Links to videos for inspiration, laughs and sharing.
Day 6 - Macro Flowers and Ranch field trip
Day 5 - On Zoom again
Improved Print options for iOS and iPADOS. If you've purchased a printer in the last 5 years you might have the option to AirPrint. Where the printer is logged into your home network and your iPhone or iPad can see it and print from webpages or documents - especially email attachments. Open this page in Safari. From the URL bar > AA > Reader View. From the Share > Print take time to review the printer options listed here, this is catching up to our desktop computer features! Set a page range, set Scaling, set Layout > Pages per sheet ... and more.
Also, to make a PDF of any printable page/document, in the Share > Print Options menu the thumbnail preview pages have a hidden trick - pinch out on any page to open ... what? A larger thumbnail with a new Share button. Now you see this is a PDF document and you can send it via Messages, Mail or add it to Books, etc. You can save to the Files app on your device or in iCloud.
OK to update to iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4 and Ventura 13.3 - just waiting until after class today.
The collaborative view-only Freeform Whiteboard on iMovie for iPad was created out of many screenshots cropped, copied and pasted to the board. Text and lines and clip art were added to highlight significant features. Duplicate this to your own account so you can add your own notes as you learn about iMovie.
Karen and Diana continue to explore iMovie but are frustrated with photos not fitting the screen. Using familiar apps like PicCollage to be added to iMovie doesn't work with a shoehorn. The Magazine template in PicCollage is in Portrait orientation.
This sounds like the print on paper Aspect Ratio / Orientation challenge from several semesters ago. A image has to be cropped by the photographer before sending to a printer. Ideally. The iPhone's default aspect ratio is 4:3 (horizontal) or 3:4 (vertical). A big screen TV has a 16:9 aspect ratio - and old movies will have black bars on the sides to maintain their original aspect ratio. Read the Scientific American article A Brief History of Aspect Ratios, aka Screen Proportions for familiar titles and the last paragraph.
The "fit-the-frame" issue will haunt our past still photography work. If you catch the video bug, you will be taking more shots in landscape orientation, leaving much more room around your subject for later cropping and shooting with a wide-angle lens. Knowing what frustrates you about creating video content will help you take photographs that can be repurposed for video delivery.
Now, I want to look back at some of the Ken Burns PBS documentaries to see how his team shoots new footage of old photos. It is not just applying the effect, it is how each image forwards the story.
Colleen asks field trip participants to upload some clips to our Studio Shared Album so we can practice telling the story. She noted that when using Cinematic Mode the option to zoom while shooting is NOT available. Yes, in the Video Mode you can switch between cameras - tap and hold to see the zoom dial and change from .5 to 1X to 3X and beyond. Jim proposes that Cinematic Mode is looking for human faces and does not recognize the stuffed animal, Patch the pelican.
If you want others to edit the Cinematic focus, Portrait f-stop, Slo-Mo sequence ... you must use Share > Options > Video > ALL Data > Done > Add to Shared Album (2023 Spring Studio) > in Comment add your details and suggested edits.
Zooming is best done with your feet. Or by twisting at the waist. Slowly! Yes, in the Video recording mode you can switch from camera to camera to digital zoom but you are touching the screen and probably adding unintentional movement to the footage. There is often a jump as the recording switches from one camera to the next. (Oh, is this a Blair Witch meme?)
As you edit scenes, a simple cut is effective in changing from wide angle to medium shot, from action pan to close-up. Camera movement during a sequence is often effective and Image Stabilization will help with tracking or panning or tilting the camera.
Cinematic Mode is smarter than I am. The AI behind it will focus on a subject looking at the camera. The videographer can also tap the screen before and during recording to change the focus on a different subject. Better yet, in post production - in the Photos app you can edit the focus points of your cinematic recording! Do this before taking your shots to iMovie.
The online iPhone User Guide articles Use Cinematic mode on your iPhone and Edit Cinematic mode videos on your iPhone will help review skills.
