Import a Movie Into iMovie
If you’ve already imported the movie you want to use for your trailer, select it from the Library. If you haven’t, complete the following steps:
Select a Template
You can choose from 29 iMovie templates (or genres), including Action, Adventure, Blockbuster, Documentary, Friendship, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Sports, Spy, Supernatural, and Travel. There are also some more esoteric choices, such as Bollywood, Coming of Age, Film Noir, Indie, and Retro.
If the footage you want to use is on your computer, select File > Import Media.If the footage you want to use is in iCloud, select File > Import iMovie iOS Projects.
iMovie imports the file or files you’ve selected into your iMovie Library. Depending on the size of the file, this process may take several minutes. Now, you’re ready to get started on your movie trailer. How could Apple have left out Bad Sci-Fi, you ask? To be fair, there is a Supernatural template, but we selected the Adventure template for our trailer. To choose and apply a template for your movie trailer, complete the following steps:
Create a Movie Trailer
The fields on each tab sheet will vary based on the template you chose. To provide the details your movie trailer needs, complete the following steps: Beneath the trailer, three tabs will appear: Outline, Storyboard, and Shot List.
Watch and Share Your Movie Trailer
To view your movie trailer, select Play beneath the video window. The Play icon plays the trailer in the video window. To view the trailer in full screen, select Full Screen; to exit full-screen mode, press the Esc key on your keyboard. The tab is divided into four sections:
Name and DateCastStudioCredits
When you select a logo style, such as Snowy Mountain Peak, your logo appears with that theme above. You can change the logo style and any other information on this tab at any time, but you can’t customize the logo. A storyboard is a visual map of your movie’s sequences. Here, you edit the onscreen text and select clips from your movie that fit the storyboard. For example, the second part of the storyboard for the Adventure template is set up for an action shot and a medium shot.
Select a placeholderIn the navigation pane, beneath Libraries, select a photo or video.
Don’t worry about the length of a clip: iMovie adjusts it to fit the allotted time. Here, you see the clips you’ve added to your movie trailer organized by type, such as Action or Medium. On this tab or on the Storyboard tab, you can change any of your selections. When you’re happy with your movie trailer, you can share it by selecting the trailer in the Projects view, and then selecting File > Share. Sharing options include email, YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo. You can also use the Share menu to export your movie trailer to a file for viewing on a computer, Apple TV, an iPod, an iPhone, or an iPad.
Where to Find Footage for Your Trailer
iMovie offers 29 templates to help you get started. These templates include original movie scores, movie studio logos, and customizable cast names and credits. Animated drop zones help you choose the videos and still photos you want to use in your trailer. You also can find loads of copyright-free films on the Internet Archive website to experiment with, or use one of your own movies to create a movie trailer.
