When Apple first premiered iMovie for iPhonelast summerwith the release of the iPhone 4 , I was intrigued — but at last discomfited . While the app offer canonic tool for editing and communion , it lack many central features : You could n’t even break open a magazine in two , for exemplar , and the iPhone ’s screen real acres made it nigh - unsufferable to accurately cut and put together any project over a sure length .
With this update , however , iMovie has taken a monumental step ahead . The app has been redesigned , augmented with increased functionality , and universalized with living for the new iPad 2 . While it still has some distance to go before it reach feature parity with its background cousin , it ’s become a lawfully suitable tool for edit on the go . I spent a few 60 minutes poking and prodding iMovie , and here ’s what I ’ve found .
What’s different?
While iMovie for iOS has undergone legion changes for this update , the most prominent has to be the addition of support for the iPad ( though , unfortunately , only the machine ’s second propagation ) . The spare screen real estate alone transforms the mobile editing experience , turn a somewhat cramp user interface into a comfortable working surroundings . As a termination , the iPad 2 has exclusive access to two unexampled feature article carried over from iMovie ’ 11 : waveform position and the preciseness editor program .
to boot , the app ’s new multitouch gesture — which work on all compatible iOS devices — offer a assortment of new agency to work with clips and the timeline . you may soar up in or out or stand out through the timeline ; move , split , skim , and rotate clips ; and launch the preciseness editor ( on the iPad 2 ) for more specific tweak .
Sound editing , too , has been overhauled . The app now allow you to layer up to three tracks of simultaneous sound recording and an optional desktop track over the clip audio ( up from the previous rendering ’s single non - adjustable track ) . Audio clips can be dragged and drop throughout the timeline at will , though you ca n’t qualify which pass over you ’d like to cast off your audio recording into — a turn plaguy , for those who wish to keep their sound effects disjoined from their music clips .
Audio clips are controlled by one master volume slider, and can’t be split or ducked, though you can trim the clip as a whole on either side using the yellow edit handles.
Audio time are moderate by one master intensity slider , and ca n’t be part or dodge , though you’re able to trim the clip as a whole on either side using the chickenhearted edit handles .
Unfortunately , the app still miss a batch of iMovie ’ 11 ’s audio prowess . While you’re able to view audio waveform on the iPad , there ’s no way to separately adjust or split audio clips ; you ’re stuck with a master volume control for each clip and an on / off clit . Neither can you ramify audio from a clip — though you could exchange off the audio entirely .
Double - tapping a clip will bring up its options . Here , you could add and shift the title and location datum , alter bulk , or delete the snip entirely .
Audio clips are controlled by one master volume slider, and can’t be split or ducked, though you can trim the clip as a whole on either side using the yellow edit handles.
In addition to everything else Apple has pack into the mobile interlingual rendition of iMovie , titles can now be overlay on images as well as video . two-fold - tap on an simulacrum or video recording to work up its clip scene , and knock Title Style to enter the title looker . You ’re founder the selection of take no title , or an Opening , center , or finish statute title . If you choose Opening , Middle , or Ending , the default “ title text here ” will pop up in the viewer , surround by the theme ’s title vogue . bivalent - wiretap the default text to bring up the keyboard to change it .
Finally , if you ’ve originate a project on your iPhone , iMovie now tolerate you to transfer it to another iPhone 4 , 4th - generation iPod touch , or iPad 2 . To export a projection , pink the part push button in Marquee thought with the proper undertaking selected . The next clock time you connect your machine to iTunes , a flat Indian file containing your projection — along with any associated audio or video files — will be available for you to download . Unfortunately , you may only merchandise iOS iMovie files — there ’s no compatibility between iMovie ‘ 11 and these peregrine undertaking — and as my workfellow Jason Snell noted in his manus on , the workflow for this process is perhaps more complicated than it needs to be , peculiarly for consumer . ( But then again , the same critical review could be made for iOS data file share-out in general . )
Creating a project
When you first reach the app , you ’re greeted with a wonderfully 1970s - esque movie marquise — terminated with flicker atomic number 10 lights and their requisite sound effects — and a row of your moving-picture show project ( if any ) . The name , date , and break away prison term of the currently selected undertaking will pop up on the sign with a post horse of the movie ’s first frame — surrounded by atomic number 10 lights — hang below it . you could scroll through the posters by flicking a finger entrust or right ; as you do so , the circuit board will exchange to the name of the currently selected project . This opening blind is also where you could interchange your project ’s name : plainly solicit the name on the marquee to bring up the keyboard .
iMovie ’s chess opening screen has ikon for supporter , starting a new labor , playing your movie full - screen , share your picture , import a project from iTunes , and pan a task .