Here are some examples from Apple's YouTube Channel
Other examples
- The iPhone 14 Pro Max | CINEMATIC MODE 4K - shot film plus before & after
- shot on iPhone 13 Pro Cinematic Mode | YOSEMITE
Cynthia quickly did some web research and found that a video frame is often 1024 x 768 in pixel count and at 300 dpi. So if you have an app like Photoshop or Procreate you can set the canvas size to perfectly fit.
Other apps we have will also give us the option to set an Aspect Ration or a specific size. Keynote is an option and with the animation features it is a distraction every videographer should dabble in. After creating a Keynote presentation on iPad you will struggle to find where to change the aspect ratio. Following Cynthia's lead, Google it!
Day 4 - Field Trip: Camera Skills Practice and Video Storytelling Start. Could be raining, dress appropriately. Bring a small tripod that can work in tight space or grab a hand rail. In the parking garage, we’ll review some camera moves ... continuing to take some photos and video clips. [ Karen told me the aliens have flown out of town this week. If you have a small gewgaw, consider bring it/them/they along. ] After shooting we will walk to lunch. While waiting for our food we will try the Photos > select pix > Share > Options > All Data > AirDrop method to be sure our Portrait photos and Cinematic videos can be edited by the receiver.
- Locking AE/AF exposure across multiple photos and clips
- Quick access to camera - on lock screen swipe right-to-left
- Portrait Mode still photos
- Cinematic Mode video clips
- Audio from iPhone or microphone
- Rule of thirds composition
- Subject moving into and out of the frame
- Image stabilization
- Zooming with our feet
Day 3 - Diving into iMovie - Feedback
Do look at Home page and Learn As We Go page for changes.
Melissa’s mantra “Video is a team sport!” It really helps to have a camera operator and a talent person. Also, it is a great idea to switch roles and experience both sides of the lens. But the idea of pairing up to shoot a Cooking storyboard fell flat. No takers. Somehow folks are OK with the “idea” of meeting for a field trip that includes a transit adventure. Stay tuned.
Jim - Loves the results of Memories in Photos. That artificial intelligence selects photos, improves the photos and set a crop then adds appropriate music. AI is amazing. Ok, he’d like to lengthen some of the clips - give more screen time to some of the photos.
What you tell us about Memories A.I. is encouraging, inspirational, selective and a good start. Consider creating a video from Memories and then incorporating it into a larger project. It could even play as Picture-In-Picture over another video clip.
Use a Magic Movie project to get creative juices going. See what's possible. Then open a new Movie project and build from the ground up.
Debra - Wants to cut some clips into smaller chunks. Still struggles with adding audio instead of using the iPad mic while playing a song on iPhone. Using the Keynote app for photo slide show with transitioning between slides is intuitive. Export as a movie without audio.
In iMovie, select a clip to see the yellow bars. Look for the tools to change depending on the selection. A video clip can be Split … more than once. A chunk can be deleted or the speed of it changed (faster), pinch to zoom in, apply a filter (black and white), and more. Adding music shows your ability to think outside the box and it will only get easier!
Irene - tearing her hair out over the media search options in iMovie. “What were the developers thinking” when they created different ways to add media for Magic Movies, Storyboards and Movie projects! My albums are not listed. Urggh! What’s up with the Ken Burns effect?
Agree that iMovie should use the standard Apple Photos Browser tools to access media. It is hard to believe that three different team at Apple created three different user interfaces to access photos, videos and audio. Ken Burns effect on still photos is a pain. On Mac, iMovie has Preferences and imported stills can not have the KB effect automatically applied.
Mike - Wants to shorten some clips before adding to an iMovie project.
Using iMovie on iPad, create a Movie project to play with features. Add one video to start the project. Now add more media - look for video clips then look at the list. Look at the list! Tap a video to see yellow selection bars, move the side bars to use less than the entire clip. Tap + to drop your clip chunk onto the timeline. In my demo, using the Trailer Storyboard to have funky scrolling end credits, this selecting just the end of the clip would have worked well.
Karen - Also interested in shortening video but also wants to take a chunk out of the middle of a video clip. FREEZE FRAME IN SPEED tool.
