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imovie export worse than import

I imported just one clip into imovie taken with my mavic pro in 2k 30 fps. I then did a little editing like color, chopped out a few parts put some audio in and added a title. I exported the file in 1080p with highest settings. Export comes out jittery compared to the buttery smooth footage of my mavic pro. imovie worsened the whole footage. What happend?

Posted on Sep 14, 2019 6:55 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 15, 2019 8:29 AM

Hi, razacks,


iMovie does not support 2K, which may be the problem. However, I would think that you could export the 2K clip at 1080p, as you have done. It might be jittery because your project frame rate is other than the 30fps in which the clip was shot. That would account for the jitter.


To check, expand your time line out with the slider next to the Settings button that is located above the timeline to the right.

Then put your cursor on the video clip in the timeline and, while pressing down and holding down the "r" key, drag to the right slowly. A yellow box will appear along with a frame counter box right above it that shows how many frames you have dragged. If it is a 30 fps project, when the frame counter reaches 00.29 (29 frames) at the next click it will show 01.00 or 01.01, meaning 30 fps. If the counter were to reach 00.59 before clicking to 00.01, that would be a 60fps project. In the screen shots below, the counter reached 00.29 and then clicked to 00.01, indicating a 30fps project.




You can set the project frame rate by creating a new project and inserting a clip with a known frame rate, say 30fps, as the very first clip added to the project. You can later delete the clip and the project will remain 30fps even if you then add clips that are shot at other than 30fps. So if you add a 60fps clip to a 30fps project the 60fps clip will play at 30fps. You cannot change the frame rate of a project once it has been set. You would need to create a new project and set the frame rate there.


-- Rich

7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 15, 2019 8:29 AM in response to razacks

Hi, razacks,


iMovie does not support 2K, which may be the problem. However, I would think that you could export the 2K clip at 1080p, as you have done. It might be jittery because your project frame rate is other than the 30fps in which the clip was shot. That would account for the jitter.


To check, expand your time line out with the slider next to the Settings button that is located above the timeline to the right.

Then put your cursor on the video clip in the timeline and, while pressing down and holding down the "r" key, drag to the right slowly. A yellow box will appear along with a frame counter box right above it that shows how many frames you have dragged. If it is a 30 fps project, when the frame counter reaches 00.29 (29 frames) at the next click it will show 01.00 or 01.01, meaning 30 fps. If the counter were to reach 00.59 before clicking to 00.01, that would be a 60fps project. In the screen shots below, the counter reached 00.29 and then clicked to 00.01, indicating a 30fps project.




You can set the project frame rate by creating a new project and inserting a clip with a known frame rate, say 30fps, as the very first clip added to the project. You can later delete the clip and the project will remain 30fps even if you then add clips that are shot at other than 30fps. So if you add a 60fps clip to a 30fps project the 60fps clip will play at 30fps. You cannot change the frame rate of a project once it has been set. You would need to create a new project and set the frame rate there.


-- Rich

Sep 17, 2019 11:42 PM in response to Rich839

Thank you very much for this helpful information. I def. got to learn all those "R" short key commands. My footage was shot with 24fps. I thought it was 30. The PAL/NTSC thing. I checked the clip on imovie as you said. Strange thing is though on export it won't allow me to go any higher than "720p 60". Have never seen the figure "60" beside the resolution or any other number when exporting. Thanks again for your reply.

Sep 18, 2019 6:58 AM in response to razacks

Handbrake can change frame rates of clips. You can also change the frame rate of a clip in iMovie by working with the speed adjustment feature (the little icon that looks like a clock in the toolbar at the upper right of your screen).


However, what is the frame rate that you have set for your project? If you play your 24 fps clip in a 24 fps project you shouldn't get stuttering. If the project is a faster frame rate than 24 fps you might get stuttering. Getting an export option at 60 fps would indicate that the project is 60 fps. Playing a 24fps clip in a 60 fps project definitely would give you stuttering. Playing a 60 fps clip in a 24 fps project would give you slow mo. So, rather than adjusting the clip frame rate you might try working on the project frame rate.


Also, in case iMovie is malfunctioning in some way, try opening iMovie while holding down the Option and Command keys and selecting to delete preferences in the box that appears. iMovie will open in a new library. Reopen your old library to get back to your projects. See if that cures the problem.


-- Rich

Sep 20, 2019 6:39 AM in response to Rich839

Thanks Rich, very helpful. I imported one clip only so I guess imovie should hold the fps rate of this single clip. Just found out after I was shooting with my Mavic Pro in 50fps that imovie counts 60 frames when pressing down "r" and dragging to the right. I started a new project and again imported one clip only that was, as mentioned above, shot in PAL with 50 fps per seconds and shutter speed set to 100. I guess imovie can't handle fps right. Mayby it als makes a difference if I choose PAL instead of NTSC on my drone camera settings. However in PAL I cannot choose 30 or 60 as you might know.

imovie export worse than import

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