iMovie 10.1.2 won't create new movie project

Well it sounds like you have done most of the normal troubleshooting techniques. By the way to delete preferences you need to hold down both the option and command keys. Two suggestions: Create a new user and see if iMovie behaves. Start up your computer in safe mode (hold down shift key at startup). As soon as boot up is complete do a restart and then try iMovie.

I have the exact same problems. Same OS, same version of iMovie. It worked with a new user, but then I don't have access to my files.

Well, what the solution ??? --- I have the same trouble. Please! Thank you!

And by the way. What the difference between trailer create and movie? Ah? Trailer create well done!

And now, all what we may to do - is - create trailer and then convert it to movie. Excuse for English.

Well at least you have narrowed down the problem to being a conflict in your home folder. There are three options I can suggest although two of them are not simple. First you can rebuild your home folder. Search apple knowledge base and discussions group for the particulars as there have been numerous postings on how to do this. It is however risky. Secondly some people have suggested to go into your user library ( not system library) > preferences and remove the preferences to the desktop and see if iMovie is ok. The OS will rebuild the folder after restart. But at least you know it is a preferences conflict. If iMovie is not ok the issue is more complicated. Replace the original preferences folder and then remove a group of preferences and try iMovie. It becomes an iterative process until you find the culprit. This used to be a fairly straight forward approach before the OS got so complicated. Now it is much harder and prone to error if you are not careful. The easiest approach is to create a new admin user and migrate your home folder data over. Do it by folder and check iMovie after each move so you don't create the problem again. Since the conflict is in the home folder reinstalling the OS won't help usually. Sorry I can't be of more help but you might post in the El Capitan discussion group and the OS experts there might have a better solution.

Good advice, Jim! Thanks for the feedback.

Obviously, it would be best to get to the root of the problem and fix it that way. But it all sounds extremely time-consuming and not a guaranteed fix.

I found a temporary solution. Select File... New App Preview... click through the alert that it gives you. It basically gives you a brand new timeline that's identical to what you would get if you were able to create a New Movie. I've been able to create new movie projects through this way. Hope this helps you, Richard and Alex!

Good day,

Thank you, Jim and trentdewhite!

I think that manipulations of folders will not give the positive result.

Because Trailer and App Preview successfull created, but Movie - don't and no difference exists between this 3 types of project.

However,I will try these solutions and inform you about the result.

Before this, I think better make timemachine copy of own el capitan.

I JUST SOLVED THIS WITH SOMEONE!!!!

I Have not been able to verify this, because I've only ever seen it on one computer, but the fix that IMMEDIATELY fixed the problem.

Step -1: BACKUP YOUR DATA!!!!

1. Quit iMovie

2. Go to your movies folder (or wherever IMovie library is held)

3. Right click iMovie library and "show package contents"

4. Find and trash "Settings.plist"

5. Open iMovie again and it should work!

worked for me here having the same symptoms: trailers were working but not movies, we even did a full erase and install and it didn't solve the issue because we brought back the library from a backup.

hope this helped!

This worked for me too!! I had to delete the old projects as well. Thanks 🙂

Hello, all!
Thank you, gavenfromcupertino, richardfromnewplymouth!

I made it!

At first, after deletion Settings.plist new Movie project didn't create. No project exists in iMovie Project Tab. I close iMovie. Then I've noticed, that in iMovie Library exists "My Movie" folder. I've delete it and delete the new created file Setiings.plist.

After that I run iMovie and can create new Movie!

I test it again - success!

Thus, in iMovie Library appeared new "My Movie" and "My Movie1"folders.

Have a nice day!

THANK YOU ALL!!!!! This was the fix that finally worked for me!!! 🙂 🙂🙂

I have tried trashing the settings.plist and also the entire My Movie folder, restarted the computer, relaunched iMovie, however, I cannot create ANY new Movie, Trailer, nor App Preview. All three of these options are greyed out. Does anybody have any other workaround? I am working from the admin account....

Solved: Select Window > Got to Projects and then choose File > New Movie. Probably this is how it's intended to work (?) I just find it very confusing anyway

Was experiencing the same symptoms: "New trailer" worked, but not "new movie".

My experience: Deleting Settings.plist on its own did not solve the problem. However, after closing iMovie again, re-deleting "Setting.plist", then deleting a ghost folder "My Movie" and "CurrentVersion.flexolibrary", I was able to then create a new movie upon re-launching the app!

My ignorant theory: When the "Create new movie" command is issued, a new folder is created called "My Movie" until you rename the folder from within the iMovie App. However, if a glitch occurs, and the "My Movie" folder is created without the users knowledge, when the user goes to execute that "create new movie" command, iMovie doesn't know how to handle the request because the folder "My Movie" already exists.