Use multiple titles in a single clip in iMovie '09?

As far as I know, this is not possible to do without tricking iMovie into doing it. You might want to create a "movie" with just the clip you want to work with and the first title and export it. Then, import that clip and apply the second title. That will give the effect of having both the titles on the clip. You should ask for Apple to ask this feature; give some feedback on iMovie at .

"You can have multiple titles in the same clip, but they cannot appear over the same frames simultaneously. "

I had tried this repeatedly and confirmed with Apple that it doesn't work cleanly. In order to place another title in a large clip, you need to right click and select "Split Clip", alternatively, you can add all the titles one after another in reverse order from the start, and move them down. You can't add a title at the begining, move another 5 minutes into a clip and add another title. I had three Apple reps try and agreed it doesn't work.

Jay S.

Jay, you are certainly correct. I'm not sure why it's so difficult to allow basic Title and text control in iMovie???

There is no way to do what you want directly in iMovie '09. But if you have access to Photoshop or Fireworks you can create transparent PNG files and place text and graphics exactly where you want, as many as you want without having to split the clips.

I did a very short write up here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/notm/3348195566/

Aaron,

Not exactly what I meant. Example, I have an hour long clip of a show made up of 15 or so acts. I want a chapter marker and an embedded title in the video for each act. Adding the chapter markers is not a problem, adding the titles throughout is. By the "rule of thirds" you're discussing, I can have three titles, OR put the additonal one I need in the first third into the second third, and slide them back. The "split clip" workaround allows you to drop it right where you want it because iMovie "thinks" it is another clip apparently. A side benefit to this seems to be that if you add the Chapter Marker AFTER adding the "title text", the chapter marker will automatically pick up the text from the title.

Now, all this said, it shouldn't work this way. I should be able to drop as many text boxes wherever I want to in a clip, which the iMovie tech support specialist agreed with. He was escalating and writing it up as a problem.

I'd also like to be able to place the text where I'd like to on the screen (top, center, left, right, etc.) but haven't found a way yet.

Jay S.

The Apple reps got it wrong. You can place multiple titles into a large clip without splitting it, but you have to follow the "rules of thirds", which are:

1. A title dropped over the first third of a clip will cover the first third of the clip.
2. A title dropped over the last third of a clip will cover the last third of a clip.
3. A title dropped over the middle third of a clip will cover the entire clip.
4. A title cannot be dropped into a third that will cover an area that already has a title in it.

These rules mean that to add multiple titles to the same third, you have to drop the second title in an unoccupied area, then move it into the already occupied third. For a really long clip, the thirds will be long as well.

Also, titles can never overlap, even when you move them after they have been added.

Hope this helps.

You can have multiple titles in the same clip, but they cannot appear over the same frames simultaneously.