Windows Movie Maker

Getting started with Windows Movie Maker

What makes Windows Movie Maker stand out among free video editors is its easy-to-use interface. The app has three regions that you can use. The top is the Ribbon, where you can access various tools, such as transitions, effects, captions, audio levels, and more. Here is where you also add your clips, photos, and audio files to the timeline. Of course, you can also access the option to save your work in this part as well.

Below the Ribbon, to the left side of the window is the Preview tool. As the name suggests, this is where you can view the playback of your project. With this, you can see what the sequence would look like as an output. Here, you can use the rewind, fast-forward, and play buttons to move to the part you like to view. You can also toggle the preview screen to full screen.

Finally, located on the right side is your storyboard or timeline window. This is where your video sequences. It is where you can navigate through the clips, split them when necessary, and arrange them to your liking. The timeline is also where you choose which parts of the video you would like to apply effects, filters, and other video enhancements.

To start a project, click the New Project button under the File menu and save it under a new name. You can then start adding clips to your timeline. Windows Movie Maker offers several ways to upload your materials. You can import videos from your digital video camera and even upload photo and audio files. Moreover, you can choose to upload an entire clip or parts of it. Once added, the timeline will automatically break your video into 10-second segments for easier navigation.

Various editing options

As with other beginner-friendly editors, Windows Movie Maker comes with all the basic functions you might need to enhance your videos. As mentioned, all the available editing features are available under the Edit button in the Ribbon. You can split your videos into various segments and even trim them to remove parts you don't want. Note that the app does not delete the trimmed parts. It only hides them and will not show them up during playback.

Another nifty feature is the option to adjust the audio levels of your clip. With this, you can make the audio louder or softer. Even better, you can adjust the volume on specific parts of the clip. The 2012 version even allows easier integration of music. Now, you can look up music from services, such as Vimeo, Free Music Archive, and AudioMicro. The video timeline also features a WAV form, so you can easily see where audio is placed within the video.

Of course, video editing will not be complete without effects and transitions. The app has a wide variety of transitions that you can apply. Not only that, but it has an incredibly user-friendly way of creating seamless transitions. It employs a drag-and-drop mechanism, so you only have to drop your chosen transition to a part in your timeline to apply it. Moreover, you can adjust the duration from a quarter of a second to two seconds.

Windows Movie Maker also comes stocked with a deep set of visual flair to add to your clips via effects. Like the transition, applying video effects is as easy as clicking your choice. The app even allows you to preview your options to make sure you can make the best choice. In addition, you can also add text to your videos, such as a movie title, credits, and captions.

Once you've put up all the finishing touches, you can then publish your output. Windows Movie Maker takes advantage of hardware acceleration, which speeds up video exporting and encoding. Not only that, but it also gives you the ability to share your finished product to various platforms, such as Facebook, Vimeo, and Youtube. If sharing on social media isn't your thing, you can also save it to your computer or burn the movie to DVD.

Wrapping up

Windows Movie Maker is a video editing tool for beginners and wanna-be editors. The app has all the tools you may need to edit your clips. More than that, it comes with an easy-to-use interface that makes the process easier. It still cannot hold a candle to professional editors. Nevertheless, for basic editing, it is more than enough.