Advanced Drag and Drop
iMovie ’08 introduced drag-and-drop editing — a fun and easy way to make movies, even if you’ve never edited a single frame. iMovie ’09 takes drag-and-drop editing even further. For starters, it gives you more ways to add clips to your project: Now you can replace or insert clips using a single pop-up menu. Or edit just your audio. When you choose to show the Advanced Tools menu in iMovie preferences, drag-and-drop editing includes additional options such as cutaways, picture-in-picture, and green-screen effects.
Precision Editor
Perfectionists, rejoice. iMovie ’09 introduces a new feature that makes it easy to fine-tune every edit. It’s called the Precision Editor, and it displays a magnified filmstrip that shows exactly where one clip ends and the next begins so you can precisely edit your video. Skim each clip up close and identify how much to keep and where to cut. Edit audio and video independently, so you can use the sound from one clip with the video from another. Reposition and adjust the duration of titles and transitions — without leaving the Precision Editor.
Fine-tune every edit.
Use the Precision Editor to adjust cuts, titles, and transitions.
Dynamic Themes
More of an instant-gratification type? Enhance your movie in minutes with new dynamic themes. Choose a theme such as Bulletin Board, Filmstrip, or Comic Book and apply it to your project instantly. iMovie ’09 does the rest, adding animated titles and sophisticated transitions automatically. Your themed project plays right away, so you don’t have to wait to see the results. Choose a theme at the start of a project or apply a theme to an existing project. iMovie themes look great without help, but you can easily add, swap, or delete elements to customize your project. Try a different transition. Swap a clip or two. Even change the theme altogether. iMovie remembers text you typed into title placeholders and changes only the theme.
Add dynamic themes.
Enhance your movie in minutes with new dynamic themes.
Animated Travel Maps
iMovie ’09 is ideal for making movies that document your vacations, holidays, and adventures. Enhance those video travelogues with eye-catching, animated travel maps. Choose from four different 3D globe or flat map styles and select your location (or locations) — from country to city to points of interest. iMovie builds an animated map that flies from point A to point B. If you want to change its look, drag another map on top of your current one to change the style without affecting your locations.
Add animated travel maps.
Illustrate your journey with animated travel maps that fly from point A to point B.
Video Stabilization
Even the steadiest hand can jostle a camera. But now those perfect — if slightly wobbly — moments won’t be left on the cutting-room floor. New video stabilization in iMovie ’09 analyzes how much your camera was moving while you were recording, then automatically reduces camera shake. Stabilize on a clip-by-clip basis or analyze all your video for stabilization (the latter may take a while, but it’s worth it). The results look surprisingly smooth and professional.
iMovie ’09 lets you adjust smoothness with a simple slider, so you can bring back some natural camera movement for effect where you need it. iMovie also identifies moments when the camera was so shaky that the footage can’t be fixed. It marks those clips with a squiggly red line, so you can choose to hide them.
Stabilize shaky video.
Use video stabilization to reduce camera shake in your clips.
New Titles, Transitions, and Effects
Put the finishing touches on your movie with new titles, transitions, and video effects. iMovie ’09 introduces 18 new animated titles, and the Title Browser gives you a sneak peek at every one. Find a title you like and drag it onto any video clip. Or drag a title to an empty spot in your movie to open the Preview Palette and choose an animated background.
iMovie ’09 also features eight new transitions. Preview them by skimming over the transitions in the Preview Palette. One click picks the perfect transition and applies it instantly.
To change the look of your movie, choose from 19 new one-click video effects, including Aged Film, Dream, Sci-Fi, and Cartoon.
Fast or slow motion adds comic relief or dramatic depth. Both are just a slide away in iMovie ’09. Drag a slider to adjust the speed of any clip. Or reverse it with a click. All your adjustments happen in real time.
Add titles, transitions, and effects.
Choose titles and transitions and change the look of your movie with effects.
Full-Screen Library Browser
iMovie ’09 makes it easy to enjoy your footage, even if you don’t want to make a movie. The new, full-screen Library Browser puts your entire video library at your fingertips. Flip through video just as you flip through music in your iTunes library — using full-screen Cover Flow. Toggle between Events and projects, or browse clips from your library and play them full screen. Even the clip-skimming feature works in full-screen mode: Roll over a filmstrip to display the related clip full screen.
Browse full screen.
Flip through your video library and play clips with the full-screen Library Browser.
