Creating The Video Using Widows Movie Maker v2.0
You have Installed a Video Program, then used that Video Program to Capture Video Clips – Finally, its time to put those clips together to make a Complete Video. The hard part (or what I think is the hard part anyway) is over… now we just sit back (well, not REALLY but…) – splice and dice - and in the end have a Video…
This sections though it has the Generic Steps will require some practice and playtime. The steps below import a Video Piece and a Music Piece, though you will want to import all your pieces for making a larger video.
- Instructions: Windows Movie Maker and Making Complete Videos
Windows Movie Maker comes with Windows XP (do not have Vista so I am unsure) and is under the Start, Programs Menu. The steps below are for importing clips and sounds / music, then put it all together.
1) Start Windows Movie Maker under the Start Button, Programs. The first time you start this program you will want to switch the bottom view from Storyboard to Timeline – click the Show Timeline Button at the bottom of the screen. Now wer are ready to go
2) Click the Import Video Menu Option listed on the Left Side of the screen under the Capture Video Title. The File Box appears
3) Click the My Documents Option on the left, then Double Click the Following Folder on the right – Camtasia Studios. Here – you will see all the Yellow Folders of the Video Clips you just made in Camtasia. Double Click the Yellow Folder of the Video Clip you want to Import. You will then see the AVI Video Clip of the Video you made – double click the Video to import it into Windows Movie Maker (note – other Video Files and Locations I will not know for your computer – you must know where you keep other AVI or Movie Files).
4) If you have created several clips, you will need to repeat steps 2 and 3 to import all your video clips.
5) As a Video is imported, it may ‘break’ the video into pieces (its weird I know… but I think it’s because it see different framerates and tries its best to split your clip into framerate pieces. No matter, we can take the pieces and put them back together on the timeline shortly)
6) After importing your Video Clips, then its time for your Music. Click the Import Audio or Music Menu Option listed on the Left Side of the screen under the Capture Video Title. The File Box appears
7) Click the My Documents Option on the left, then proceed to Double Click the Folder where your music resides (Use the Video Import Pic above for reference - I will not know this for your computer – you must know where you keep your mp3 or wav files). Double click the Music File to import it into Windows Movie Maker.
8) If you want more than one Music file, repeat steps 6 and 7 to import all the Music for your creation.
9) Before beginning, notice the Music imported does not create a New Collections Folder – it puts it into the Currently Displayed Video Collection (this is a pain, because now you have to remember this Video Collection for your imported music).
10) If you have imported more than one Video Clip, use the Collections Selection Box at the top to select which Video Pieces you want to insert into the timeline (for several clips you will have to change continuously between collections so you can drag them down to the timeline). Remember which Collection has the music in it!
11) Click and Drag the Music Pieces to the Audio Timeline Line to place the music in. Note the length of time in the timeline window.
12) Feel free to listen to the clip, use the Test Video Player on the Right to ‘view’ the Clip (though you have no video yet – the music piece will play).
13) Use the Collections Box to display which video piece you want to insert into the Video Timeline Line and proceed to click and drag a Video Clip onto the timeline. Note if your song is 2 minutes long but the Video Clip is only 18 seconds in length – the Video will be over WAY before the music is 
14) Continue to repeat step 13 to continue adding Video Clips to the Video Timeline.
15) When your Video Matches the length of your Music, your almost done!
16) SAVE Your work Under The File > Save Menu Option (Or The Save Disk Button) – this will NOT produce a Video, but a Snapshot of your collective work. DO THIS OFTEN!
17) Click on the File Menu then click Save Move File – THIS produces the Movie File (continued next step)! We save our work before this so if we want to make changes to our video later – we just open the Collection Saved – NOT remake the entire video. You do this only when you are ready to finally produce the final video!
18) The Movie Wizard starts. Click My Computer then the Next Button
19) Enter a Name if you wish for the Video (if the name already entered you want to change), click the Next Button.
20) The Movie Settings screen shows. Click the Show More Choices Blue Link, then from the Other Setting Box Select the Video For Local Playback (2.1 Mbps) – ‘go big or stay home’ – that’s the saying I have. You’ve come this far – you don’t want to see some mini-grainy video now… go big. Now, if this choice isn’t an option – try for the biggest Local Playback you can. (note – below it will indicate File Size – to post on YouTube this MUST be under 100MB – so if the higher choices put you over this limit – you may need to lower the setting to fit). Click the Next Button.
21) The FINISH Screen – Click the Finish Button! And once again – you wait…..
DONE! Go get that video!!!!
Its probably in your My Videos location under My Documents (the Windows Default Location for Video Creation).
-- Here are a few tips on using Windows Movie Maker and Video File Creations.
a) SAVE OFTEN, LIKE EVERY 5 STEPS! Windows Movie Maker crashes a LOT! You don’t want to do an hours work then have it crash – its breaks your heart ( I KNOW THIS PERSONALLY – SAVE OFTEN!) After you add a clip, save. Make adjustments to length of a clip, save. Snip a scene, delete the piece – then save. Clicking on the Save button on the top every minute or so is the best thing you can do for yourself.
b) Music and Video Pieces can be ‘adjusted’ in length. Though you can not make then longer – you can click and drag the edges to make then shorter – for example: you put in a 15 second video piece that you only want 5 seconds of it, click and drag the back of the piece (you’ll see the arrows when your muse is on the edge) and drag the piece to the length of five seconds.
c) Remember the tip on making a Video Clip where you will ‘cut off the start and end pieces’? To do so – once your piece of Video in the timeline, click on the Timeline Time itself where you want to ‘snip’ the video (it will place the Indicator Bar) then click on the Clip Button on the Mini-Video Player on the Right (the button looks like two mini-vid clips with a line through the center). Click the piece you don’t want then hit the delete key on the keyboard *poof* its gone! You’ll do this a lot for multiple clips as you need to cut off the Game Interface you recorded at the start and at the end of each clip!
d) Use the Time Zoom Buttons on the Timeline to really focus on a piece of time and for cutting at just the right moments (the + and – Glass Signs on the Timeline Time just beside the Show Storyboard / Timeline Button)
e) Finally – this takes practice! I did it for over a year before coming to POTCO, so I made it look easy (and still messed up – but can you tell???) Not to say you need a year to make a simple video – but do not expect to make one in a day. For your first test – do an easy – two capture video for practice. Don’t try to do the big prize the first day. Then try capturing some more video pieces and make a larger one with a song. Then add on to that and soon you’ll have something to show the world...
Conclusion
You made it to the end… After you watch your creation on your desk 60 times (ok , maybe that’s just me – right after I finish a video I make a coffee, sit back, and play the new video over-and-over with a big smile on my face) you gotta get it posted. Hello YouTube! Upload your video, get the link from them to share it – then bring it to us here in POF!
Over the next several days I'll review the steps, add screen steps, and make adjustments / corrections where needed.
Thanks to all those who like the vids I’ve made, POTCO for making a pretty cool Pirate Game, my Guild and my friends on POTCO, and my family (for not killing me for all the time I play the game and create videos
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