How do you just save your iMovie project so you can watch it in Quicktime or post?

The icon on the desktop is displaying a temporary file that has not yet been fully exported. iMovie always deposits a temporary file on the desktop to assist it in doing the export, but the temporary file will disappear shortly after

the export completes. What you have is a data temporary file that won't play anywhere. If you control-click on it and do a Get Info it probably will show zero bytes, or very few bytes. The export failure might be caused by iMovie not functioning correctly, or possibly by a corrupt clip in the project. Or, although not likely, it may have been a very large project and the export has not yet completed .

You might look elsewhere on your desktop and see if you can find the fully exported file.

If you can't find the fully exported file, then try exporting again.

If still no luck, try deleting/resetting preferences, as that procedure often cures export problems. To delete/reset preferences open iMovie while holding down the Option and Command keys and select 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. Possibly you may need to reboot to set the changes.  Deleting preferences is a safe procedure that will not cause data loss or disruption to your project.

-- Rich

Hi, krackley,

In order to save your iMovie project so you can watch it in Quicktime player or post it, you need to export the project as a movie file to your desktop, and from there you can play it.

To export the project click on the little export button (the little box with the upward pointing arrow in it) at the top right hand corner of the project screen. An export option box will appear.

If your Operating System is Mojave or earlier, click on the File icon in the export box:

If you are using Catalina or later, the share options box looks a little different. Click on the Export File icon in the box.

After you click on the applicable icon, other boxes will display that allow you to chose your resolution, quality, and compressions settings, and then to chose the destination for you exported movie.

-- Rich

Did you possibly export it as an Image or a Frame, instead of a File?

When one exports an iMovie project as a File it will export as an Mp4 movie. An Mp4 movie is not a data file, it is a movie file. QuickTimePlayer should be able to play it.

Would you post screen shots of the icon that appeared on your desktop after exporting, and of the error message that you got?

-- Rich

You are very welcome. You are good to go. 😊

— Rich