video

• Reviewing and Sorting Your Video Clips

Navigating the iMovie Interface

Start iMovie by clicking the iMovie icon on the Dock. The first time you start iMovie, you'll see an introductory screen that highlights the application's new features. From here, you can click the Video Tutorials button to see walkthroughs of iMovie's main features, or simply click OK to close the introductory screen and get right to iMovie itself.

Note

If the iMovie icon doesn't appear on the Dock, click the Desktop, choose Go Í Applications, and then double-click the iMovie icon. Once iMovie is running, Control-click or right-click the iMovie icon on the Dock and choose Keep in Dock to make it stay there.

When you open iMovie, it automatically creates a new movie ...