When shooting video, start recording before the action begins and keep recording after the action ends. Just a few extra seconds can make a big difference when editing. But then you have to trim clips. Our projects will always benefit from still frames of color (black or white) and shorter segments with hints of action. In a Movie project, select a clip on the timeline. Pinch out on the thumbnails in the timeline to see details. Place the playbar at the location where the clip should end. Look for the tool icons below the preview. Tap Actions > Split. Set the playbar where the chunk will end. Split. Select the new middle section and then Tap trash. Experiment with selecting a clip, placing the playbar and then in the Speed tool find Freeze Frame. Now a new line marks the clip in the timeline. You can stretch a freeze frame by moving the handles.
Carolyn - Create a video from several clips at an amateur rocket launch event. After this initial success she recreated the project from scratch knowing what pitfalls to avoid.
I like that you slogged through your project, exported the final video and then turned around and started from scratch to recreate it. Your rehearsal built skills and awareness of the features available to help tell your story. If we don’t use an app often, it is a good idea to do a warm up activity and then get serious.
Colleen - Is using iMovie to entertain grandkids. Is exploring how to sync clips to music.
Where does a project start? If you collect photos and video clips into an album is that were to start? If your grandkids have a favorite song, would that inspire you to explore your Photos Library for photos to include? In a Movie project you can add a song (or soundtrack) and look at the audio waveform for clues on where to change a photo. The audio waveform displays below the thumbnails on the timeline. Find the on/off Waveform button to the right of the Undo button. Turn on the Help tips to read the clues.
Cynthia - Trailers have limitations and need workarounds. She is exploring transitions to help tell a story but not distract from it. Creating title screens in Photoshop with textures (will textures even show up in a video project?).
Maybe Trailers have some component that can be used in another project. Add media and then render as a video file. Create a new Movie project and add media and this rendered video. Apply a special effect, Cut Away, Picture-In-Picture, Split Screen. Using Photoshop because it is your wheel-house where you can quickly create new images for titles or other effects.
JoEllen - Learned to use one or two transitions throughout a project instead of throwing a mix of transitions between video clips. “Less is more” is a good motto. Looking at past iMovie projects, she found that adding music from her personal library might get a warning when initiating the Share sequence.
Good point about how zealous special effects can be a distraction from your story. Maybe fade in and fade out of your final video. Use one transition effect in addition to simple cuts and for emphasis, consider another transition. The same would be true of sound effects. Not every photo change needs a sound. Add for emphasis or when showing a reaction. The "Death by Powerpoint" rules apply to videos.
Walk Through Possibilities
Any app or process or camera that can make videos is game for use in iMovie. Apps that come to mind are Diptic and PicCollage but also Control Center > Screen Recording. Devices like iPhones, iPads, GoPro, mirrorless and DSLR cameras, downloaded videos or screenshots could be included.
A.I. can give us an idea of what is possible with our photos. Using your iPad, open Photos > For You > tap a Memory to open, tap the screen to show buttons > tap the Pause button at the opening sequence to reveal the editing user interface. At the bottom of the screen are three buttons: music, play and show photos. Look around the screen for other buttons. Explore.
Three features of Memories were discussed: Make a Memory from one of your curated albums, export a Memory to a video and sharing a Memory video.
Album to Memory - is tricky. There are two places you will see the More ( … ) button — so go slow. Open an album to see picture thumbnails, the ( … ) is in the top right corner on iPad. Tap the button to see a long menu including Play Memory Video. If instead you tap Select and then Select All, the ( … ) button is in the lower right corner of iPad and includes Slideshow [ not Video ].
Open a Memory to edit the title, included photos and soundtrack. Pause opening sequence. On iPad, top right corner tap ( … ) > Edit Title; or Manage Photos - uncheck photos or check photos to be hidden or included. From opening sequence change the soundtrack. It is interesting to look at editing options for a Memory on both your iPad and iPhone.
Can you find the “Make Key Photo” option? This is the poster photo for the Memory. The title changes position based on the image. More A.I. at work.
