iMovie projects null, 0 seconds

I you have not done so already, try looking in the iMovie Backups folder for a backup of your library that predates the problem.

To get to the iMovie Backups folder, follow this file path from the Finder menu:

Go/Home/Library/Containers/com.apple.iMovieApp/Data/Library/Caches/iMovieBackups

When you get there you will see a list of previous backups of your iMovie library.  Click on one dated just before your issue started.  iMovie will open in that library.   Navigate to your projects browser (where your projects are displayed as icons) and see if your projects are intact.

-- Rich

O.K. Give the Backups folder a retry and see if it makes any difference.

It appears that you iMovie library may have gotten corrupted. The good news is that the projects and media are intact in the Show Package Contents of the library.

So, if still no luck, create a new blank library (with nothing in it). Then open the package contents of your old library. Select and Edit/Copy the following four files:

--Sync--

CurrentVersion.plist

Settings.plist

Current Version...Flexolibrary

Then open the package contents of the new library and Edit/Paste the above files into it. You will get a notification asking whether you want to replace the existing files. Click yes. Then go back to your old library, open the package contents, select the "null" projects by name and copy and paste the "null" projects into the package contents of the new library. Close the new library and reopen iMovie in the new library. Now see if you can open the projects in the new library.

Other than copying per the above, be careful not to move, rename, change, or modify anything in the old library's package contents, or you risk corrupting that library even further.

If the above procedures do not activate the projects then, unfortunately, I think that the projects have been irretrievably corrupted and you will need to start over -- unless you have a Time Machine backup from where you can restore your iMovie library to a point in time just before your project became corrupted.

-- Rich

Try copying (not moving) all the contents of the old library show package contents to a brand new library show package contents, except for the -Sync--, CurrentVersion.plist, Settings.plist, and Current Version...Flexolibrary files. In other words, say no when prompted to replace. See if that works. We want to try using the new library's structure rather than the old library's structure.

Another thing you could try is to open iMovie in your old library. Then create a new library from within iMovie and open it as well. . Then, when iMovie is open in the old library move your cursor over the project's icon in the project browser and click on the little circle with dots in it to the right of the title. From the drop down menu, select Copy Project and choose the new library in which to copy it. Then see if the project wil open in the new library.

The iMovie files are grayed out probably because the iMovie library in which they reside is corrupted. That can happen sometimes for mysterious reasons. The reason that I think it happened here is that the issue is confined to just this one library, and all of the projects in it are showing up gray. However, at least you still have your media intact. If by chance you had shared out any of the projects as a movie file, then you would have a playable file that contains all of your edits, and could still be edited to some extent if you imported it back into a new movie project.

A Time Machine backup probably would have rescued you here, so you might consider using one for future projects.

-- Rich