Creating a DVD with multiple chapters, digital projects or film studies.
Choose your current version of iMovie. Newer Macintosh computers shipped in the last month or so have all been shipped with iMovie HD. Most of us are still running iMovie4 and iDVD4.
Click here to read the tutorial that includes iMovie 4 and iDVD4.Click here to read the tutorial that includes iMovie HD and iDVD5.
Creating a DVD with multiple chapters using iMovie4 and iDVD4.
Introduction:
This short tutorial was written to help coaches make a DVD that includes multiple, separate, iMovie 4 projects or film studies. Steps 1 - 3 are for Coach's Video Assistant users only. Others, who just use iMovie and iDVD can join in on Step 4.
Step 1: Check your version of Coach's Video Assistant.
Make sure you are using the latest version of Coach's Video Assistant. The latest and greatest version can be downloaded from the internet or just send Coach Rarick a note at jrarick@btathletics.com and he will send you the updated version on CD. The newest version allows the coach to save the digital project to the user's desktop. This will make the whole process of making a DVD easier, especially if you are attempting to make a DVD with multiple projects or film studies.
Step 2: Create a film study.
Use the Coach's Video Assistant and create a film study. This process is not difficult. Refer to the tutorial and/or reference manual. Try to be very specific about your film study. Most videos of more than twenty clips are not very effective. (Please read an accompanying article on creating effective film studies in this same newsletter.)
Step 3: Make your film study into a digital project.
Finish the film study by making it into a digital project. In the latest version you are able to save your digital projects to your computer's desktop. That will make the whole process of creating a DVD much simpler.
Step 4: Move each of your digital projects to your computer's desktop.
Find each of the digital projects or iMovie projects that you want to include in your new DVD. You can find digital projects in any of your CVA folders inside of another folder called "Digital Projects". Did you create it on your startup hard drive or did you create it on an external drive? Move the project's entire folder to your computer's desktop. You will actually be copying a project from an external drive to your computer's desktop when you need to move it from an external drive. If you are using version 7.8 or higher of Coach's Video Assistant you might find your projects on your computer's desktop.
Step 5: Organize and move your digital projects to one corner of your computer's screen.
Move the digital projects that you are trying combine onto a single DVD to a corner of your screen.
Step 6: (iMovie3 and iMovie4 users only.) Check each film study/digital project.
A digital project made with iMovie3 or iMovie4 is contained within a project folder. Open the folder and double click on the file with the star. You digital project will appear. If a prompt appears stating that you have "stray clips" simply respond "Yes" to keep all stray clips. Move all the clips from the clip pane to the timeline below. (Click once on any one clip, go to the menu bar, click once on EDIT and then drag down to SELECT ALL. Click on one of the highlighted clips, holding the mouse button down and drag the entire set of clips to the time line at the bottom of the screen.)Once your clips are on the timeline you can add a title, change the speed of a clip or add a transition. You need to open each project at least once and put the clips on the timeline at the bottom. When you are satisfied that everything is in order, save your film study one last time. Your film study is now a complete digital iMovie project. This is a very important step. While saving your digital project iMovie creates an additional file that is important in the creation of a DVD. (You won't see this file unless you open the project folder. The file will have the same name as the digital project, but will end in a ".mov", which we call an extension.) This file with the ".mov" extension is not really a Quicktime file as we typically know one. It is a file that keeps track of all the DV clips that are inside of your digital project.
Repeat Step 6 for every digital project that you want to add to your DVD.
Step 7: Quit iMovie. Launch iDVD.
There are several books and tutorials on the market today that have you make a DVD while in iMovie. That works for a lot of people. We have found however that most coaches want to add multiple digital projects to a single DVD, and to do that we really think it is easier, faster and more "bug-free" to do it with iMovie shut down. If anything it simply saves memory and processor time.After making sure that iMovie has shutdown, click once on the iDVD icon that should be on your dock at the bottom of the screen. iDVD will launch. If you have already created a DVD your last project might appear. If you haven't created one yet you should see a splash screen with several options. Either choose "Create a new DVD" from the splash screen or from the FILE menu bar, choose NEW PROJECT.
Step 8: Name the DVD project.
You will give your iDVD project a name and navigate to a place to save. In our example we are naming our new project "Favorite Runs". We are going to include three types of runs that this week's opponent likes to run.In addition, clicking once on the WHERE pull down button below the SAVE AS field we can navigate to place to save our DVD project. We really like to choose the desktop. From here you can move it anywhere and it is at least initially easy to find.
Step 9: Choose a THEME.
Click on the CUSTOMIZE button of the bottom of the iDVD window. (#1)
A smaller panel will pop out the side, one of which is labeled "Themes". Click once on the button "Themes." (#2)
A list of available themes will appear down the side. Some are great for football and other sports - others aren't as appropriate. There is a pull down button at the top of the themes that let you choose older themes from previous versions. (#3)
Most of the themes have a DROP ZONE. (#4)
This is an area that you can drop pictures and movies into. This is only for "window dressing". These pictures/movies will play/display when your DVD starts up. It's neat - but not something that is overly useful. We're telling you this only to let you know that we don't want to use the DROP ZONES for creating DVDs with multiple digital projects. Avoid the DROP ZONES - unless you are going to drop in stills etc. When burning a DVD, anything in the drop zones takes additional time. We hesitate to use a drop zone unless it is for a season highlight or some other video of special importance.
