iMovie '09 & iDVD: The Missing Manual

Splitting a Clip

The techniques described in the previous section work well when you want to remove some footage from a clip. Sometimes, however, it can be useful to split a clip without deleting footage in the process. For example, iMovie is capable of applying audio changes and video effects only to entire clips; if you want only part of your clip to get special treatment, you'll have to break that portion off into a standalone clip. Don't worry; it still looks like part of the bigger clip on playback.

Tip

If you were thinking of using Split Clip to insert something, maybe a picture, in the middle of a clip, save yourself the trouble and use the Advanced Drag and Drop feature discussed on Adding to the Middle. For example, in a clip of a young snowboarder heading rapidly toward a ramp and then sailing into space, you could insert a quick shot of his parents' horrified faces faster with the Drag and Drop method.

Or you may just want to break off one piece of a clip to use somewhere else in the movie. The Split Clip command is exactly what you need in that case. Just make a selection in any storyboard filmstrip:

• To chop the clip into two pieces, select from the desired split point to the end (or beginning) of the clip.

• To chop the clip into three pieces, select whatever piece of it that you want to wind up as the center piece. The end pieces will wind up as separate clips.

Either way, you can use the Shift-arrow technique described on Playing a Selection to find exactly the right spot. ...