A basic how-to for journalism students and journalism educators for using this basic video editing program.

1. Windows Live Movie Maker
Basic Tutorial
By Mindy McAdams

2. New project
Open Windows Live Movie Maker
(WLMM) and start a new project.
This menu is where the File menu
would be, but it is not labeled.

3. Save project as
Type a sensible project name.
Choose a folder where the project will
be saved.

4. Select aspect ratio
This depends on the video clips and the settings on the camera that was used to shoot those clips.
Select Standard or Widescreen (NOTE: The correct selection depends on the aspect ratio of your
source video. The video here is 4:3 — but your video may be 16:9.)
Aspect ratio (4:3 and 16:9) explained
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspect_ratio_%28image%29

5. Add clips to project
If your video clips are already on your
hard drive or can be copied from an
attached device, such as your camera.
Locate the clips and open the folder
containing them.

6. Add clips to project
Select all of the clips.
Click Open.

7. Playing a clip
Click once on a clip to select it.
Press the space bar to play. Press the space bar again to stop.
The vertical black bar shows you where you are. This is the playhead.
Grab and drag the playhead to “scrub” forward and back.

8. Trim clips (1)
Each of the clips will
need to be trimmed.
That means you will
select the best part of
the clip for inclusion in
your movie.
The front and back of a
clip will be trimmed
away, discarded.
When you find the best
starting point (“In”),
right-click to open this
menu and select Set
start point to trim.
Pressing the letter I will
do the same as the
menu.

9. Trim clips (2)
When you find the best ending point (“Out”) for the clip, right-click to open this menu and
select Set end point to trim. Pressing the letter O will do the same as the menu.

10. Moving a trimmed clip
Drop and drag a clip to the position
you want it to have in the final video.
To produce your finished video, trim
each clip, move it into position, and
adjust the in and out points as needed.
Delete any unneeded clips.

11. The clip has been moved to the beginning (top left)

12. Save the project often
It will NOT be saved automatically.

13. Video Tools
Several options are available under Video Tools.
You may find you have better control, while trimming clips, if you select the Trim tool.

14. The Trim window
If you have selected the Trim tool, you
can select your In and Out points this
way.
(Windows Live Movie Maker calls
these Start and End points.)
Note: You will need to click Save trim
when you are finished.

15. Save movie
All your work has been saved in the
WLMM project, but you do not have a
video that can be played until you
have EXPORTED the video file.
WLMM has a button to start the
process of exporting your finished
video: Save movie.

16. Options for exporting
Each choice for exporting your finished
video will have a very different result.
Some files will be huge (example: For
high-definition display) and others will
be small and of very low quality
(example: For email).
The only file format that can be
exported from WLMM is WMV (which
is Windows Media Video). It cannot
export AVI, MOV, MP4, M4V, etc.
Only WMV.

17. Create custom setting …
At the bottom of the Save movie menu
(previous slide), you can select Create
custom setting … That will give you
this dialog box.
You can name it anything.
You can choose the width and height
of the video, the bit rate (this will
affect BOTH download time and image
quality), and the frame rate (do not go
higher than 30!).
You can also select from a long list of
audio settings, many of which are TOO
HIGH (meaning the file will be
unnecessarily large).
Click Save when finished.

18. Add titles and credits
If you cannot see the list shown at
right, drag the WLMM application
window to make it wider. (Sometimes
this list of three options is hidden.)

19. Modify font, size, etc., and drag to position

20. Add audio
Even though WLMM has only a button
that says Add music, you can add any
kind of audio, such as narration or an
interview.

21. Select audio file

22. Position audio file
The file is represented by a little
rectangle that can be dragged and
re-positioned as needed.

23. Adjust audio
The “Music Tools” appear whenever
you click on an audio file in the WLMM
timeline.

24. Movie with two bits of narration, title, and credits

25. Adjust volume on video clip
If the audio on any clip is too loud, or it
interferes with overlaid audio from
another source, you can adjust the
volume this way.
Select the clip first.
Then click the Edit tab.
Click Video volume to adjust.

26. Windows Live Movie Maker
Basic Tutorial
By Mindy McAdams