iMovie + subtitles - HELP!
I was so excited to try out video editing on a macbook - because I've only heard excellent things, and now that I have one, I am frustrated and SORELY disappointed.
I realize iMovie '06 has a lot of advanced capabilities, but the fact that it cannot do a simple task for me just does not speak well for it. I am not a computer dummy - I can figure my way around just fine on both macs and PCs, and I have made some great videos on WMM. So when I give up out of frustration using iMovie '06, it's not because of technological ignorance.
What I'm trying to do:
I have a song I recorded using iSight, and ALL I would like to do is add simple, classy subtitles to accompany the song.
So I go into the edit mode and try to do this. Here are the problems I've experienced.
1) When I splice my movie (in timeline mode) I get hiccups and skips in the video. I run the video, pause at the moment I want to split it, and hit cmd-T. Its always a gamble whether or not the clips will sync together properly. At least when I'm in the thumbnail mode, it seems to be less of an issue.
2.) No where, anywhere, online, or in the lacking help feature, can I find ANY explanation for the "Speed" and "Pause" toggles. I play with them, but I cannot understand how they affect the clip. For example, as I stare at it right now, what does "Speed- 0:26" and "Pause- 0:24" even mean... the subtitle is CLEARLY not displayed for 24 seconds - and WHY on earth does it say it adds up to 1:16? Last I checked, 0:26 + 0:24 should equal 0:44. Whatever it means, it is not the obvious. Shouldn't using a program be designed to be obvious to the user - NOT cryptic??
ALL I WANT is for the subtitle to be played the length of the split clip. Whatever length that may be - 4 seconds, 6 seconds, 10 seconds - from the start of the clip to the end of it.
3.) The above is concerning "stripe subtitle". It's worse if I try the "Subtitle" style. Then, "Pause" is taken away on me, and "speed" minimum time starts at 2:00. I change the toggle to 4:08 (seconds) because that is the length of my first split clip. And yet, the subtitle shows up and disappears after 2 or so seconds of my clip!?? It also hiccups onto the next clip now. Great!
3.) No centering feature for my subtitles - only colour, font and size choices. 😟 So much for unlimited creative freedom.
4.) On "Stripe Subtitle", why does the bar/stripe have to disappear and reappear each time? Why can't it stay on steady - just have the words change?
5.) Why can't I right-click a clip and find more choices to specifically edit THAT clip? Its so complicated to make sure edits stay on the clip you selected and not cause problems to the next split clip. I want to deal with one clip at a time here... not experience secondary effects...
6.) Some of my subtitles need to stay for 8-10 seconds, because its a longer line of music. WHY won't it let me? sob I don't want to split it, and make the same text reappear 2x. I just want it stay up there for 8-10 seconds. Period. Is that such an unusual request? In WMM, the text appears as a separate function, that you can stretch and shorten in sync with the video that is playing. You don't have to "attach" it to a clip and have it "hidden" from your timeline. I wish the text would SHOW UP in my timeline, underneath the video, so I can manipulated where it starts and stops better.
7.) So far, the only way I can see to change your mind and delete a subtitle other than "undo". If I want to go back later and remove what I had done, I have selected the clip, and deleted my text and clicked on "update" (or "add" I tried too), and the words go away, but the bar still shows, and the little T still shows up on my thumbnail. I end up having to close the session and reopen my saved work. Mistakes seem hard to reverse, unless you are lucky enough to undo them as soon as you make them...
I'm sorry if I come across I little snobby or rude - I am just a little razzled, because I have spent so long trying to figure this out on my own, and can't succeed.
I can't believe how frustrating this is for simple subtitles? I'm actually in a little shock, because its hard to believe something that is giving me THIS much heck, comes with so much recommendation. What is wrong with me? Why can't I figure out what should be a straight-forward program?!
I realize iMovie '06 has a lot of advanced capabilities, but the fact that it cannot do a simple task for me just does not speak well for it. I am not a computer dummy - I can figure my way around just fine on both macs and PCs, and I have made some great videos on WMM. So when I give up out of frustration using iMovie '06, it's not because of technological ignorance.
What I'm trying to do:
I have a song I recorded using iSight, and ALL I would like to do is add simple, classy subtitles to accompany the song.
So I go into the edit mode and try to do this. Here are the problems I've experienced.
1) When I splice my movie (in timeline mode) I get hiccups and skips in the video. I run the video, pause at the moment I want to split it, and hit cmd-T. Its always a gamble whether or not the clips will sync together properly. At least when I'm in the thumbnail mode, it seems to be less of an issue.
2.) No where, anywhere, online, or in the lacking help feature, can I find ANY explanation for the "Speed" and "Pause" toggles. I play with them, but I cannot understand how they affect the clip. For example, as I stare at it right now, what does "Speed- 0:26" and "Pause- 0:24" even mean... the subtitle is CLEARLY not displayed for 24 seconds - and WHY on earth does it say it adds up to 1:16? Last I checked, 0:26 + 0:24 should equal 0:44. Whatever it means, it is not the obvious. Shouldn't using a program be designed to be obvious to the user - NOT cryptic??
ALL I WANT is for the subtitle to be played the length of the split clip. Whatever length that may be - 4 seconds, 6 seconds, 10 seconds - from the start of the clip to the end of it.
3.) The above is concerning "stripe subtitle". It's worse if I try the "Subtitle" style. Then, "Pause" is taken away on me, and "speed" minimum time starts at 2:00. I change the toggle to 4:08 (seconds) because that is the length of my first split clip. And yet, the subtitle shows up and disappears after 2 or so seconds of my clip!?? It also hiccups onto the next clip now. Great!
3.) No centering feature for my subtitles - only colour, font and size choices. 😟 So much for unlimited creative freedom.
4.) On "Stripe Subtitle", why does the bar/stripe have to disappear and reappear each time? Why can't it stay on steady - just have the words change?
5.) Why can't I right-click a clip and find more choices to specifically edit THAT clip? Its so complicated to make sure edits stay on the clip you selected and not cause problems to the next split clip. I want to deal with one clip at a time here... not experience secondary effects...
6.) Some of my subtitles need to stay for 8-10 seconds, because its a longer line of music. WHY won't it let me? sob I don't want to split it, and make the same text reappear 2x. I just want it stay up there for 8-10 seconds. Period. Is that such an unusual request? In WMM, the text appears as a separate function, that you can stretch and shorten in sync with the video that is playing. You don't have to "attach" it to a clip and have it "hidden" from your timeline. I wish the text would SHOW UP in my timeline, underneath the video, so I can manipulated where it starts and stops better.
7.) So far, the only way I can see to change your mind and delete a subtitle other than "undo". If I want to go back later and remove what I had done, I have selected the clip, and deleted my text and clicked on "update" (or "add" I tried too), and the words go away, but the bar still shows, and the little T still shows up on my thumbnail. I end up having to close the session and reopen my saved work. Mistakes seem hard to reverse, unless you are lucky enough to undo them as soon as you make them...
I'm sorry if I come across I little snobby or rude - I am just a little razzled, because I have spent so long trying to figure this out on my own, and can't succeed.
I can't believe how frustrating this is for simple subtitles? I'm actually in a little shock, because its hard to believe something that is giving me THIS much heck, comes with so much recommendation. What is wrong with me? Why can't I figure out what should be a straight-forward program?!
macbook, Mac OS X (10.5.4)
