How to Use Windows Movie Maker (with pics)

How to Use Windows Movie Maker​

Windows Movie Maker, is a program that comes with Microsoft's Windows XP and Microsoft's Windows Vista. This program is used to make WMV files using Video and/or Audio. To start off Here is how it looks like.



That is how it looks like with Windows Vista, but Windows XP looks almost the same. Lets go over the labeled parts.

1.Tasks- They tell you what you newbies need to do from beginning to end. It is a guideline to making the movie from first to last. The Tasks, are made, so when you click on the step, it brings you to the request screen to do that task. If it is your first time using WMM, I would suggest following that until you have a good idea on what you are going to do.

2.Imported files- These are the files you have imported (read more later) to WMM to possibly include in your video. You don't have to include all files that you import, just the ones you need. Imported files include Audio, Video, and Images. NOTE: you must have the video/audio codec (or program that reads it) installed in order to import. Windows files like WMV and MPG, are imported with ease (there may be exceptions), but Quicktime and DivX files don't seem to like WMM, so they might not get imported all the time.

3.Preview screen- Easy, you preview selected file. You click on file in Imported files or Click on spot in Timeline (more below) and press play in order to view it. This is not your final movie, but it is progress so far. It is recomended that you preview entire movie before Publishing it (more below).

4.Timeline- This is going to be pretty lengthy so pay attention. This is where you drag files (click on desired file from imported files, and drag it onto desired spot on timeline). Where it says video, that is where the video or pictures go. That is what you will see in the final outcome. When you import video, the audio will also be imported, you will need to mute the video's audio (if desired) but more on it later. The audio section, is a completely separate audio imported the videos audio. This is where the music or voices will go with the video (simultaneously). The title part is pretty easy. It is the text that overlays the video. Say i had a video playing, and I wanted it to say (PWNED) when I got someone killed. You just choose desired font and color, and you can overlay that onto the video. Now the time marker (where it says 0:00:05.00, 0:00:10.00, etc) is the "time" in the final video. What ever picture/video, sound, and title convert at the same point, it will play all of them at the same time.




That was a short introduction, lets go straight into making a video starting from square one.

1. Import all files you will want in the video. This includes Video, Pictures, Songs, Voices, and anything else that you think is necessary. You can import things at anytime. Click Import Files.



Highlight desired files, then click import.



Now give it a sec while it imports. Depending on how much you have imported, this can take 5 seconds to a minutes.

2. Drag files you want onto the Timeline. Once you have all files, try to order, and match up audio and video that would best fit. Preview the video if necessary.



To shorten the clip, you need to have desired file on the timeline. Click the arrow, and shorten it, by dragging the clip, making it fit in smaller spaces on timeline.



3. Add title, overlay text on video, and add credits. Click add title, choose the kind of font, and style of introduction you like (you can preview it), and click add when you are done, and want to add it. Same with credits, but it will have you input the text you want to show in credits. The text on video, you need to input what you want to show, then put it on timeline where you want to show in video.

4. Publishing movie, its pretty self explanatory. You click publish movie when you are done editing, and you are proud of your work. Then you choose where you want to save, and let it do its thing. Just give it time, it will be encoding the video which is a lengthy process depending on video. When you are done, you can put it on youtube, or do whatever.

If you fiddle around with it enough, you will eventually pretty much know everything. Don't expect to make the best video on your first time, practice as you go.

 

That's a good guide, why not use Sony Vegas 8 Pro? MSN me [email protected] if you want it.

 

Pretty nice guide, add some color and your set.

 

Shredderbeam said I can let this back up.

 

Good guide. It needs color. I also like the way you always give a little introduction/background information in the beginning. This helps some (stupid) people who don't know what it is.

7/10

 

Extremely basic.

 

Common sense guides make me lol.

 

Added Color.

 

Thanks, needed this

 

Quite nice, but I use Vegas.

 

This is a great guide for people trying to make first time videos. I even used this on my first videos. But i now use Sony Vegas which is for experts.

None the less, great guide!

 

hey i have a question .
How can i get slow motion with wmm?

 

Thx for posting this im tryin to make my 1st video an u really helped

 

I use this to connect my best songs into one nice set However, camtasia studio has more effects

 

This is a good guide but WMM is a piece of garbage. 9/10

 

Nice guide, 9/10

I'd want a guide on how to use Sony Vegas though...

WMM is too simple.

 

hahahahahaha

 

5/10... you should show how to make your video file suitable for youtube.

 

Wow too basic 4/10

 

At least it's not ripped...But yeah, it's quite common sense, but I guess it could help some people...and it does say "How to USE WMM" so yeah, this does teach beginners. 7/10 for pictures and mediocre content.