Step 10: Find the TV Safe Area.
From the menu bar at the top of the screen click once on ADVANCED and then drag down to "TV SAFE AREA". A box will appear slightly inside of the DVD project window. The area outside of the box will be shaded slightly. The area inside of the box represents the area of a traditional television set. As you work through the following steps always keep the "TV SAFE AREA" in mind.
Step 11: Arrange your desktop.
Carefully drag your iDVD project window over a little, letting you see the digital projects that you just saved. In the case illustrated to the right there are three digital projects. They are all iMovie HD packages/projects.
Step 12: Open the iMovie Project Folder.
We need to open the folder of the first digital project. Opening an iMovie project folder is pretty easy, just double click on folder's icon.
Step 13: Look inside the folder and find the ".mov" file.
The contents of the folder above are pretty typical. We are interested in the file named "Inside Runs" (#5). It looks like a typical Quicktime video file, but it is not. It is more of a directory to where all the different video clips are located etc.
Step 14: Drag the ".mov" file to your iDVD project.
Carefully drag the ".mov" file from the digital project to an area on your new DVD project that is NOT a DROP ZONE. We usually put these on the left hand side. Drop the ".mov" file where you want it to sit. Be careful, the ".mov" file does not actually leave its folder. If you put it where it belongs on the iDVD project screen it will simply copy the information it needs to iDVD and make a button with the project's name &endash; and then it "puts" the ".mov" file back. If you put the ".mov" file in a DROP ZONE you will want to delete it before trying again. Just click once in the DROP ZONE and then press the DELETE key. It will disappear from the DROP ZONE. Once you see a button created on your iDVD project screen close the folder windows that you have opened.
Step 15: Repeat the process of adding ".mov" files to your iDVD project screen.
If you have a second film study/digital project that you want to add, follow the same procedure and put it below the first one. Each theme has a set number of digital project additions. The theme named "Sports" allows you to add eight (8) different projects.
Step 16: Change the title name.
You can change the name of anything on the iDVD screen by clicking on it once and re-typing. This won't change anything but the name. Even project names can be changed.
Step 17: SAVE
From the menu bar click once on FILE and drag down to SAVE PROJECT. It's probably better to do this frequently throughout Steps 1-16.
Step 18: BURN
Click on the Burn button twice and then insert a BLANK DVD-R when prompted.
Creating a DVD with multiple chapters using iMovie HD and iDVD5.
Introduction:
This short tutorial was written to help coaches make a DVD that includes multiple, separate, iMovie HD projects or film studies. Steps 1 - 3 are for Coach's Video Assistant users only. Others, who just use iMovie HD and iDVD5 can join in on Step 4.
Step 1: Check your version of Coach's Video Assistant.
Make sure you are using the latest version of Coach's Video Assistant. The latest and greatest version can be downloaded from the internet or just send Coach Rarick a note at jrarick@btathletics.com and he will send you the updated version on CD. The newest version allows the coach to save the digital project to the user's desktop. This will make the whole process of making a DVD easier, especially if you are attempting to make a DVD with multiple projects or film studies.
Step 2: Create a film study.
Use the Coach's Video Assistant and create a film study. This process is not difficult. Refer to the tutorial and/or reference manual. Try to be very specific about your film study. Most videos of more than twenty clips are not very effective. (Please read an accompanying article on creating effective film studies in this same newsletter.)
Step 3: Make your film study into a digital project.
Finish the film study by making it into a digital project. In the latest version you are able to save your digital projects to your computer's desktop. That will make the whole process of creating a DVD much simpler.
Step 4: Move each of your digital projects to your computer's desktop.
Find each of the digital projects or iMovie projects that you want to include in your new DVD. You can find digital projects in any of your CVA folders inside of another folder called "Digital Projects". Did you create it on your startup hard drive or did you create it on an external drive? Move the project's entire folder to your computer's desktop. You will actually be copying a project from an external drive to your computer's desktop when you need to move it from an external drive. If you are using version 7.8 or higher of Coach's Video Assistant you might find your projects on your computer's desktop.
Step 5: Organize and move your digital projects to one corner of your computer's screen.
Move the digital projects that you are trying combine onto a single DVD to a corner of your screen.
Step 6: (iMovie HD Users &endash; referred to occasionally as iMovie5)
Check each film study/digital project. iMovie HD creates a "package" for each of its digital projects. A package is nothing more than a special kind of folder. When double clicking on this special folder it saves you the time of opening the folder and double clicking on the iMovie file inside. It starts iMovie for you automatically and launches your digital project. It's pretty clever, and is helpful for everything other than making a DVD. But go ahead, double click on the special folder, the package, and start up your digital project. Look it over, even if you are absolutely convinced it is perfect, and from the menu bar, click once on FILE and drag down to SAVE. You shouldn't need to navigate, change the name or do anything else. Just SAVE.
