Cropping and Rotating Video in iMovie �11 v9.04*

Cropping and Rotating Video using the iMovie "Crop" tool is an important addition to your editing toolkit when compiling a professional, high quality video presentation.

To crop an individual clip, click it and select the crop button, which appears as two intersecting L curves forming a square. This will trigger a selection reticule, which will appear over the main image displaying the current frame of video. You can then click and drag the selection reticule as if you were cropping a photo, allowing you to decide what elements of the clip you wish to crop from view.

To reframe or center the video after cropping, just select and drag the reticule by clicking near the cross in the center.

If you need to rotate the video, simply click the “Rotate Image” buttons, which appear as two turning arrows.

To test your effects, press the “Play Clip” button, which appears as a right facing triangle between two lines. This allows you to troubleshoot and experiment with multiple video options before incorporating them into your iMovie project.

Remember, if you want to go back and edit your cropping and rotations later, iMovie saves the original video structure as well, allowing you to reset or adjust your settings in the same interface. Just select the pre-edited clip and select “Crop”.

When to Use This

1. When you need to adjust the size or focal point of a video shot or entire clip
2. When you need to rotate a video shot or entire clip.
3. When you need to troubleshoot effects and editing procedure.

Additional Help

• Contact Academic Computing if you need additional help.

• If you require clarification on how to select and maneuver clips in iMovie (a prerequisite for utilizing the "Crop" feature), please review the help Wiki documentation on that topic.

• Here is a supplemental step-by-step video tutorial illustrating a user adjusting video utilizing the above features: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgjOD2Q-VHo