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IMovie iCloud Saves

Hi Friends,


Can anyone please tell me:


If I am using iMovie to create a Movie, (New Project) and I included (for instance) 3 video clips and save them in an iMovie project. Then upload them to iCloud.., Can I safely delete the original 3 video clips I used to make the iMovie project?


Sorry, forgot to mention I am on iOS 13.1.3 iPad Pro, NOT a Mac. ;)


Many thanks for your advice!

Posted on Feb 28, 2020 11:49 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 29, 2020 8:05 AM

Hmmmm. If using iCloud Drive to sync, then you could use all 50GB of Cloud storage if your Mac were storing 50GB, even though your iPad disk space were only 32GB. With Optimize storage selected, all 50GB from your Mac would be stored in the Cloud and on your Mac, and 32GB of that on your iPad with the 18GB of additional files stored on the iPad as hollow non-space consuming icons that would download when clicked on. Since there would not be enough space on the iPad, I think, but not sure, that iCloud would upload some files to make room for the newly downloaded files. At least, I think that that's the way it works. You might want to do some Googling to confirm that.


You are correct that 32GB of space can fill easily and make it more difficult to work with movies. 20GB is about the minimum that most on this forum recommend -- depending on the size of your movie. I still believe in using external drives, formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) to store my iMovie libraries.


-- Rich

7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 29, 2020 8:05 AM in response to David_1

Hmmmm. If using iCloud Drive to sync, then you could use all 50GB of Cloud storage if your Mac were storing 50GB, even though your iPad disk space were only 32GB. With Optimize storage selected, all 50GB from your Mac would be stored in the Cloud and on your Mac, and 32GB of that on your iPad with the 18GB of additional files stored on the iPad as hollow non-space consuming icons that would download when clicked on. Since there would not be enough space on the iPad, I think, but not sure, that iCloud would upload some files to make room for the newly downloaded files. At least, I think that that's the way it works. You might want to do some Googling to confirm that.


You are correct that 32GB of space can fill easily and make it more difficult to work with movies. 20GB is about the minimum that most on this forum recommend -- depending on the size of your movie. I still believe in using external drives, formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) to store my iMovie libraries.


-- Rich

Feb 28, 2020 12:09 PM in response to David_1

You cannot store an iMovie project (as opposed to the exported movie) in the Cloud. You can store the exported movie in the Cloud.


Once you share out (export) a project as a movie file, the exported movie is a standalone file with all of the media merged into it. You can delete all of the source files (original media) that went into the exported movie without affecting the movie. However, if you delete the original media from the iMovie app it will delete it from all projects that are using that media, including the original project. So you would be disabling all projects that are using that media. Further, it will be difficult to retrieve your source files from the exported movie, in case you want to use those files in another project or for another purpose. To use them again, you would need to have the source files stored somewhere, perhaps on an external drive.


You might want to consider just keeping the source files unless you have some reason for deleting them. Also there is little reason to delete the project itself, since projects don't consume much space because they use only referenced files. But of course, that would be your call.


-- Rich

Feb 28, 2020 12:15 PM in response to Rich839

Hi Rich,


Thank you very much for your reply / answer.


This is exactly what I needed to hear!

I am safely keeping the projects in iMovie, I.E. movie 1, movie 2 etc.

But also saving the completed (exported) project in the icloud.


I realize this also provides me with a copy of the exported movie on my iPad.., frankly its just the little video clips that I want to just delete a f t e r I have made my main movie projects. Just want to save space and such.


Thanks again for sharing your expertise and advice.

Very much appreciated Rich!

Feb 28, 2020 2:02 PM in response to David_1

You are very welcome.


Just be careful. If you are using iCloud Drive syncing with iPad and Mac, deleting the video from your iPad will delete it from the Mac and from iCloud as well. If you are saving videos to your Mac, they'll save also to iCloud and to your iPad and that could fill up your iPad storage pretty quickly. Choosing the Optimize Storage option would keep your iPad from filling up. It would just leave a hollow file icon on the iPad, not taking up space, that would download only when you clicked on it. If you turn off iCloud Optimize, all files would download.


-- Rich

Feb 29, 2020 6:30 AM in response to David_1

Thank you again Rich!


I have my Optimize Storage turned on.

I did however notice yesterday that (in my case only 32 GIG’s) I did have to free up some disc space on my iPad Pro before iMovie would allow me to render / export the movie project.

I did that and all was fine.


It has me thinking though, ...iMovie must need a certain amount of hard disc space to render any given movie project and as my disc space fills, it will most likely become more difficult for me to continue working on only 32-GIG’s won’t it?


Not looking for fault, but I ‘think’ this is kind of where iCloud drops the ball a wee bit. I always purchase the extra 50 Gig’s, but with only 32 Gig’s to play with, I really cannot make use of the iCloud 50 Gig’s or, ...can I?


Thanks again Rich, much appreciated!

Feb 29, 2020 8:11 AM in response to Rich839

Yes, I think you have hit the nail on the head.

The thing for me to do is store between a Mac and iCloud. Just use the iPad Pro to create the iMovie projects on.


Now.., I just need to buy a Mac / MacBook. ;o)

Family member has one but I don’t think he wants to give it up!


Have a good weekend and thanks for corresponding Rich!

IMovie iCloud Saves

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