MP4 files not showing up in iMovie

Question

Level 1

8 points

MP4 files not showing up in iMovie

I'm sure there's a bonehead answer that I'm missing; please help.

I'm trying to import mp4 files into iMovie using the import function from the File menu. After creating/naming a new event, iMovie shows a quick import script and then stops. Afterward, nothing is visible in iMovie to edit; no thumbnail, no video, no file.

When I check in the Finder under 'Movies' the iMovie events show up with the full files (shown multiple times from multiple imports), but I still can't see anything at all in iMovie to work with.

Am I missing a simple switch somewhere?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.7)

Posted on Jun 2, 2009 9:32 AM

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Answer 1

benmrogers Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 3, 2009 7:00 AM in response to Joey C 2

Thanks for responding. These videos were shot on a colleague's camera then loaded to an FTP server for me to download. I have them as MP4s (though I've tried to import them after converting to .mov and .avi, still to no avail).

I've loaded them into iPhoto, but still nothing shows up in iMovie when I click the "iPhoto Videos" tab. It's like iMovie can't see them, even though I can see and play them when I go back to iPhoto.

One other point of interest: I tried the same process in my older version of iMovie HD, and there they would load only as audio.

I'm flummoxed.

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Answer 2

Joey C 2

Level 2

211 points

Jun 2, 2009 6:21 PM in response to benmrogers

Don't know how you got these movies onto your computer in the first place. Did you put them into iPhoto? If so, in iMovie, click on the iPhoto Videos tab in the Event Library, and they will then be displayed.

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Answer 3

Jun 3, 2009 9:53 AM in response to benmrogers

It is more of a work-around than a solution...but I encountered similiar audio problems so I just imported the files into iTunes, converted them to AAC, and then I was able to add them from the iTunes console within iMovie.

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