How to Export a QuickTime Movie in iPhoto to iMovie

IMovie is an excellent free application on Apple computers that allows anyone to create videos right away. The program provides a professional look to even the most hurried and inexperienced projects by offering transitions, titles and other key video features. But video data does not always come from a camcorder. When a digital still camera exports video clips into iPhoto, these videos play back but will not save as a video format that iMovie understands. Since iMovie is designed for DV-formatted clips, still-camera QuickTime videos are not supported. Apple has addressed this problem with a free conversion tool.

Things You'll Need

• MPEG Streamclip software

Instructions

1. Download the MPEG Streamclip software from the Apple website (see References below for link). This free program is a useful utility provided to address formatting differences between varied video sources. Videos from the web, still cameras and video cameras are all formatted differently. MPEG Streamclip allows for easy conversion between these formats for use in other programs.

2. Install the MPEG Streamclip after it is downloaded. Double-click the installation file on the Mac and follow the on-screen instructions until the program is loaded completely.

3. Open MPEG Streamclip after installation. Drag the QuickTime video you wish to import into iMovie into the MPEG Streamclip window.

4. Click on the File menu and choose the option "Export To Quicktime."

5. Choose the Apple Intermediate Codec in this export dialog window. The video codec determines which software will support the exported file. Different program use different codecs. The Apple Intermediate Codec is widely supported by a variety of Apple video programs, including iMovie.

6. Choose a file name and location for the exported video and complete the process.

7. Open iMovie and load the converted video.

Tips & Warnings

• An alternate option is to use QuickTime Pro software. This program is not free but provides a range of features that may appeal to active video editors. If your iMovie project is intended for playback on an Apple portable device, such as an iPod or iPhone, you may need QuickTime Pro to complete further conversion into formats these devices accept.

• It is possible to convert and edit copyrighted content with these utilities. Be sure you have permission from content creators before processing their video footage or projects into your own software.

References

• Apple: MPEG Streamclip
• Apple Support: How to Import Non-DV QuickTime Movies
• Apple: QuickTime Pro