How to Use Windows MovieMaker to Capture/Edit Video

How to Use Windows Movie Maker to Capture Video

Open up Windows Movie Maker using either the 

icon on the desktop or find it via the Start menu/Programs.

Become familiar with the Working Space of Windows Movie Maker. If you don't see one of the components, try using the View Menu to activate the Toolbar, Status Bare, TAsk Pane, Collections, or Timeline.

You will progress through the Three Sections of the Task Pane as you first Import or Capture your video files, Edit your movie by adding effects, transtions, and titles/credits, and then finally Finish your movie by saving to an appropriate file for your intended audience.

Step 1: Capture Video

In the Capture Video Section of the Task Pane you can select the links to "Import" if you already have sound, music and video files that you wish to compose into a movie.

If you need to capture a video, you need to attach a video input device. Any digital camera is capable of working with Windows Movie Maker although typically Bethel computers only have drivers for Firewire based (not USB2.0) digital video cameras. For all other sources you need to use one of the IC multimedia workcenters which are equipped with Firewire ports and also with a Matrox analog input (VHS/DVD/Audio) system.

• Select the one of the following that apply:

  • Attach your digital video camera to the FireWire Port on the Back of the computer.  A cable can be checked out from the IC Tech desk if you need one.
  • Alternately you can attach your video camera using your AV out cable or maybe via USB.  Ask the IC Tech for help with this, or follow the instructions for analog input below..
  • Attach the AV outputs from your camera into the ports on the front of the VCR and select channel L2.
  • Place a DVD disk or VHS tape in the dvd/VHS player in the multimedia center, turn on the player and then follow the directions below.

• Click on the "Capture from video device"  link (or File menu/ Capture Video) and select one of the two choices below:

  • DV Device -- your attached digital video camera
  • Matrox Video - if you are importing from the DVD/VHS player or any device feeding through the player
    

• After selecting your video device source, click next and Name your file and then Browse to find the E or F drive on "My Computer" to store your video files.  Please create a folder on one of these drives with your name to store your files.  We clean these files out on a consistent basis, so we appreciate your deleting your files when you are done to save us from deleting active projects.
  

• After clicking Next in #3 above, select the capture settings based upon what you plan on doing with your file.  If you want to write what you are doing to a DVD, then select Best quality.  If you plan on sharing your video in Blackboard, PowerPoint, or on the Web, select a Medium quality like Video for broadband (150 0r 384 Kbps).  Note the Video file size information in the lower right of the window based upon the choice you make.  At the 150 Kbps broadband setting the file size is about 1Mb for each MINUTE of video making a 30 minute video as large as 30 MB.  Choose your quality based upon how you plan to deliver or store the video. A CD holds 700 MB and and a DVD holds 4.7 GB (4700 MB)
  

• Select your Capture Method.  Usually the manual method gives you the most control over what you want to import, unless you want to import an entire tape from a directly attached digital video camera.
  

• Click Next once again and you are brought to the real capture window.  Que up your tape or dvd to the place where you wish and click the Start Capture button. (Note: If you use a directly attached (FireWire) DV camera, you  may be able to use the controls below the preview window to also control your camera.)

  • When done, click Stop Capture and then the Finish button.

Step 2: Edit Movie

• After clicking Finish above, all your clips from your capture session are imported into the Movie Maker Collection window.  Follow the steps below to make your final movie.

  • Drag one or all (Ctrl A to select all clips) of your clips to the storyboard at the bottom of the WMM window.
  • Edit your clips as needed by trimming the ends (use the Timeline) or splitting clips and deleting unwanted components (Clip Menu/ Split)
  • Add Effects, Transitions, and/or titles as needed using the appropriate links in the Edit Movie section or use the Clip and Tools menu to do this.

Step 3: Finish Movie

• Finally Save your movie using one of the following choices:

  • Save to my computer:  This choice again gives you the same choices as at the beginning.  Be cautious not to try to save a lower quality movie to a higher quality choice.  Typically if you selected Best quality at the beginning you can select any choice, but if you selected 150Kbps, you should not try to save a higher quality move at this point, but a lower quality/size choice would be fine.
  • Save to CD, makes a CD quality movie
  • Send in e-mail makes a small email quality movie
  • Send to DV will rewrite your movie back to your digital video camera so be sure to insert a new tape prior to doing this unless you wish to write over your previous version of the video.

Step 4: Store your video and clean up your old files

• If you wish to make a DVD of your movie, you will need to use the Roxio Easy CD/DVD creator, Sonic My DVD, or other software depending on which computer you are working.
  

• Clean up all old files on the Multimedia workstation