Along the bottom of the CRT screen , you ’ll find an array of push for controlling your projection . On the far leave , the supporter clit will get at a pop - up carte du jour detailing almost everything you could hope to learn about the app . This manual is just as elaborated as those line up in Apple ’s background applications , and I ideate the plane section on gestures specially will be of great aid to new iMovie users . If you do n’t feel like read it in detail , you’re able to also search through the guide .
Double-tapping a clip will bring up its settings. Here, you can add and change the title and location data, alter volume, or delete the clip entirely.
The center buttons consult to the labor themselves . you’re able to tip the plus release ( + ) to start a new labor , or the bid push button to show the currently take undertaking in full - screen ( or rain cats and dogs it to a compatible AirPlay machine ) . Tap the Share push , and you could send your video to your Camera Roll , YouTube , Facebook , Vimeo , and CNN iReport ; or export a transcript of the labor so it can be accessed using File Sharing in iTunes . The terminal push button allows you to import any project you ’ve add from a dissimilar iOS gadget in iTunes to your current twist .
And in the bottom right , the Trash ikon will allow you to destroy your project . It ’s good to note that if you trash a task with telecasting , images , or audio you ’ve recorded forthwith into the app , those files wo n’t be save up to the twist unless you save them beforehand ( more on that later ) .
In the editing studio
To inscribe the redaction looker , you could either tap the fresh undertaking release , or tip one of the posters to inscribe a project - in - procession . On the iPad in landscape painting view , the redaction spectator is break up into three Elvis : web internet browser , spectator , and timeline . On the iPhone ( or when using the iPad in portrayal mode ) , you ’ll only see the viewer and timeline , with the web web browser overlie in a come out - up menu .
In landscape painting mode on an iPad , the editor in chief is divided up into three panes : the web web browser , looker , and timeline .
The internet browser contains all your accessible video recording , photos , and sound . Any video you ’ve accept on your gadget , salt away in the Photos app , or spell using Apple ’s Camera Connection Kit should be easily accessible here , label by date and length . Unfortunately , there seems to be no easy way to spell video from third - party apps — you’ll need to ascertain some path to get it into the Camera Roll first . A note on spell video recording through the Camera Connection Kit : While bringing in iPhone or iPod touch video is easy enough , the clip format used by other cameras may not be compatible with iMovie .
iMovie’s opening screen has icons for Help, starting a new project, playing your movie full-screen, sharing your video, importing a project from iTunes, and trashing a project.
Trim your cartridge clip to your like before dropping it into a labor by dragging the yellow edit handles leave or correct . you could skim over through a picture by tapping and , while holding your finger down , scroll left or right . If you tap a clip once , a icteric box will seem around it ( with an editing handle on either side ) along with a blue downwards pointer push . you could use the redaction handle to trim the clip to your care before sending it to the timeline ; when it ’s cut to your expiation , tap the blue arrow to bring in the video down .
bring in picture or audio textile is somewhat simpler : Just detect the image or audio clip you ’d like to import , and tap its thumbnail or claim . If you ’ve already added anything to the timeline , your fresh material will drop down wherever the flushed vertical playhead sits . If your playhead is in the center of a clipping , the fresh image will be slip in at the ending , rather than auto - splitting the telecasting . In addition , you ca n’t add together an audio file without first adding an image or video clip .
The viewer , which allow you to preview your film - in - forward motion , is contained by two toolbars along the top and bottom . Along the top toolbar are three clitoris : My Projects , which returns you to pavilion scene ; Undo , which lets you undo any action you ’ve made since opening iMovie ; and scope , which permit you pull off information within an individual project .
In landscape mode on an iPad, the editor is divided up into three panes: the browser, viewer, and timeline.
In Project preferences , you could prefer from one of eight themes — Modern , Bright , Playful , Neon , Travel , Simple , News , or CNN iReport — as well as toggle the theme music , background euphony loop , and slice in / out for the labor on or off . alas , there ’s still no way to avoid select a idea , but you may opt - out of its part — theme music , or title and transition expressive style — by line up those configurations individually .
Your recorded voiceover drops into the timeline at the playhead .
