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Windows Movie Maker is Video Creating/editing Software that is included in recent versions of Microsoft Windows . It contains features such as effects, transitions, titles/credits, audio track, timeline narration, and ''Auto Movie''. New effects and transitions can be made and existing ones can be modified using XML code. HISTORY Windows Movie Maker was introduced in 2000 with a year later, and included support for creating AVI and WMV 8 files, as well as DV support. Version 2.0 was released as a free update in November 2002, which added a number of new features. Version 2.1, a minor update, is included in Windows XP Service Pack 2 . Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 introduced a new version of Windows Movie Maker, 2.5, with more Transitions and support for DVD burning. A WPF version was included in later builds of Windows "Longhorn" (now Windows Vista ), but was removed due to instability. In Windows Vista, Windows Movie Maker has been upgraded to version 6 to match the version number of the operating system, the SDK however refers to it as version 3.0. It is included in all editions with the exception of Windows Vista Starter. A High-definition version is included in Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista. The Windows Vista version includes about 20 new effects, a few new transitions, and support for the DVR-MS file format which Windows Media Center records television in. The HD version in Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista adds support for capturing from HDV camcorders. The capture wizard will create DVR-MS type files from HDV tapes. However, the Windows Vista version of Windows Movie Maker no longer supports importing video from an analog video source such as a VCR or from a Webcam . Windows Movie Maker no longer supports analog capture or webcam capture All Windows Vista versions require Pixel Shader hardware support. Some systems might not be able to run the newer version. Therefore, Microsoft has also released an updated older version 2.6 for Windows Vista on the Microsoft Download Center. This version requires the Windows Vista version of Windows Movie Maker to be present, but allows the use of Windows Movie Maker on systems where the Windows Vista version cannot be run. LAYOUT The Layout consists of a ''storyboard view'' and a ''timeline view'', collections for organizing imported video, and a Preview screen. When in ''Storyboard view'', the video project appears as a film strip showing each scene in clips. The storyboard/timeline consists of one 'Video' (with accompanying 'Audio' bar), one 'Music/Audio' bar, and one 'Titles/Credits' bar. In each bar, clips can be added for editing (e.g., a .wav music file will belong on the 'Music/Audio' bar). Still images can also be imported into the timeline and "stretched" to any desired number of frames. The Video and Music/Audio bars can be "cut" to any number of short segments, which will play together seamlessly, but the individual segments are isolated editing-wise, so that for example, the music volume can be lowered for just a few seconds while someone is speaking. Like all Non-linear Editing System s, the original camera file on the hard drive is not modified in any way; the current project is really just a list of instructions for re-recording a final output video file from the original file. Thus, several different versions of the same program can be simultaneously made from the original camera footage. IMPORTING FOOTAGE When importing footage into the program, a user can either choose to ''Capture Video'' (from camera, scanner or other device) or ''Import into Collections'' to import existing video files into the user's collections. The accepted formats for import are .WMV / .ASF , .MPG (MPEG-1) , .AVI (DV-AVI) , .WMA , .WAV , and .MP3 . Additionally, the Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Movie Maker support importing MPEG-2 Program Stream s and DVR-MS formats. Movie Maker file format support When importing from a DV tape, if the "Make Clips on Completion" option is selected, ''Windows Movie Maker'' automatically flags the commencement of each scene, so that the tape appears on the editing screen as a collection of short clips, rather than one long recording. That is, at each point where the "Record" button was pressed, a new "clip" is generated. However, the actual recording on the hard drive is still one continuous file. This feature is also offered after importing files already on the hard drive. In the Windows Vista version, the "Make clips on completion" option has been removed — the clips are now automatically created during the capture process. ''The efficiency of the importing and editing process is heavily dependent on the amount of file fragmentation of the hard disc.'' The most reliable results are had by adding an extra hard disk dedicated as the Movie Maker "Scratch Disk", (it need not be very large) , and regularly re-formatting it, rather than simply deleting the files at the end of the project. Fragmented AVI files result in jerky playback on the editing screen, and make the fineal rendering process much longer. After capture, any clip can be dragged and dropped anywhere on the timeline. Once on the timeline, clips can be duplicated or split, and any of the split sections deleted or moved to another position. Right-clicking any clip brings up the range of editing options. Although it is possible to import digital video from cameras through the USB interface, most older cameras only support USB version 1 and the results tend to be poor — "sub VHS " — quality. Newer cameras using USB 2.0 give much better results. A FireWire interface camera will allow recording and playback of images identical in quality to the original recordings if the video is imported and subsequently saved as DV AVI files, although this consumes disk space at about 1 Gigabyte every five minutes (12GB/Hr). Alternatively, most DV cameras allow the final AVI file to be recorded back onto the camera tape for high quality playback. Some standalone DVD recorders will also directly accept DV inputs from video cameras and computers. Earlier versions of Windows Movie Maker did not allow the direct burning of DVDs. The project had to be first saved as an AVI file, and a separate program used to author the DVD from that. This was not a major problem, as limited but perfectly workable software for this (eg Power Producer) is often bundled with DVD burners. The Windows Vista version of ''Windows Movie Maker'' provides integration with Windows DVD Maker to facilitate the recording of movies onto DVD . EDITING, EFFECTS AND TRANSITIONS There are over 130 effects, transitions, titles, and credits available. They are applied by using a Drag And Drop interface from the effects or transitions folders. Titles and credits can be added as stand alone titles or overlaying them on the clip by adding them onto the selected clip. Titles range from static (non-animated) titles to fly in, fading, news banner, or spinning newspaper Animations . Due to the flexible interface, programming custom effects and other content is possible for version 2.0 and higher using XML . Microsoft also provides SDK documentation for custom effects and transitions. PUBLISHING TO THE INTERNET Movie Maker allows users to publish a finished video directly to the internet, thereby eliminating extra work involved in posting videos online. VERSIONS NOTES AND REFERENCES SEE ALSO 3D Movie Maker EXTERNAL LINKS
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