8. Adding and Customizing Video Themes
In this chapter, you find out how to add video themes that automatically turn your movies into professional-looking productions. Topics include the following:
→ Adding a video theme
→ Adjusting the video theme
Video themes are predefined transitions, text treatments, and opening and ending titles that iMovie uses to enhance your video.
Creating a New Project with a Video Theme
If you are creating a new project, you can choose which theme to use at creation time.
1. Click Create.
2. Click Movie.
3. Scroll up and down to see all video themes.
4. Click a video theme to select it.
5. Click Create.
6. Type the name of your project.
7. Select the event that your project must use for source video.
8. Click OK to create your new project using the video theme you chose.
If you create a new project using a video theme, iMovie automatically adds transitions and opening and ending titles. Video themes also normally have a second style of title that can be used anywhere in the middle of your movie. As you drag new video clips into your project, iMovie automatically adds a transition between the clips. At the beginning and end of your project timeline, iMovie has placed an opening and ending title to your project.
Adding a Video Theme to an Existing Project
You might have an existing project you have been working on and later decide to add a video theme to it. Use these same steps to change the theme for a project.
2. Click No Theme to see a list of themes.
3. Scroll up and down to see all video themes.
4. Click a video theme to select it.
5. Click Change.
6. Click Automatic Content if it is not already checked. This feature tells iMovie to automatically add transitions and titles to your movie based on the theme you choose.
Change the Theme Titles
If necessary, you can change the text that iMovie has automatically chosen for the titles.
1. Double-click the title you want to edit.
2. Type a new title or edit the current text.
3. Click the check mark to save your changes.
Title Styles and Customizable Font Properties
Some title styles are not customizable in their font, font size, alignment, or font color. The Titles library has 48 different title styles. The first 16 are noncustomizable in font properties, but the remaining 32 are customizable to some extent, if not fully customizable.
Add a Location
Some video themes include a map so you can tell iMovie where you recorded your video when you edit the title. iMovie shows where you were on the map during the title sequence.
1. Double-click the title you want to edit.
2. Search for a city, airport, country, or place (such as a landmark or a city name).
3. Click to select the city or place.
4. Click Done.
5. Click the check mark to save your changes.
Change the Transition
When you choose a video theme, iMovie uses a predefined transition between clips. You can choose a different transition on a case-by-case basis.
1. Double-click the transition you want to change.
2. Drag a different transition from the list on top of the existing transition to change it.
Use the Precision Editor
If you want to make more granular changes to the transition, such as how long it lasts and where exactly the transition happens, you need to use the Precision Editor.
1. Right-click (or hold the Command key and click) the transition you want to change.
2. Select Show Precision Editor.
3. Drag the transition end markers to shorten or lengthen the duration of the transition.
4. Drag to move the transition to another point along the clip.
5. Touch to close the Precision Editor and save your changes.
Removing a Theme
If you decide that you want to remove a video theme and gain complete control of your project, follow these steps.
1. Click Settings.
2. Click the name of the current theme.
3. Click No Theme.
4. Click Change.
5. Click a transition to select it, and then press the Delete key to remove the transition.
6. Click Turn Off Automatic Content.
