Learning the Basics of Windows Movie Maker

I have always enjoyed watching a myriad of different clips through my laptop screen, from the funny ones that make me “LOL”, to the ones that teach me different crochet techniques, or simply inspire awe. I had never tried making one of these short films, but that is exactly what I began doing last year for the Christina Lake Stewardship Society. I began my journey using Windows Live Movie Maker, and I often got frustrated as I tried to learn through the process of trial and error, so I will be sharing some of the basics that I have learned to make things easier for others.

It was easy to add clips and photos – just drag the files on to the workspace, or go through the prompts by pressing “Click here to browse for videos and photos”.

Under the “Video Tools” tab, it gives you the option to “Edit” your clip. If it is a photo you are working with, you can adjust how long you want it to be in the clip by using the drop-down menu beside “Duration”. If you are working with a video, this tab gives you the option to “Trim” the clip from either end by moving the small rectangles on either side towards the middle. This trimming allows you to shorten the length of your video.

It was also easy to add music (which I downloaded from a royalty-free music site) which you can just drag on to the workspace as well. Just drop it wherever you would like the music to begin in your clip.

You also have the option to adjust the length of the music file under the tab “Music Tools” which provides you with “Options”. From here you can also choose to “Fade in” music, and “Fade out” music which prevents the tunes from coming to a random, abrupt end.

You can also add transitions between clips by exploring the different options under “Animations”. You can adjust how long the transition lasts by selecting from the drop-down menu beside “Duration”, or enter your own number. I like consistency as well, so I usually select “Apply to all”.

Once you have the clip the way you like it, you can add a title page by clicking “Title” underneath the “Home” tab. There is a bunch of different options under the “Format” tab below “Text Tools” for your title page, so get creative and grab attention at the beginning of your clip.

Just below, the “Title” option under the “Home” tab, is the button for adding a “Caption”. When you click on it, a text box appears on your clip which you can format to whatever colour or font you choose. You can also adjust when the caption appears by sliding the text bar below your clip on the work space. To jazz up how your caption appears and disappears from your clip choose an animation under “Format”.

Finally, add your credits. This drop down menu is located beneath the “Caption” button, and gives you several options for your credits including “Director”, “Location”, “Starring”, and “Soundtrack”. I usually just press the top “Credits” option from the menu, and put whatever I want in there. The credits are already formatted so they move up the screen, like you would see at the end of a movie.

Now that you are done your project on Movie Maker, you have to save it as a format that can be played using a media player, or on the internet. There is a small list icon in the top left corner, that when clicked, drops down a bunch of options including “Publish movie” which allows you to add the video to social media sites, etc. If you click on the “Save movie” option, you get another drop-down menu which allows you to choose which format your movie will be saved as, based on what you will use the clip for.

Congratulations, you made your first video clip! Now that you have the basics, try different options and transitions, and have fun!

-Heather Ling (CAPYI Youth Intern)