Getting Started: Tips and Tricks for Windows Movie Maker

While Windows Movie Maker is easy to use, there are a number of tips and tricks you can apply to make it even more powerful. Take a look at the following to learn ways to work faster and smarter:

Save Your Work Often

Although this seems like common sense, you’d be surprised at just how many people forget to save their work often. The reason you want to do this is because any number of technical glitches could cause your computer to crash in the middle of a project, meaning you’re likely going to lose all of your hard work. On top of that, you never know when the power is going to go out, and when it does, you can kiss all of your hard work goodbye. Try to get into the habit of saving after each major change you make to your movie.

Adding Multiple Audio Sources

One of the more challenging aspects of Windows Movie Maker is how it handles audio. Essentially, there is only one audio track, so if you add multiple sources, they’re all going to be playing on top of one another. This can get especially difficult if you want to have music and narration in your video, but you don’t want the audio from the camera playing in the background. The way to get around this is to mute the video, export it, and then create a new project. Import your muted video and you’ll be able to add your music and narration without the background noise captured from the camera.

Don’t Use Copyrighted Material

Once again, it may seem like common sense, but you shouldn’t use copyrighted material in your video. Not only is it illegal, it’s going to get your movie taken down if you share it on YouTube. YouTube uses an algorithm that searches for copyrighted material in its users videos. So, even if no one watches your video, it will eventually get taken down, often sooner rather than later.

Break Clips Down First

If you’re going to import longer pieces of video into a project, it’s a good idea to split them into smaller pieces first. This can be done using Windows Movie Maker itself, but the process can be tedious. Instead, consider a simple file splitting tool, like Ultra Video Splitter, to get the job done. Then, you can import your smaller files and Windows Movie Maker will work faster and more efficiently. This can also potentially help cut down on the time it takes to render your movie.

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