How can I use export with Quicktime?
Phew - at last I have managed to get a movie out of iMovie and into something I can use. In my case I did want to upload it to YouTube, but it failed every time. Finally exported to iTunes, dragged to my desktop and renamed the .m4v file to .mp4, uploaded to YouTube and - it works! Thank you so much
Hello Dupont 24,
We've an article that details the process of exporting a project to a QuickTime file.
iMovie (2013): Export a QuickTime file
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14734
Cheers,
Allen
I don't think that's the answer Dupont 24 is looking for. I think the correct answer is that this functionality has been removed from iMovie.
In the previous versions of iMovie, you could Export using QuickTime, and use whatever QuickTime settings you wanted... altering the resolution, bit rate, codec, etc...
Now with iMovie 10, you can't do this, you can only "Share as a File" and take whatever iMovie 10 decides to give you, which will be an .mp4. For example, in my workflow that used iMovie 9, I had source material that was 480x270 and I'd output a 480x270 mp4 with H.264 that had a data rate of 767kbps and was playable on any device. iMove 10, forces it up to 1280x720 1.77mbps and isn't playable on most iOS devices. To get the file I'd want, I'd need to transcode the video with an old version of the QuickTime Player or other software (lowering the quality in the process).
I think the correct answer to Dupont 24 is to continue using a previous version of iMove (it should still be saved in your Applications folder). If this isn't possible then submit feedback and hope for the best.
Just confirming that KevinePaloAlto's answer is the correct one. The export options in iMovie 10 are extremely limited, and the export with Quicktime option that was available in iMovie 9 is not available in 10. I also recommend leaving feedback for Apple, letting them know this is not acceptable.
I've posted to feedback requesting the feature be added back. I've switched back to using iMoive 9. I use an Elgato Turbo.264 HD encoded. It's at least 3 times as fast at exporting a moive in iMovie 9 than iMovie 10 without it. It requires the export to quicktime feature to be used with iMovie.
Agreed, they totally dumbed this down way too much. I want to export my GoPro footage in 60 fps because it just looks much smoother, but I don't have that option now.
I'm switching back to iMovie 9 until version 10 has this.
In the "help" menu I looked up the procedure for exporting to Quicktime under the heading "iMovie Theater" instead of under the heading "Sharing video clips and projects". It turns out that you have more options when exporting from the Theater. I was able to chose a larger format size and succesfully exported to a Quicktime file.
@KentMor,
When you export from Theater, you must first import to Theater. In other words, the dumbed down iMovie 10 is still exporting a 720p 30fps file (or whatever) and then uploads it to iCloud. To export it from Theater, you're then taking that choiceless format file and transcoding it while scaling it down (bad) or transcoding it while scaling it up (worse).
And... you still don't have real options when choosing the codec, format, size, frame rate or data rate when exporting from Theater. All the export options from iMovie 9 and earlier are still missing.
TL;DR: You're no better off exporting it from Theater. It will take much more time, result in lower quality, and still not provide you with any real format choices that were available in iMovie 9 and earlier.
If you're affected by this at all, please submit feedback:
This solved my problem. Been very frustrated with the new imovie. It has a far smaller scope than it used to. Will definitely complain. Anyway, thanks heaps for your help everyone!
I agree. The new Export functionality is so crippled it's almost ridiculous. If you want to save a copy of a movie in any sort of custom format, there are ZERO options available. Movies that are exported to a file turn out to be huge. For instance, I started off with an MP4 file that was 470 MB, and edited it in iMovie. After exporting the result (which has 14 minutes less footage), the file weighs 1.11 GB ! And, no, I do not want to upload to YouTube, Vimeo, Email, or any of those other options. I want to keep a copy of the file.
Can we get ay word whatsoever on if this will get added (unremoved is more like it)
I very very recently jus got my first Mac and my coworker was always like "Yea look at Apple and how awesome iMovie is"
Now I got a Mac, go to use iMovie on literally my FIRST imported video ever in my life and I am severely let down. I go looking for Export like any normal person would want to do, an find export "File" which has no options at all except resolution. What kind of "updated" video editing app doesn't have any export options?! I have 60fps source. Why the heck can't I pick an export framerate that doesn't delete half of my frames?!?!
My first use ever and I am very very disappointed. I was even more upset when I found out that it was actually in an OLDER?!?! version!
iMovie was one of the things that made me think "Wow! Mac comes with an app that does all that stuff?" and actually made me consider getting an apple product. Now I feel like Apple thinks I'm an idiot. I thought my Mac would bring some awesomeness right out of the box, or at least a little joy, but instead I feel like I jumped on a train to "Our customers our idiots" ville.
I found only three direct ways to get files out of iMovie 10.0.4.
(1) You can write a file with a choice of only three resolutions and no choice of compression using the file option (as discussed in the apple links above). These are extremely large files -- a standard resolution (480p) was encoded at 6000 kbps. Which is about 5x the size of a youtube video of the same resolution, and considerably larger than the original files at the same resolution.
(2) You can output a file to iTunes, drag the file from iTunes to another folder, and change the extension to .mp4. This method has the same extremely limited resolution options (God forbid you want a resolution less than 480, or 60 fps), but it yields a more usable compression for the internet-- a 480p resolution around 1800 kbps. This is about 50% larger than the size of a youtube video at the same resolution.
(3) You can export to email and then move the video to a folder. This is compressed beyond all reason, and is completely unwatchable. On the flip side, a 480p resolution video is only 400 kbps, less than half the size of a youtube video of the same resolution.
I can see why they wanted to simplify all the options under the old export for quicktime option. They had to support a bunch of obscure codecs. But for iMovie to be useful in needs to offer output at range of resolutions (including something below 480p); 24,30 & 60 fps; and a range of compressions -- even if it only offers the AAC, H.264 codec.
Thanks Terry_S. That was the most helpful info I've found. I my vidoe "shared" to iTunes and it reduced the movie size enough for me to use it. Then I pulled it out onto my desktop, gave it the extension that I needed (.mov) and voila! I can now upload my movie to the website I need to and it met their size and file requirements, 100MB or less.
Thanks Terry_S, I would try the iTunes route to get reasonable file size for me to upload to youtube. My guess is that apple forces us to buy Quicktime Pro to enable 'export using quicktime' option in iMovies 10. I see quite good reviews for Quicktime pro, but am not sure whether that would bring what I want.
One way that you can modify/re-encode a video once you've pulled it out of iMovie and into iTunes and then another folder using Terry_S's method is by using MPEG Streamclip. It's free software (I am not associated with the creators) and I've been using it for years in my job to modify videos. It allows you to export out videos in a few different formats, but most importantly as mp4s and limit the data rate and aspect ratios as well as the audio kbps, which is often jacked up much higher than it needs to be.
iMovie 10 export with Quicktime
