Thursday, August 9, 2012

iPad app: iMovie for iOS quick FAQs

Did you know you can create video narratives with even just a smartphone? iMovie is just one of the apps available for iOS devices that is being used in classrooms for videos.

iMovie is a simple video editing app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Just recently, Rebecca Ammerman used the iPad 2 and iMovie with her Extended Study Rome group to record and create video narratives on site. You can view her story at the CEL Website.  She brings a unique perspective, as the year previous she and many of her students had brought laptops and video cameras to Athens for a similar project.

Here's a few things you should know about iMovie for iPad.


What is iMovie for iPad best at? 

  • Editing video shot with the iPad into smaller clips, or editing out unnecessary bits.
  • Creating simple video narratives using photos, voiceover and titles (you can take photos and record the voiceover right with your iDevice, or transfer photos over with the camera connection kit).
  • Creating easy photo slideshows set to music.
  • Narrating over a video clip.
  • Exporting video directly to YouTube.
  • Editing short bits of video, rather than working with 2 hours of footage.

What is iMovie for iPad NOT good for? 

  • Complex editing. 
  • Picture-in-picture or layering of images. 
  • Special effects.
  • Fancy titles (unless you select one of the titles from the iMovie templates).
  • You have to put your titles over something, even if it is just a blank picture.

 Can I use video or images from another source? 

  • You can download images from the internet or Dropbox, or you use the camera connection kit to transfer photos over from a regular digital camera.
  • You can use video from a non-iPad source, but the video must be precisely formatted to iPad's specs, and you must save it to the Camera Roll for iMovie to access it. This can be a difficult process, so it is only for advanced users.

How do I get my videos off the iPad?

  • YouTube: Once you've finished a video in iMovie, you can export it directly to your YouTube account.
  • Mac: If you want to export a .mov file onto your desktop, you will need to use the "Export to Camera Roll" option. Then, connect the iPad to your Mac, and open iPhoto on your Mac. Your iPad should show up as a device in iPhoto. You can then import the video into iPhoto.
  • Email: If it is a very short video, you may be able to export to camera roll and then email it to yourself as a .mov file. It would have to be very short, and lowest quality.
  • Dropbox or Box.com: You cannot directly export to Dropbox or Box.com devices at this time. However, you can export the video to the camera roll, and then add it to the Dropbox or Box app. Your video may be compressed further by going this route.
Keep in mind that iMovie for iPad is not the same as the iMovie on your Mac. As a mobile application, iMovie for iPad is much simpler, and it offers even less flexibility than the regular iMovie. For small clips and quick jobs, though, it can really get things done. 

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