Special Effects Editing with iMovie

This video shows some simple tricks for editing superior special effects using iMovie. I go through the steps involved in editing a simple effect doubling myself and making a mini me appear and levitate. This video focuses particularly on creating stronger green screen shots cropping, resizing and positioning to make multiple layers of footage work together. This video shows you how to get past some of iMovie's limitations and create special effects that push your iMovie productions to the next level.
One of the more basic iMovie hacks people discover early on is that you can insert a "title" with no text and some of the title text like "pixie dust" can make for a wonderful animated flourish as a character waves a wand etc. iMovie can only handle two layers of video simultaneously, but if you are careful in thinking through the process, you can create a composite shot with many more layers involved. I start by cleaning up my green screen footage (removing shadows, cropping etc.). Then I use the picture in picture effect which allows for sizing, placement and even keyframe animation of a video. After exporting my composite, I import it again to add another layer of footage. For the DIY filmmaker, a little creativity, patience, and will help you get the shot just right.

[@Losophyy]

Honestly i was looking for a video like this for a long time and you're the only one who has actually made the special effects editing one THANK YOU!

[@peachyinc.official]

Same here!!!!

[@maxtarnacki]

The sound of the clicking is so satisfactional to my ears and I don’t know why

[@zyt0plasxm88]

Same with me bro😂🤣🤜🤛

[@livAhoms]

Same lol

[@onyx8259]

Didn't know that it is possible to add keyframes in iMovie, thank you! :)

[@kamadogrove]

So cool! Thanks for teaching us.

[@nathanelakinyinka1767]

Great tutorial!! please continue to produce more content like this!

[@StyleHard]

absolutely incredible!

[@SabrinaSayin]

this simple but helpful tip will save me!! Thank you so much!! Gonna use it for my videos yaay

[@apxpandy4965]

Your fluency with the editor made me 'green' with envy! Thanks!

[@candacejune416]

One of the only actually helpful tutorials on RUclips, thanks sm!

[@dickdona5989]

Brilliant. Many thanks for that.

[@BeautifulNaturalCurls]

Very good video!! Awesome teacher and new subscriber!

[@SandeepAcharya4630]

Mr. Kyle Wood, you are simply fantastic in your tutorials! Pls keep up the good work.

[@KyleWoodArtEd]

Thank you. I'm glad this was helpful for you.

[@jonahlehman1123]

dear google, how do I search for black people ruining ecomony?

[@Tomi_421]

@@jonahlehman1123 wtf hahaa

[@Inductor76_Canal_Juegos]

Great job, thank you. Good video.👍

[@dellascott163]

Very good tutorial!

[@ChrisRobinGaming]

Great job thanks 👍

[@soysauceproductions5252]

Hah it feels so weird going back to this when I’m on adobe

[@studio1954thereflections]

Thank you "Kyle" that is so helpful ...excellent teacher you are!

[@Codeytek]

Grt video

[@cchrisonutube]

Thanks for this! It's always great to outsmart a simple program and produce tremendous effects! My students will love this!

[@Leonardo-bs1ww]

Thanks a lot this tutorial was very helpful ;)

[@blackboardrules1963]

Thanks for the tutorial. Easy to understand step by step. I will definitely be able to apply some of these effects.

[@Yikkoofficial]

Woah! Awesome. Trying this today!!!

[@SoshJam]

Thanks, you're a live saver!

[@Duducapoeiraofficial]

Thanks amigo!

[@theseekerofchaos5219]

Thank you :3

[@scoro3]

Thanks for this video/tutorial. I'm gonna have some fun with it.

[@SlowMomentum]

Awesome

[@LorenzoToysandGames]

you has helped me a lot in my videos. Thank you!!!

[@aydenludlow5695]

This was exactly what I was looking for thanks for the guide

[@TrevorEmdon]

Really well explained. Thank you.

[@TheFantasticWarrior]

The closest one to what I wanted yet,GJ

[@LdyVivianne]

Great job, super clear and easy to follow and understand. Thank you very much for this tutorial.

[@stellal5427]

So many exporting tho,...... BUT WORTH IT IF I DONT HAVE TO PAY

[@aantix]

That was awesome Kyle! Definitely one of the more advanced iMovie tutorials I've seen.

[@krysformayor8217]

Wow! Short, sweet and amazing! Thank you Kyle!😇

[@MsBitsNBobs]

Really helpful. Thanks.

[@da-AL]

great!

[@IUWEUS]

Very nice .
Thanks man ✌️👍👍👍👏👏🤗

[@Goomer]

great vid

[@thecriticsview6128]

You just made my Day!!!! So I am not CRAZY in thinking i could not figure it out... IT simply is NOT possible in a user friendly way in iMovie.

[@LearnItwithFeliciaMarie]

Thanks for this info! Super helpful for my new channel!

[@sofyakoeppel4949]

Thanks, it was helpful

[@jfingerskeys]

cool thanks didnt know i could do this

[@DREVY82]

Awesome explanation

[@luizamogosanu544]

Thanks for sharing this and big cheers for the huge help! :)

[@702GODDESS]

AWESOME...

[@49Macman]

Dude, You're Awesome! Thanks!

[@zurvey]

Smart! I love it! Thanks for making the time to do this for us.

[@Jonlaster1]

Very Helpful!!

[@glammachronicles7583]

iMovie master, how do you reduce the size of the top green screen layer when it's put above a standard movie layer below? When I do a picture in picture the green shows. Any help would be greatly apreiciated, I am working on this now.

[@glammachronicles7583]

Nevermind I figured it out yesterday.

