iMovie - how do I clear events & projects and start afresh

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Level 2

149 points

iMovie - how do I clear events & projects and start afresh

I was using iMovie to create a couple of projects. Completed two (nearly) and had a whole swag of "events" on an external HDD.

The ext HDD has failed - and despite endless trying, it is not recoverable, and has now been disconnected and disguarded - it's dead basically.

However, whenever I run iMovie, it still shows the "events" in the Events pane - even though they aren't there - still shows Projects - which refer to those same Events - which aren't there, and is still looking for a HDD, which likewise, isn't there.

It fails to allow me select Projects, or even Events - so I can't "move to trash"

I've tried deleting the preferences file(s) - but it just goes looking for all that same stuff when it runs again.

I deleted iMovie, and reinstalled it. Same thing.

How do I clear out iMovie's "brain" so that I end up with a totally clean slate - is there a file somewhere which lists those Events and Projects - which I can get rid of?

Using 10.5.2 - and all latest Apple Software Updates have been done.

Thanks in advance.

iMac 24" 2.8Ghz 4GB, Mac OS X (10.5.2)

Posted on Feb 21, 2008 2:01 PM

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Answer 1

bk1000

Level 1

35 points

Feb 21, 2008 7:44 PM in response to Greg Mckay

In the user/movie folder is "imovie events" and "imovie projects" folders. In those folders are folders containing the thumbnails to those projects. Delete those folders, and they won't show up in iMovie anymore.

So, if your event is titled "Birthday Party" the delete the folder /username/movies/imovie events/birthday party. The same in the imovie projects folder.

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Answer 2

Feb 21, 2008 9:47 PM in response to Greg Mckay

I have lots of projects pulled out of my Project folder into a holding folder.
I also have lots of Events on several external hard drives in the same situation.
I move them back and forth all the time so my list does not get too long to work with.
Never had a problem with iM8 remembering an old project or eveny that I have moved out of the main folder.
Did you have the events in an event folder on the external drive or on your main drive?

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Answer 3

bk1000

Level 1

35 points

Feb 22, 2008 12:14 PM in response to Rich Rydalch

I have moved several projects in and out of iMovie by removing the folders from the iMovie folder. I didn't really have a workflow on how to handle movies, it was just because I was using 3 Macs, and was testing a bunch of stuff. So, I kept moving the projects around. I didn't hit the issue you are mentioning.

If I'm understanding you correctly, you've already moved the folders out from the iMovie folder onto an external, right? So, the projects are safe? If so, did you try "rejecting" the thumbnails from inside the iMovie interface, and then "move rejected clips to trash"

Or, delete all your thumbnails from within the iMovie folder, and let iMovie rebuild it's thumbnail database.

Just a thought.

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Answer 4

Greg Mckay Author

Level 2

149 points

Feb 22, 2008 9:46 PM in response to Greg Mckay

bk1000

Many thanks - that's now so **** obvious, I can't believe it didn't occur to me - yep, that did the trick.

Thanks again,

Greg

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Answer 5

Greg Mckay Author

Level 2

149 points

Feb 22, 2008 11:53 PM in response to Greg Mckay

Okay, so - now I've achieved a clean slate.

If I now import all of the clips again (which I still have on the camera) to a new ext HDD, then drag those "Projects" back into the "Movies" folder - can I get iMovie to re associate the projects to the re-imported clips? If so, how?

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Answer 6

bk1000

Level 1

35 points

Feb 23, 2008 1:46 PM in response to Greg Mckay

I could be sadly mistaken, but I don't think iMovie08 supports projects or events on external drives. So, I think you could re-import the clips onto your local drive. Work on them there. Then, if you aren't working on them, go into the iMovie folder and simply move the project and associated event folder to an external HDD. If you do at some point want to work on them, you can drag them back.

At least that's how I've been doing it. Maybe someone can chime in who knows more.

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Answer 7

Feb 23, 2008 2:51 PM in response to bk1000

iMovie supports Event files on external drives, but you have to move them there from within iMovie. You can drag and drop them on an external drive formatted HFS+ in the Events Source List.

Projects need to stay on your local drive (unless you are a UNIX guru, in which case you don't need my help). But Project files tend to be relatively small, so it usually not an issue.

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Answer 8

Greg Mckay Author

Level 2

149 points

Feb 23, 2008 6:02 PM in response to AppleMan1958

Thanks Appleman - that's as I see it too - because when you import from camera - it asks where you'd like to save them.

Okay, (please refer my original post) - I now have all of my camera footage re-imported to my new ext HDD (old one dead). I have got my two projects back into the {User}>Movies>iMovie Projects folder.

When I run iMovie - the original Projects appear in the Project Library, and all of the re-imported Events are in the Event Library.

However, when looking at the clips within the project - each clip has a Yellow exclamation triangle at the bottom left of the start of the clip. Mouseover that and it says that the media files for this clip are not available. Yeah, well, they are - just not where they used to be when the project was created.

That's the issue - how can I redirect (?) iMovie to find those clips where they now are - on my new ext HDD?

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Answer 9

Greg Mckay Author

Level 2

149 points

Feb 23, 2008 10:06 PM in response to Greg Mckay

It seems from info in other posts, that iMovie sets "Absolute" paths to the various clips when they are first used in a project.

That would appear to be my issue. Does anyone know if these paths can be changed, manually manipulated or whatever.

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