Exporting your iMovie to Quicktime and Burning it to a CD

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When you finish your iMovie you will need to export it into a Quicktime file. You may also want burn it onto a CD.

The Reasoning:

When you are working in iMovie your film is very editable. You can change your titles, delete effects you have applied, move clips around, etc. However, an iMovie file is very large (many times larger than a CD). Another drawback is that iMovie files are not very compatible. They will not work on PCs and only on Macintosh computers that has the iMovie program installed. Therefore, to make your film small enough to transport and in a format that can be viewed by almost all computers you will export your completed film into quicktime format. Quicktime format is smaller and very compatible (almost all computers have quicktime including PCs and Macs).

 

1. Exporting your iMovie
2. Burning your iMovie onto a CD.

Instructions on exporting your iMovie.

• Only export your film when you are sure it is complete. Your Quicktime file is not editable. If you make any changes after you export it you will have to re-export it.

• From the iMovie file menu choose File>Share as shown below.

• The iMovie:Share window will open. By default it will choose Email. You need to choose Quicktime by clicking on the Quicktime item in the top options bar shown below

• You will also need to adjust the compression that this quicktime will export in. You can change the format by clicking on the double arrows in blue that are indicated below. Different formats adjust the file size of your iMovie but in doing so they adjust the quality of the movie. I have a brief breakdown in the different fomats below. They are in order from worse quality to the best quality.
  • Email - This file is small enough to email to a friend
  • Web - This file is small enough to post to a web site
  • Web Streaming - This file will be small enough to post to the web and will have the Quicktime player embedded in the file. Use it if you think your audience might not have Quicktime installed.
  • CD-Rom - This is most common. Small enough to fit on a CD.
  • Full Quality DV - This has no reduction in quality. It will be a very large file and only play on Macs.

• Once you have set your options click on the share button.

• The next and final window that pops up will be the save window. You must choose what to title your Quicktime file and where you want to save it. Title it in the "Save As:" field . Leave the .mov on the end of the title. I suggest you save it on your Desktop. For example John Doe's film exported in CD format is being saved as "iMovie Project CD.mov" on the "Desktop" in the picture below.

• Once you have set your options click the Save button.

• You have now exported you film into a Quicktime format.

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• Insert a blank CD into the CD-Rom. To open and close the CD-Rom door use the eject button found on the top right of your keyboard.

• Once you insert a blank CD, the screen below will pop up. It is asking you to name the CD. You can name the CD what you like.

• Click Ok

• Now you should see your CD on the desktop.

• Drag your quicktime file (it will end with the extension .mov) onto the CD.

• Once tit is finished coping onto the CD double click on the cd icon. This will open up the CD so that your can be sure your file or files are copied onto it.

• You are now ready to burn your CD. Once you burn your CD you will not be able to make corrections or burn it again so make sure those two files are on there. Go to File>Burn CD.

• Choose Burn.

• Your quicktime file should now be burnt onto the CD. You can eject your CD with the same eject button on your keyboard.

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