Top 8 iMovie Tips To Help Make Your First Movie

Almost 90% of online marketers use video content to promote brand or products, and for good reason. Online users love watching videos, which makes them an effective way to deliver a message to a wide audience.

Want to make video marketing content yourself using iMovie? Not sure how to do it? You’ve come to the right place!

In this article, we’ll give you 8 iMovie tips you can use to ensure your project comes off the way that you want it to. That way you can get the engagements online that you’re looking for.

1. Plan Out Your Video on Paper

If you’re making a video on a Mac using iMovie, you’re first going to want to do some planning on paper before you start working on your computer.

Mapping out what you want to do on paper beforehand will remove some of the guesswork that happens during the creative process. Eliminating that guesswork and having a solid plan means all you have to do is execute that plan, which reduces stress and helps keep you focused.

2. Keep It Simple

New to iMovie or making videos in general? If so, then it’s a good idea to keep things simple for your first few videos. Trying to do work with too many files or to make something that is longer than a few minutes on your first try isn’t a good idea, to say the least.

If you do need to make something that is a bit complicated, perhaps for school or work, we suggest making a few practice videos beforehand. That way you can familiarize yourself with the program and create a workflow that works for you.

3. Get And Stay Organized

Regardless of what type of video you plan on making, odds are you’re going to be working with a few different files. From video to audio to even effects, it’s very easy to get disorganized during the video-making process.

Because of this, we recommend that you get organized before you open up iMovie for the first time. Create a folder for all files related to a project and name those files in a way that helps you find them faster.

Once you start making your video, make sure that you stay organized and follow this same protocol when adding new files to your project. That organization will not only make the process easier but help you get your project done faster, too.

4. Save Your Project Often

One of the best things about iMovie is that it autosaves your projects for you quite often. With that being said, it’s still a good idea to manually save your projects frequently to ensure that your work won’t be lost.

A pro tip? Save different versions of your project under different names to create multiple return points. That way if you do a bunch of work, and don’t like the final result, you can easily revert back to a previous version of your project by accessing an older save file.

5. Work With Clear And Quality Files

If you’ve ever done any work editing images, you know that editing a clear and quality picture is much easier than editing one that is blurry or distorted. The same thing can be said when working with video files, which is why we recommend that you avoid working with files that are blurry, distorted, or damaged.

If you’re recording the footage for your project yourself, be sure to film using a tripod to prevent your footage from being too shaky. Also, make sure your footage is well lit so you can easily see whatever it is that you’re filming.

Having issues with your Mac’s camera? Here’s some more info about what could possibly going on, as well as a few solutions to try.

6. Limit Your Effects

After a few minutes of playing around on iMovie,  you’ll realize that there are tons of effects and sliders to use to edit or enhance your files. While these tools are great when needed, going overboard with them can lead to your video looking amateurish, which isn’t what you want.

A good rule of thumb? Try to let your content do most of the heavy lifting. Relying too much on effects and editing, especially if you’re new to video editing, is a great way to end up with a video that you aren’t happy with.

7. Invest In Stock Footage

No matter what type of video you’re making, odds are it can be enhanced by using stock footage to spice up your project. Stock footage is affordable, and often free, depending on what type of content you’re looking for.

The website Shutterstock has tons of HD clips to choose from, as well as a search bar that makes finding what you’re looking for easy. Just make sure to name your files and save them to your project folder so you keep organized.

8. Don’t Forget About Audio

While it’s easy to forget about when working inside of iMovie, it’s crucial to remember that your project’s audio is important, too. Like your video files, you’re going to want to make sure you work with quality audio files that are easy to hear and don’t require a lot of cleaning up on your part.

If you need music for your project, the website Bensound has tons of options to choose from. Their entire catalogue is royalty-free, too, which means you can monetize your video legally without worry about sites like YouTube taking down your video for copyright reasons.

iMovie Tips For Beginners

Well, there you have it! Those are 8 iMovie tips for beginners, and even experienced video makers, that are worth knowing!

Remember, if you’re new to iMovie, keep things simple and don’t try to do too much. Limit the number of files you’re working with and don’t lean too heavily on effects.

Looking for more ways you can take your video to the next level? Check out our blog!