[@KyleWoodArtEd]

If I'm understanding you correctly, you put the top green screen layer is as picture in picture and size it. Put it on top of a green background, then export that video. The new composite shot created will have the correct size and placement. You can then import that clip into your timeline and use the green screen effect.

[@glammachronicles7583]

Thanks for your response, but as I said...I figured it all out. Not only that, but I have finished that portion and imported it into my project and hope to finish it this week. I guess I was smarter than I thought.

[@futureplusx]

Really helpful! I looked for a way to put more layers via imoive, you video really opened my mind. Thanks.

[@colinpfening8831]

So cool!

[@hyqix3l944]

Thanks that was helpful

[@caksalam99]

Nice

[@cedtv8899]

thanks men looking for this you are awesome

[@SnookySmilesPhoto]

That was awesome! Thanks Kyle!

[@XOXOPriscilla]

Thanks I enjoyed this example. I'd love to recreate a video like this one.

[@SandraCWright]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@castleteck9263]

Pretty Dope!!!!!

[@ateneacarter]

very useful, THANK YOU!!!!

[@Ptpop]

Great video. I am trying to film a Model as a ghost sitting down in a chair. I think you explained how I should film it.

[@LeonNilTravelgastronomy]

Thank you very much for the information, it helped me a lot.

[@RPO808]

Feel like a doofus all this time exporting to theater instead of a file... 😒 thanks for also showing the key frame tool! Will definitely use that in the future.

[@OldAlabamaGardener]

That's pretty good! I wish I could do that. Thanks for the video.
OAG

[@StreamersEveryday]

Cool im using Sony Vegas but this is still awesome!

[@marciawright]

THANK YOU SO MUCH

[@PinkyAna]

great tutorials unlike to others.

[@TheMaleRoleModel]

how can you change the colour for the green screen on mac? If you use imovie on the iphone you can add a green screen layer then it gives you the option to select which colour from that layer you'd essentially like to make transparent. BAsically like adding an overlay. Can you also do this on mac?

[@chanon8431]

Ty very much

[@kaelle5939]

Thanks bro!!! 🙌🏽

[@todaywithahmeds3309]

NICE VIDEO. VERY USEFUL

[@missbui143]

haha. neat. thanks!

[@DonakondaCreation]

Super, thank you SIR

[@neilcartwright100]

Kyle, thanks for this video. I'd be wondering how to green screen in the same way as you use picture in picture and this is the answer. Shame about the iMovie limitations but at least you can do it and it's free! Thanks.

[@ryananderson2352]

WOW!!!

[@piercepadre]

Thanks

[@AvijitBrahma]

Thanks for the idea. Imovie don't had direct resize for greenscreen. So bit more exports. Its ok for free app.

[@BESTARR]

Whats going on? WHY AM I EVEN HERE?!?!?!?!

[@stoneybolonga3852]

Will it be the same on iPhone for iMove??

[@tfiksdale]

Does the green screen have to be specific or just any old green blanket?

[@frankzimmermann3114]

WOW

[@luziiluizth.8742]

nice

[@miggyasmrGa.BT5297]

I used I movie in a vocational school and didn't know you can use a green screen. Well, they didn't have one at that time. Lol

[@FIQUEONLINECOMKL]

MUITO BOM

[@Deojie]

Wow

[@mvs]

so you don't need to track ?

[@phztanxmusic]

do you need to download any thing extra or is this feature in the iMovie basic tools ?

[@foco5657]

How do u do it with iOS

[@jscursions]

Can you add icons/ key frames using IMovie on your phone?

[@kingdavid4659]

nice video. very easy to follow. Is there a way to disappear an unwanted moving object in a video in iMovie without cutting off or splitting the video? thanks

[@KyleWoodArtEd]

It's hard to say without seeing the actual video and what you wanted to take out. I would imagine, wheat you could do is put a green box as a picture in picture then add keyframes to make that move with the object you wanted to remove. You would then have to export the video to merge it down and use the green screen effect on that file.

[@kingdavid4659]

thanks a lot, this was very helpful

[@lightwarriors7778]

Great tutorial, and straight to the point. But I would suggest changing your mac trackpad settings so that to click you only need to touch it vs full contact. Its irritating hearing you finger stomp in the mic every time. Other than that, GREAT VIDEO!!!!

[@KyleWoodArtEd]

Thanks for the thoughtful comments. I will have to rethink the trackpad settings. I actually normally have it set to touch, but since I teach elementary kids, I have found that having a sound like that grabs their attention to highlight action happening. I do see where it can get annoying though so maybe I will make other versions without the noise.

[@gobrad]

Hi, Great Video!! I see you using a key frame... How can I add text to a moving image? For instance... A lorry passing by I want to put my name on it...

[@antigone3250]

The automation from one key frame to the next is also called tweeting in animation speak :) thank you for this video

[@cyzsplayzzz6542]

Why doesn’t my iMovie have that button you’ve basically been only usinh

[@skatewang2005]

Great tutorial! Can someone explain how he made the sitting version of him move around? Thx!

[@jaredngugi5869]

Help... I have added titles And LT to my final cut project now they all ve a black box behind them. It is blocking my video clip how do I remove it?

[@tfiksdale]

WoW first time user of imovie didn't know it was that complicated? Multi layers. I watched twice. I dont understand the delete the top layer? When you did that I thought shit you just deleted the whole thing. But, how do you know what that button does if you dont know what to click on?

[@tfiksdale]

How many layers are possible?

[@ethicalvsunethical2644]

didn't understand how you got a rid of the green screen of that tiny guy that was hiding the face and hand of the big guy when you were creating key frames

[@madeinengland6784]

Missing those white dot sliders though, ahh man I was pissed lol