How to share an iMovie clip between computers?

Question

How to share an iMovie clip between computers?

I've created a fairly large movie in iMovie 9 on my desktop. It's almost done--I just have to create the credits.

I decided in order to give my desktop a rest, I'd create the credits on my laptop and then transfer them to the main movie on my desktop.

So I created the credits as a new iMovie project on my laptop, and want to now transfer that project to my movie on my desktop. Can someone tell me how to do this? Thanks.

(N. B.: I just noticed that while I have iMovie 9 on my desktop, my laptop runs iMovie 11. I'm assuming that moving between the two won't be a problem, as they seem to look identical and produce the same results--at least in doing credits.)

2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, Mac OS X (10.5.8), Memory: 4 GB 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

Posted on Jun 26, 2012 6:35 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Klaus1

Level 9

52,749 points

Jun 27, 2012 7:34 AM in response to James Snedeker

Best way to do this is to export the credits as a Quicktime file (best quality) and import that into the main movie.

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Answer 2

Jun 27, 2012 8:39 AM in response to Klaus1

Thanks, Klaus. But how do I physically move the file between the two computers? Thumb drive?

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Answer 3

Jun 27, 2012 10:41 AM in response to James Snedeker

Hi

But how do I physically move the file between the two computers? Thumb drive?

NO !

Connection - Either connect one Mac in Target mode to the other via FireWire. Or use an external hard disk !

(Target-Mode - Start one Mac e.g. laptop - BUT keep T-key down during full up-start - Now a FW-symbol is jumping around the screen and it will work as an external hard disk when connected to the other Mac)

A. The External Hard Disk - MUST BE - Mac OS Extended (hfs) formatted to work for Video. UNIX/DOS/FAT32/Mac OS Exchange works for most other things but not for Video whatever program is used (iMovie or FinalCut)

B. Should be a FireWire one as USB/USB2 performs badly to me and especially when filling up

C. Do never Move or Alter any folder named

• iMovie Event's - or -

• iMovie Project's

on DeskTop/Finder - as this will result in iMovie losing connections to them and repair can be anything from hard to impossibly

D. Moving and Copying must be done within iMovie application and Events to Events - and - Project's to Project's.

E. Moving Project's to Event's - Do not work for me - I have to export project as a QuickTime movie then Import this into Events.

Yours Bengt W

Event's window can show two faces

Like this

User uploaded file

or like this

from one hard disk Event - You can move it to the other hard disk

You can not (at least not me) move Event to Project or other way around only

Event to Event and Project to Project

Yours Bengt W

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Answer 4

Jun 27, 2012 5:10 PM in response to Bengt Wärleby

Bengt,

Thank you for your informative reply. Hmmm.... prior to reading your reply, I did attempt to move the iMovie project from one computer to the other via a thumb drive, and appeared to have worked! I was able to copy it out of my laptop and put it on the thumb drive, and then put the thumb drive into my desktop where it appeared. I then was able to drag and drop it into iMovie and my large project, where it appears to be working just fine.

Please tell me if there is something wrong with this, thanks.

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Answer 5

Jun 28, 2012 12:27 AM in response to James Snedeker

My view is - You were Lucky

Usually this creat's problem but for small projects and if Thumb drive is formatted as Mac OS Extended (hfs) it can work - But I will not chance or invite others into probably problems.

But as it works - Be very Glad 😁

Yours Bengt W

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Answer 6

Jul 2, 2012 1:14 PM in response to Bengt Wärleby

Bengt, yes I am very glad. But I am also very cautious, and when my movie began freezing up, I started to have second thoughts, based on your advice. So I removed those clips form the project, recreated them as new projects on my desktop (a lot of work but I'll do anything to get this thing done), and then exported them as QT movies and then imported them as events, and then popped them into my project. It worked.

Yes, I was very glad that my initial thoughts worked, but I am also very glad to have expert advice from people like you to keep me from doing bad things!

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