Share a Memory from the editing interface. The Share button open the Share Sheet with Messages, Mail and other icons, a list including Save Video, Add to Shared Album and Save to Files. Share an iCloud Link requires the Memory to be saved as a video first. Then open Photos, select the video, tap Share > Options > iCloud Link > > Done > ... then make your choice - send link as a Message, Mail or Copy iCloud Link. In the past, iCloud links expire in 30 days and then no more access to the content.
Open iMovie on your iPad. The projects listed have a large thumbnail image, their title and the creation method of Magic Movie, Storyboard or Movie. The way you add media to a project looks different depending on the way a video is started — the creation method. Also, adding media after starting a project can have a different interface. In the Photos app we tried renaming folders and albums to include an emoji to help our current media stand out in a long list. Busted! This workflow shortcut technique does not hold up.
So many buttons to tap and find hidden features. Keep exploring. Have fun!
Day 2 - Comments & Frustrations from early attempts at iMovie on iPad. My comments are added on the fly. Not doing additional research with responses. If you have found additional details, please send me email so your comments can be included here. Be specific as to where your comment fit.
Karen - Photos are cropped automatically by iMovie and not where I want them. Struggling to add text to the clips in my video. Some of my still photos are landscape, some are portrait orientation. I want to show the whole image.
In iPadOS 16.3.1 there are three types of projects in iMovie: Magic Movie, Storyboards and Movie. Feel free to jump directly to Movie and pass GO. This is the power user mode. On iPad you have more control here. Wondering if adding a few photos at a time would maintain your sequence? Does clip length make a difference when trying to add text? If a clip is too short maybe the AI ("Artificial Intelligence") knows how long the text appears on-screen and when the clip is too short ... nope! Nada. Don't go there... To show the whole image, you might need to expand the borders, one way is to use Snapseed's Expand Tool. Experiment. Expand 1X, 2X or 3X. You can export a new photo or modify the original. Lots of work to be done in Photos before opening up iMovie.
Cynthia - Long ago, previous iPad iMovie versions ago, you could delete a placeholder item in a Trailer. Can't do that now. Also, how do you designate a poster (cover image) for the exported video? How do you transfer to Mac computer to finish editing in iMovie on Mac (more controls and features)?
Placeholders are helpful until they are not. I wonder if placeholders in Trailers are locked because of the soundtrack length. In other Storyboard projects you can delete placeholders, rearrange, copy/paste and group placeholders to make your own new Storyboard templates. Posters are the teaser for videos - what the audience sees before pressing the Play button. I think the Fade Up From Black to begin a video shows panaché - and a black poster doesn't. Let's keep looking for the Poster feature, buried somewhere on iPad or Mac. The iPad version of iMovie is a great place to start a project - maybe while out in the field while filming. The Mac version of iMovie is very powerful along with the whole way of working with files (drag n drop...). The Share > Options > Project is step 1 of 2. The full sequence is Share > > Options > Project > > Back > Save to Files > ... your iPad local storage, a USB Thumb Drive or iCloud Drive > name the file > Save. iPadOS includes the file extension .iMovieMobile. Open your Mac, open iMovie > File > Import iMovie iOS Projects ... navigate to the file, select it > Import. Workflow hint: Create a new iMovie Library on Mac for these projects as well. Easier to archive.
Irene - Storyboard placeholder has 3 characters and after adding, can't swap out photo. The Ken Burns effect on my still photos is driving me crazy! Looking for the media, photos and videos, is a challenge. iPad iMovie project does not show up on iPhone - even though I'm using iCloud.
Last one first: iPadOS 16.3.1 is the current version and iMovie Theater is a discontinued iCloud feature. Exporting a project to the Files app might be the way to open on all devices. I've not tried creating/exporting a project from Mac to edit on iPad. Humm. Workflow ideas begin in Photos and make a Folder > Albums for your media assets. Add emojis to folder or album names so they standout in a long list. During the demo, was it a fluke, that iMovie remembered the Album where the first assets were located? (This is behavior that I've desired from other stylizing apps!) If photos can't be Ken Burns-ed to the subject's face, then expand the photo edges in Snapseed and shoehorn the start and end positions. **Lists of Albums is different in Magic Movie, Storyboards and Movie views! OMG!** In a Storyboard, swapping out the contents added to a placeholder is not intuitive. Tap to see it on-screen (where you can set the Ken Burns effect) and tap the Trash Can icon to delete the clip. Now add a new photo to the placeholder.