Repeat Step 6 for every digital project that you want to add to your DVD.
Step 7: Quit iMovie. Launch iDVD.
There are several books and tutorials on the market today that have you make a DVD while in iMovie. That works for a lot of people. We have found however that most coaches want to add multiple digital projects to a single DVD, and to do that we really think it is easier, faster and more "bug-free" to do it with iMovie shut down. If anything it simply saves memory and processor time.After making sure that iMovie has shutdown, click once on the iDVD icon that should be on your dock at the bottom of the screen. iDVD will launch. If you have already created a DVD your last project might appear. If you haven't created one yet you should see a splash screen with several options. Either choose "Create a new DVD" from the splash screen or from the FILE menu bar, choose NEW PROJECT.
Step 8: Name the DVD project.
You will give your iDVD project a name and navigate to a place to save. In our example we are naming our new project "Favorite Runs". We are going to include three types of runs that this week's opponent likes to run.In addition, clicking once on the WHERE pull down button below the SAVE AS field we can navigate to place to save our DVD project. We really like to choose the desktop. From here you can move it anywhere and it is at least initially easy to find.
Step 9: Choose a THEME.
Click on the CUSTOMIZE button of the bottom of the iDVD window. (#1)
A smaller panel will pop out the side, one of which is labeled "Themes". Click once on the button "Themes." (#2)
A list of available themes will appear down the side. Some are great for football and other sports - others aren't as appropriate. There is a pull down button at the top of the themes that let you choose older themes from previous versions. (#3)
Most of the themes have a DROP ZONE. (#4)
This is an area that you can drop pictures and movies into. This is only for "window dressing". These pictures/movies will play/display when your DVD starts up. It's neat - but not something that is overly useful. We're telling you this only to let you know that we don't want to use the DROP ZONES for creating DVDs with multiple digital projects. Avoid the DROP ZONES - unless you are going to drop in stills etc. When burning a DVD, anything in the drop zones takes additional time. We hesitate to use a drop zone unless it is for a season highlight or some other video of special importance.
Step 10: Find the TV Safe Area.
From the menu bar at the top of the screen click once on ADVANCED and then drag down to "TV SAFE AREA". A box will appear slightly inside of the DVD project window. The area outside of the box will be shaded slightly. The area inside of the box represents the area of a traditional television set. As you work through the following steps always keep the "TV SAFE AREA" in mind.
Step 11: Arrange your desktop.
Carefully drag your iDVD project window over a little, letting you see the digital projects that you just saved. In the case illustrated to the right there are three digital projects. They are all iMovie HD packages/projects.
Step 12: Open the package.
We need to open the "package" of the first digital project. In order to open a package you must first hold down the CTRL key (which sits to the left of the OPTION key on the bottom row of the keyboard). The cursor will change shape. While holding down the CTRL key slide the mouse cursor over the top of your first package. Click the mouse button down. A small pop up window will appear. Slide the mouse pointer down to "Show Package Contents" and release.
Step 13: Look inside the package and dig a little deeper.
The contents of the package to the right are pretty typical. We are interested in the folder named "Shared Movies" (#5). Without holding down the CTRL key, simply double click to open the "Shared Movies" folder.
After opening the "Shared Movies" folder you will see a folder named iDVD. (#6) Double click on this folder.
Inside of the "iDVD" folder you will find one single file that ends with a ".mov" extension. It looks like a typical Quicktime video file, but it is not. It is more of a directory to where all the different video clips are located etc. In this case it is named, "Inside Runs.mov" (#7).
Step 14: Drag the ".mov" file to your iDVD project.
Carefully drag the ".mov" file from the digital project to an area on your new DVD project that is NOT a DROP ZONE. We usually put these on the left hand side. Drop the ".mov" file where you want it to sit. Be careful, the ".mov" file does not actually leave its folder. If you put it where it belongs on the iDVD project screen it will simply copy the information it needs to iDVD and make a button with the project's name &endash; and then it "puts" the ".mov" file back. If you put the ".mov" file in a DROP ZONE you will want to delete it before trying again. Just click once in the DROP ZONE and then press the DELETE key. It will disappear from the DROP ZONE. Once you see a button created on your iDVD project screen close the folder windows that you have opened.
Step 15: Repeat the process of adding ".mov" files to your iDVD project screen.
If you have a second film study/digital project that you want to add, follow the same procedure and put it below the first one. Each theme has a set number of digital project additions. The theme named "Sports" allows you to add eight (8) different projects.
Step 16: Change the title name.
You can change the name of anything on the iDVD screen by clicking on it once and re-typing. This won't change anything but the name. Even project names can be changed.
Step 17: SAVE
From the menu bar click once on FILE and drag down to SAVE PROJECT. It's probably better to do this frequently throughout Steps 1-16.
Step 18: BURN
Click on the Burn button twice and then insert a BLANK DVD-R when prompted.
