iMovie effects

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
I know that this issue has been discussed before, but I can't quite find exactly the information I'm looking for. A few weeks ago, I helped my father purchase a new iMac. One of the main things he wanted to do with it was create DVD videos from his mini DV camcorder. He loves using special effects like transitions and especially sound effects. The problem is that the quality in iMovie 08 is so poor, it is useless for him to make a movie in it. He did download iMovie 06, but he misses all of the sound effects of 08. I was wondering if there was any way to get more sound effects for iMovie 06? Or, would he be better off getting Final Cut Express? He likes the simplicity of iMovie 08, but is willing to try Final Cut if it would give him more effects. Thanks for any info.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Can you be more specific about the 'quality' issue your father is having with iMovie 08.



    I'm not an video editing expert but, the movie quality should be mostly affected by the quality of the camcorder plus how the video was filmed and not the editing software.
  • Reply 2 of 7
    Yeah, the quality issue from what I've researched is that iMovie 08 uses single field processing resulting in a fuzzy looking video (http://discussions.apple.com/thread....527&tstart=839). iMovie HD supposedly does not have the quality issues that 08 has, but the free download available to current 08 users does not come with the sound effects from iLife 06. When I use iMovie HD from my macbook (I do not have the new version), I can go to: Media - iLife Sound Effects and there are hundred of effects there. When my father, on his new iMac, goes there from his downloaded version, he doesn't have any.



    Is there any way of getting the sound effects from iLife 06 if you have iLife 08, or is there a way of getting the sound effects from iMovie 08 into iMovie HD?

    Essentially, he would be fine using iMovie HD, but needs more effects.
  • Reply 3 of 7
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hollyjolly View Post


    Yeah, the quality issue from what I've researched is that iMovie 08 uses single field processing resulting in a fuzzy looking video (http://discussions.apple.com/thread....527&tstart=839). iMovie HD supposedly does not have the quality issues that 08 has, but the free download available to current 08 users does not come with the sound effects from iLife 06. When I use iMovie HD from my macbook (I do not have the new version), I can go to: Media - iLife Sound Effects and there are hundred of effects there. When my father, on his new iMac, goes there from his downloaded version, he doesn't have any.



    Is there any way of getting the sound effects from iLife 06 if you have iLife 08, or is there a way of getting the sound effects from iMovie 08 into iMovie HD?

    Essentially, he would be fine using iMovie HD, but needs more effects.



    Didn't know that. Thanks for the tip.



    Like you I have iMovie 06 HD and 08.



    Don't know if there are any sound effects he can add but seems like there ought to be.



    I would trash the old iMovie 06 on your dad's computer and try to download again and see if the audio library comes with it.
  • Reply 4 of 7
    bergermeisterbergermeister Posts: 6,784member
    There are good and bad things about both 06 and 08.



    If he really wants effects, the best way to go is 06 and add effects from threegee.



    The limit is imagination after installing these gems.



    http://www.geethree.com/



    There should be a few sound effects included in Garageband... 176 to be exact. He can save these form GB... a little effort, but if he likes making things it probably won't bother him at all.
  • Reply 5 of 7
    I followed these instructions found on a different forum:

    \t

    raz-n-co

    Posts: 4

    From: Colorado

    Registered: Jan 18, 2008

    \t

    \tRe: iLife Sound Effects

    Posted: Mar 19, 2008 7:53 AM in response to: Pocketed4 \t \t



    Solution: Go to /Library/Audio/Apple Loops/Apple/iLife Sound Effects/

    Then drag and drop all of the audio files into a new iMovie HD project.

    It will convert them.

    Then drag and drop them out of iMovie HD into the above folder, or create a new one.

    if you created a new one then drag and drop the folder into the media section of iMovie HD onto the folder list. (this will register it with iMovie HD)

    You can select them all and then copy and paste to the folder and they will be there in both formats. Don't delete the .caf as other apps us that extension.



    You now have aiff format audio files visible to iMovie HD.



    [CENTER]************************************************** ************************************************** ***********************************************[/CENTER]



    That worked, and there are now 920 sound effects in iLife. The current problem is that while they are all nice and organized in Finder, when I look at them in iMovie, all 920 are in the same iLife Sound Effects folder and I can't figure out a way to organize them into their respective categories (Ambiance, Animal etc). The good thing is that they are there, but it is hard to find what you want with 920 items in one folder.
  • Reply 6 of 7
    bergermeisterbergermeister Posts: 6,784member
    You might want to sift through the collection and weed out the ones you certainly won't use.



    I have tons of audio file CDs around the house with thousands of clips. As I have a fairly limited range of what I consider fit for my projects, what I have done is taken coffee breaks to give them a listen. I save the files I like to my HD and then don't have to deal with the CDs anymore. I gave the a naming system; sure, it's a hassle, but it has paid off in the long run.



    This way, I also don't have to go listening to all of a certain group when I'm actually trying to get a project done; I have already narrowed the field for 30 or so down to 5 or 6, or even just 1.



    For example:



    footsteps_running3

    thud_hard

    glasses_wine_chink

    machinegun_fast



    I save them in folders and then just use the finder to preview them (OS 10.5 makes this a lot easier).
  • Reply 7 of 7
    Alright, I think that I figured it all out now. I was trying to make a new folder on the same level as iLife Sound Effects thinking that would go into iMovie HD, but I just had to put the individual sound effect folders into the iLife folder and they went into iMovie HD all organized by their respective categories.
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