mig42
Level 1 (4 points)
iPhone

Q: Does iMovie always say how long an export will take?

I'm trying to export a 2 hr 20 min video but it doesn't say how long it's going to take. It just says that it's writing the file to the desktop and it's been like that since I started it an hour ago. So far I've only been successful exporting shorter videos so I'm not sure if this is normal for long videos? I'm running the new iMovie 10.1 on a Macbook Pro 2015.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015), OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Jan 11, 2016 8:39 AM

Close
mig42

Q: Does iMovie always say how long an export will take?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by judysings,

    judysings judysings Jan 13, 2016 6:22 AM in response to mig42
    Community Specialists
    Jan 13, 2016 6:22 AM in response to mig42

    Hello, mig42.  

     

    Thanks for the question!  I see you have some concerns with the amount of time a project is taking to export.  A project can take 1.5 to 2 times the playback time of the project to render and encode, so this can be normal. Most likely the project has exported already, but if it hasn't here are a couple suggestions to help you out either now or with future projects: 

     

    There can be many factors that influence the exporting and rendering process in iMovie. The following may account for any perceived performance issues:

    1. How large is the video project that is being exported? It usually takes 1.5 to 2 times the playback time of the project to render and encode during the export.
    2. How many applications are currently open during the export process? The more applications that are running the longer the time it will take to export; it is a good idea to close any unnecessary programs during the export or burning process.
    3. Is the project on an external hard drive? Data stored on an external hard drive will export more slowly than data stored on an internal hard drive if the connection to the external device isn't as fast as SATA.
    4. What is the format of the the video project? High Definition video will take longer to render and encode than Standard Definition footage.
    5. How many clips, titles, transitions, and effects are in the project? Large numbers of clips, titles, transitions, and effects can increase the amount of time to compile and export the video project.
    6. How much hard drive space is available? At least 10 GB of available free space (on the drive your operating system is installed on) will allow your computer to run at optimal speed. 
         
      • For best results, if the hard drive your project is stored on is very full, you should create at least enough free space to account for twice the size of the video project you are exporting.

     

    iMovie ‘09: Slow performance when exporting video

     

    The link above is for an older version of iMovie, but the information still applies to the most current version.  

     

    I hope this information is helpful and thank you for visiting Apple Support Communities.  

     

    Cheers