How to Create a Professional Video Using Windows Live Movie Maker

Required Materials A recording device, such as a camcorder, Android phone or Apple device A computer (with Windows Live Movie Maker) A USB cable or SD card to move your video recordings to your computer A microphone with USB connectivity or a recording app on your computer (only if you plan on doing voice-over)

Video Making Steps 1.Record your videoRecord your video 2.Download your videoDownload your video 3.Edit your videoEdit your video 4.Render your videoRender your video

Before We Begin: It’s alright if you mess up while recording because you can redo them, which is sometimes easier than editing parts out. Make sure you have a cable or card to connect your device to your computer. DO NOT use , text or a sharing app to transfer your files. They require videos to be clipped and will not make your final product turn out the way you want. If you get stuck at any step, go back and make sure you didn’t skip any steps. There are also tutorial videos and websites with frequently asked questions online. Be sure to save your work often!

RECORDING YOUR VIDEO

Helpful Hints Use a tripod! Your video will look much better if the angle isn’t constantly changing. Use a zoom function instead of physically moving the camera closer to the subject. Watch your videos before downloading them to your computer. It is easier to redo them while you have all your equipment ready. Know your lines before you start! The recording process will go a lot faster if you are prepared. Make sure you are in an area where there won’t be outside noises (parents/siblings, barking dogs, phones ringing, etc.). The quality of your video will be better if there is as little background noise as possible. Speak loudly! Unless you plan on doing voice-over, you will need to speak loud so the camera picks up the sound.

Recording with a Camcorder 1.Turn camcorder on and adjust viewing angle. 2.When you are ready, press record. 3.Be sure to stop the recording when you are finished!

Recording with an Android Device 1.Open your camera app. 2.When you are ready, press record. 3.Stop the recording when you are finished (make sure you stop the video and start a new recording, instead of pressing the pause button, because it will be easier to edit).

Recording with an Apple Device 1.Open your camera app. 2.When you are ready, press record. 3.Stop the recording when you are finished.

DOWNLOADING YOUR VIDEO

Downloading from a Camcorder *Depending on the camcorder, you will either need to use an SD card or USB cable to transfer the files. For SD card: Insert the SD card into your computer’s SD card reader. When you open file explorer, the name of your camcorder will pop up as a file under computer. This is where you will find your video. For USB cable: Attach your cord to the camcorder, and plug the USB cord into the computer’s USB port. When you open file explorer, the name of your camcorder will pop up as a file under computer. This is where you will find your video.

Downloading from an Android Device Use your USB cord (this is what you use to charge your device) by plugging your phone in and putting the USB end of the cord into the computer’s USB port. When you open file explorer, the name of your phone will pop up as a file under computer. This is where you will find your video. Hint: the videos will probably be in a folder called Camera, DCIM or Videos.

Downloading from an Apple Device Use your charging cable by plugging in the device and putting the USB end of the cord into your computer’s USB port. When you open file explorer, the name of your device will pop up as a file under computer. This is where you will find your video. Hint: the videos will probably be with your other pictures.

EDITING YOUR VIDEO

Editing Your Video: Workspace Open Windows Live Movie Maker. This is your workspace:

Editing Your Video: Import Clips In the top left corner, click on the add photos and videos icon. Select the videos you want (select more than one by holding down the shift key). Press open. *Be patient! It may take several minutes for all your video clips to import.

Editing Your Video: Pro Tips Edit! Use different animations and pans(what you would see as a PowerPoint slide changes)animations and pans Add captions and title slidescaptions and title Cut out sections using the video tools tab. Cut Experiment! Remember, you can always undo something if you don’t like it. Be sure to save periodically!

Editing Your Video: Animations and Pans

Editing Your Video: Captions and Titles

Editing Your Video: Cutting and Volume

Editing Your Videos: Narration Add voice-over. You won’t want to do this for all projects, but sometimes videos are better when they have extra narration. To add recordings, click on the drop down arrow of the Add Music tab in the upper left hand corner, and select Add Music at the Current Point. Choose a recording file and click open. Drag the recording to different positions as necessary. Cut out sections and adjust volume using Music Tools.

Editing Your Video: Music Add music. If you want music to go over narration that you already added, you will need to render the video first (be sure you are done editing before you do this). If you are not adding music on top of voice-over, click on add music at the current point (this is the same as adding voice-over). Select a music file. Cut out parts and adjust the volume using Music Tools.

RENDERING YOUR VIDEO

Rendering Your Video THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP!! Keep in mind: Watch your video at least one time through before rendering! DO NOT click file > save and call it done. It may take several minutes for the video to be rendered. When it is done, save it to a USB drive AND your computer (you can do this by copying the file, instead of rendering it twice). Once the video is rendered, you can upload your video to YouTube or Google Drive. DO NOT it to yourself because it is too big to be sent. When you show your video, be sure to show the rendered version, not earlier drafts.

Rendering Your Video Click on the drop down arrow of the Save Movie icon in the upper right hand corner. Select recommended for this project, or whatever describes how you will be showing the video.

Frequently Asked Questions Q: Why do I have to render my video? A: Don’t even get me started. If you don’t render your video, and you don’t have the original video files on your USB drive (or whatever you are using to transport it), you will get a message saying “Files Not Found” and you will not be able to play it. YouTube will only let you upload rendered videos. And perhaps most frustrating, if you don’t render your video, the captions and music/recordings that you painstakingly worked to get in the right spot will “move” and you will have to readjust them before showing the video. Short answer, just render the video. Q: I can’t find the videos that I downloaded to my computer! What do I do? A: Try ejecting the USB cable and plugging it back in. If you have an Android device, turn it on, and you should get a pop-up asking if you want to charge the device or use it as a USB. Be sure you select USB. Q: Why can’t I use another movie editing app? A: You can! Once you have a little experience making videos, feel free to branch away from Movie Maker. Movie Maker works well because it is compatible with the school computers and is very simple to learn.