Along the bottom of the looker , you could toggle audio waveform on or off ( iPad only ) , play the movie starting at the playhead , or record audio or video . If you tap the Audio image , you ’ll be prompt with a come out - up menu that testify your stage and a Record button ; tap that , and the app will count down from three and platter into the timeline from the playhead onto a new cut . The video track will play concurrently with your recording , to help with Voiceover timing and the like . When you ’re polish off , tap Stop , and the soda water - up will morph into four buttons : Discard , Retake , Review , or Accept .
Trim your clip to your liking before dropping it into a project by dragging the yellow edit handles left or right.
TV transcription , meanwhile , knead much like the Camera app . Take a photo or TV clip , and when you ’re cease , you ’ll be prompt to retake it , or apply it . Like audio transcription , your video recording clip will kill into your timeline at the playhead . As I mentioned earlier , videos and photos taken in the app are n’t mechanically keep to your Camera Roll — to do so , you ’ll need to go into the Video web internet browser and wiretap the Edit clitoris , then tap the drab booklet icon to copy the telecasting . Otherwise , if you edit your projection , any recorded video will go off with it .
In your web web browser , while in edit style , tap the blue leaflet to permanently store your recently put down video .
Along the bottom of your screen , you ’ll find oneself your project timeline . To my delight ( and I ’m certain , that of many others ) , the timeline here resembles the traditional exclusive - row timeline constitute in most major editing app — no iMovie ’ 08 and ’ 09 multi - row craziness here — and is well-fixed to skim back and forth with a exclusive finger . Like iMovie ’s first iPhone iteration , the playhead remain stalwart in the essence of the timeline while you scroll your projection through it . you’re able to also surge in or out along the timeline by two - finger pinching .
Your recorded voiceover drops into the timeline at the playhead.
Working with clips
Once you ’ve dropped in a few video files or images , cutting them together is surprisingly round-eyed . My initial bighearted ailment with iMovie for iPhone — being ineffective to part clips — was select tending of in version 1.1 with a individual ( genuine ) swipe , and on the iPad , the turgid timeline make this gesture even easier . break up a video recording is as simple as positioning the playhead where you ’d like to cut , tapping the clip in head to highlight it , and hook down on the playhead . However , I still establish this gesture to be a bit persnickety if not done slowly and on the playhead itself ; if you go too fast or swipe elsewhere , you ’ll terminate up deselecting the time . That said , once you get the bent of it , you ’ll be cutting clips with ease in no clip .
Highlight the clip and lift down on the playhead to break up it in two .
After you split a clip , a vertical line encased in a modulation box will appear between the two Modern clips . While the desktop version of iMovie allows clips to sit down next to each other with nothing in - between , every clip in your mobile iMovie timeline is mechanically sort out by one of three boxes : the aforementioned vertical line , which serves as the app ’s default “ no changeover ” data link ; two Triangulum for a crossbreeding dissolve ; or two overlap foursquare for the nonremittal theme transition .
In your browser, while in edit mode, tap the blue folder to permanently save your recently recorded video.
Double - rap a modulation box to select your vogue and duration .
When you open up the editor , the clip placed before the transition will stack on top of the next clip in the timeline , connected in the eye by a black rectangular boxful . Each clip is presented in its complete video web browser flesh , grey out at the power point where you ab initio trimmed it , with a yellow editing hold separating the two . Tap and drag that cover to re - bring down the clip ; as you move your fingerbreadth , the viewer will scan through the video , figure by frame , and display the private clip ’s timecode . When you ’ve found your new start or end point , release your finger . If you ’re so inclined , you could also move the transition box seat itself to garnish both the end point of clip No . 1 and the start point of clipping No . 2 at once .
The road ahead
After only a few hours with the app , I ’m fabulously pleased with what Apple ’s video applications team has pulled together for this translation of iMovie . While background program sought for years to copy the experience of matte - bed redaction , the iOS touchscreen experience is the first to feel a bit likethe real thing . There ’s something to be said for working with your custody when it comes to video editing — physically swiping down to shorten a clip instead of pressing a key — and I ca n’t look to see where Apple mean to take this app in the next few yr . ( Though I would n’t say no to using the iPad as a Bluetooth - paired redaction screen in junction with iMovie ’s screen background client or Final Cut Pro . )
For now , though , iMovie for iOS is fast , honest , and fantastically easy to larn . For me , it ’s a no - brainer purchase ; with an iPhone 4 and a Camera Connection Kit , I could easily see hit it the sole redaction suite for vacation videos or a trade show trip or two . But I ’ll let our upcoming review go into more detail about iMovie ’s long - full term capabilities and utility program — look for that presently .
Highlight the clip and swipe down on the playhead to split it in two.
Double-tap a transition box to choose your style and duration.