Bob - Thinking of using Keynote for quick titles.
Thanks for showing up today Bob! And for thinking outside-the-iMovie-box! Yes, Keynote is a good tool to add media assets for iMovie projects. Welcome aboard!
Jim - Too much time watching YouTube videos. Appreciates notes on our Studio website.
Wanna see my Numbers spreadsheet where I track the tutorials and clips about iMovie? Urggh. I'm no longer using Safari Bookmarks to track websites. There are millions of hours uploaded daily of YouTube content and other social media as well. We can't keep up with the overflow. But maybe by airing our questions, stumbles and discoveries during class, any new material you watch will have an echo ... Ahh, this would help Debra/Irene/Karen in their projects. (I'm not adding Mike since you see him in other venues ...) Thanks for acknowledging this website is helpful.
Diane - The Storyboard is very restrictive. I've set a sequence for the photos and video clips to be added but then iMovie decides what to add where and what to include in the clips. Had trouble with adding my music. Ended up recording to iMovie on iPad while playing song on my iPhone.
The Storyboard projects are a Videography Tutorial - showing the types of video shots that help tell a story. As envisioned by traditional film-makers. The establishing shot, close-up, action and group shots... are a reference for the future. A teaser to get your mojo going. Now, bust out and go for a Movie project. More control. Use the Zoom control to see the Timeline as thumbnails or detailed clip length. When a feature is not working, look at the length of a clip. Stretch it out, does the feature work now? Undo, undo. Music can add so much to a video. Search the web for "copyright-free audio" to find .mp3 files for your project. Especially if it is to be shared via social media. If your project is for personal use or private viewing, your personal music files could be added. In a Movie project, look at the right sidebar for Audio to see what is possible. Please report back.
Mike - Organizing photos in an album helped workflow. Use the Trailer option in Storyboards with both landscape and portrait oriented photos.
Don't hold back. Jump right in! Your Trailer was fun and appreciated by family. You're our up-and-coming Spielberg.
Debra - New video project with 150 photos, in a Photos album. Will want to add narration and maybe music.
Workflow suggestion: Make a Photos My Albums Folder and then add Albums breaking your 150 photos into 1-3 year groups. Album names should reflect timeframe. Just play a bit - start with a Magic Movie with one of your albums. What happens? Make another one. Maybe your final project will be lifespan but the Magic Movies might be interludes, playing ball, running the beach, favorite food. Review Soundtrack options to find a musical fit for the age range or activity depicted in album. A magic movie can be exported and then included in a Movie project. Practice voice-over recording in quiet rooms of your house - the office, a bedroom with lots of soft fabrics or the bathroom. Record on days when the landscape companies are not blowing leaves ... Lots of prep work and you don't want to get frustrated with iMovie. Consider using Keynote (né Bob) to create titles (as slides). Export slides as JPEG files and then import to Photos and the designated album.
Because we are using “lean” mobile devices, consider breaking a large project into shorter segments as individual movie projects. After all segments with narration, photos and clips are completed then export at high resolution videos. Create a new project to import all segments and add an overall soundtrack. Now export for sharing to your audience and keep a master copy at full resolution.
Archive your project and all media assets. Consider recreating this project again in 5 years. By then iMovie will have changed or ... there is a new kid on the block called DaVinci Resolve for iPad that is video editing on steroids! DVR is free for non-commercial projects. Plan on watching YouTube tutorials before you drop down that rabbit hole.
Charlene - Transferring a movie project to a Mac could use the Files app as demonstrated or use AirDrop! Videos, photos, music and more can move from one device to another with AirDrop. My iCloud Storage at 200GB has no space left! Just updated to 2TB, so going from $3/mo to $10/mo.
