"Missing media" error trying to share new trailer

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Level 1

8 points

"Missing media" error trying to share new trailer

My daughter is using iMovie for the first time on a new Macbook Air running OS X Mavericks 10.9.1 and iMovie 10.0.1. She imported the video clips from her iTouch to her iMovie library and used some of those to create a Trailer. She used the default music from the trailer template and only the video clips she imported from the iTouch to the Air's local hard drive. In "Library" view the trailer is visible and looks fine.

However, trying to share or export the movie in any form (Theater, Email, Quicktime) generates the following error message, "[TRAILER NAME]" has missing media. If you click Continue, your project will be exported without these clips." The one time I tried to export it looked like only the first video clip she used was converting - the entire rest of the trailer was gone...but it's still working in Library view.

I cannot figure out the source of this problem, nor can I discover the answer in the forums. (I can't even see which media the app says are missing??) I've seen advice on delete/reinstall but was concerned that the trailer might vanish if I exit the app.

Thanks in advance for any assistance on a fix.

Thanks,

Brian

iMovie '11, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1), MacBook Air (mid-2013), iTouch iOS7

Posted on Jan 12, 2014 10:01 AM

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Answer 1

GeeD

Level 6

9,173 points

Jan 12, 2014 1:44 PM in response to murphola

Reinstalling the app won't delete your projects or events. They reside in the library (with extension .imovielibrary). If you right/control click on it and select "Show contents" you will be able to see inside. There find folders with your event and project names and copies on your clips and photos in a forlder called "Original media". Don't move or change anything, but may give you a clue as to what is going wrong.

Geoff.

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Answer 2

murphola Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 13, 2014 8:38 AM in response to GeeD

Thanks GeeD for the reply. I understand the point you're making but am having trouble following the steps.

I can't figure out where to find these files anywhere inside the Library folder...the only sub-folders that looked like they might contain the files were "Application Support" and "Video" -- the former had an "iLife Media Browser" folder that had nothing, and the latter was completely empty. (FWIW I don't see a "Show contents" option when I Ctrl+click on Library either.)

I also tried searching for "imovielibrary" and "original media" in both Finder and Spotlight and got no results. Perhaps I'm experiencing a more basic problem than your solution can help me solve...?

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Answer 3

GeeD

Level 6

9,173 points

Jan 13, 2014 9:31 AM in response to murphola

When you say "in library view" do you mean playing the trailer in the project timeline works fine - all clips are present and play?

(The iMovie 10 library folder will be by default is in your Movies folder and have the extension .imovielibrary. I think you were looking in your user Library folder. However, in retrospect I'm not sure it is going to help much looking in there.)

Geoff.

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Answer 4

murphola Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 13, 2014 10:34 AM in response to GeeD

Yes -- when I wrote "in library view" it referred to within the iMovie app, where you toggle between "Library" and "Theater".

OK, so I found the Movies folder and the iMovie library folder inside -- thank you. The "original media" sub-folder seems to contain all 50-odd .mov files that were imported from the iTouch (though, curiously, about half show the deafult QT thumbnail icon - playing any of those replaces it with an image).

The folder also contains a subfolder with the name of her project; in that there is a single file called "CurrentVersion.imovieevent" that I assume is what the app is playing in the library/project view. But no other clues as to why the Share contines to return the missing media error...

To make matters more complicated, she subsequently created a second Trailor and that all seems to be working perfectly. I have no idea what's different about the newer project, but maybe just the first (and, imho, much better) trailor isn't going to work...beginner's (bad) luck? :::sigh:::

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Answer 5

GeeD

Level 6

9,173 points

Jan 13, 2014 11:32 AM in response to murphola

OK, it is starting to make sense. The project is OK - the low resolution clips used when scrubbing in the timeline are OK but the original media, needed when exporting are party absent (if they show a generic icon they are probably empty files - their size will be very small). Looks like they may have been linked on import rather then copied and the source there were linked to has moved. In fact if you can replace the ones that are missing and needed in the video directly in the subfolder, they will probably appear in the movie.

I don't really recommend doing this - any mistakes and things may get worse. If you do decide to try try, make a make a backup of the .imovielibrary package beforehand so that it can be replaced with the current version if you run into problems.

A safer option would be to delete them from the event from within iMovie and then re-import them.

Geoff.

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