Creating and inserting a cutaway from a video still

I would suggest that you first create the photo still. Then drag it in to iMovie as if it were a normal photo to create your cutaway.

First, get an app called MPEG Streamclip, which is free. (google MPEG Streamclip from Squared 5)

Open MPEG Streamclip.

In iMovie, select the clip you need. Then, right-click/Reveal in Finder.

Drag this clip into MPEG Streamclip

In MPEG Streamclip, move the playhead to the frame you want.

In MPEG Streamclip, click FILE/EXPORT FRAME.

Choose JPEG, TIFF, or PNG and give it a name.

You can then drag this photo into iPhoto.

Here is a video I made that steps through this...

I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.

To add to an alternative to AppleMan's method.

A way that i have done. Make the video show in the imovie browser screen, move the clip to desired spot for pic, Take screen shot (Shift+Comm+4) of the browser screen(top right)> should be in finder/desktop. drag it in project.

Bottom line: Any place you can pause/stop and make the screen shot look nicer.

Hope this helps

There is no way to do what you are asking within iMovie. Use a third party tool like I described. It is possible to do a freeze frame in iMovie. This will freeze a frame within a clip and let you hold it for a few seconds, but you cannot move it or use it as a cutaway.

I will agree with you on that video link, That is a nice way of doing it. I hope the method that i posted is okay with the forum etiquette, because i don't want to offend the forum. I use the screen shot (which is fair quality), for not having to put a video into project for one shot. Still, I want to respect the forum. Cheers, AppleMan

@1Sidekick - Thanks. Feel free to answer any time. You were perfectly fine within forum etiquette, expecially if you have a method that works and you have tried it yourself.

I don't use your method myself because the MPEG Streamclip method preserves the resolution of the original clip, and your method goes through several transformations to produce something at the resolution of the screen rather than the original clip, and may or may not be acceptable quality.

But, in general, your post was fine. I hope to see you an the boards.

@ AppleMan1958 - I Appreciate that.

I do test everything i can, and will let know if i only read/heard of a fix. I was kinda wondering what sort of links i could put on here (not advertising and such), So, i'll catch on...Thanks and hope to learn onto your/others tips & tricks.

Yes, that is how a cutaway works. It is used primarily for video, but also works for photos.

Drag your video clip from the Event browser and drop it on a project clip at the point where you want the cutaway to begin.