Melissa - Organized "media assets" in Photos app with Folder and Albums inside. From Recents view or a Search, drag media to albums. RENAME folder - add emojis to help it standout in the long list from inside iMovie. View photos in album as Aspect (landscape or portrait) instead of Square.
Add emojis to Album names since Storyboards view of media doesn't include folders! Planning and organizing media assets upfront is time-consuming but will pay-off. Video is more fun when playing/working with others. Safer too, especially if climbing ladders is on the shot-list. Take lots of shots, vary the angle of view, capture clips with Slo-mo Time-lapse and Cinematic Modes.
Big lesson - Storage, Storage, Storage! Movies take up space on your device and in your iCloud.
Don't all iPad & iPhone apps automatically save? So when demonstrating a project and making changes on the fly, I've mucked up my project. Maybe playing/demonstrating a duplicate project would have saved my bacon.
Dive in and play: Go to Shared Album to download the Time-Lapse sequences for Table Top Flowers playtime. Try things, experiment. Split timelapse into smaller chunks. Rearrange chunks. Add flower photos. Stretch clip width on flower photos, enable Ken Burns effect to still photos and set the beginning and ending views. Turn off K.B. effect on other still photos. Select a moving clip and change the Speed - slower or faster. Change the Transition between clips - from Cut to Dissolve or Wipe. Add music, add narration. Experiment with Titles, Filters and exporting.
Day 1 - links to videos shared in Zoom Chat - set a timer to limit your distraction with these links and videos. They will always be here. You can come back and view with fresh eyes ;-)
Cynthia
Surviving Alone in the Wilderness by Peter McKinnon - cinematic story with ambient sounds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGhMI54g8n4
Mike
Fingering Traffic - art_dailydose on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoR7aB5ITtr/
CoOpting buildings, bridges, ferris wheels and water towers by zack_king at art_dailydose
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmOeQ_XoRtR/
Merge Two Photos into One - (Snapseed) by manuel_bechter
https://www.instagram.com/reel/COUJ-qFpItX/
JoEllen
Relive Video works with walking workout to report pictures taken with added captions.
Relive video https://www.relive.cc/view/vrqo3RVMMKq
Elephant Crossing - Vimeo - 2014 adventure, iMovie post production
Marilyn
Funniest Cats Compilation on Instagram - yoyo_88800
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnmaEKbhHee/
Mental Health Hotline by askari_shoh - play with audio
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoXlZQMJlAk/
Melissa
Still photos into a video - Kathy Ryan's Office Romance series
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0101qUPAYk
Kitten to Cat photo slide show by Catographer
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cn2Yq3jK-Yp/
Cat Crimes by Catographer
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co0pI7uA12r/
Selfie Stick for cat chase in slow motion by furryfritz
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co7-4v4D9Hx/
iPhone Camera Under Water compilation (look at the first 2) by Douyin
https://www.instagram.com/p/CpK5VZdoOCw/
Drop object into liquid in slow motion by artistworldy
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co-l4OJPD8b/
Nature framed by printed page
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CN48IiHpJ_X/
Greenscreen double exposure at home by camera.settings
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgeVxS4p4m4/
Easy Sneaker Unboxing with transitions by camera.settings
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfvxE9wpR3M/
Working at Social Pizza - a quick video by instabest_photography
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfIf2PMIUbg/
Photo background trick for macro shots by amtheadayni (for Karen)
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CUXHtA2oo4z/
Slow Motion in Grassland by yudy_11_city
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CQ3ON_PJgoT/
Shaved Ice transitions
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CSCGV2UI384/
Flower Walk transition by ayane7628
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CR75XhzoLcd/
Easy Transitions using eyeglasses by
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CSIwyLUIBId/
Panorama pause tricks by jordi.koalitic
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZRzDsilv0f/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0101qUPAYk
Instagram on iPhone - Profile > 3Bars icon > Your Activity > Interactions > Likes to see grid of past likes. Find Share | Link | Save | Remix or QR Code to individual image or video from ...
Copy links to a Notes page or Pages document so you can add your own written notes about why the video deserves attention.
