How to Import to iMovie from a Random-Access Video Camera Using iLife '11

In iLife, iMovie supports random-access devices that use USB to connect to your Mac, such as HDD or DVD or a flash memory video camera (such as a Flip Ultra HD or the Canon Vixia HF10) or a fifth-generation iPod nano, which includes a video camera. These devices are usually supplied with the appropriate USB cables. The Import window displays all clips on the device; you can import them all or select the ones you want to import. Just follow these steps:

1. Connect the camera to your Mac using the supplied USB cable.

   
   

   The Import window opens automatically, showing all clips stored on the device.

   
   
   



2. You can select any clip and click the Play button to view it; click the Next or Previous button to select the next or previous clip, respectively.

   
   



3. Choose to import all clips or only selected clips.

   
   

   Click Import All if you want to import all clips (or Done to cancel). To import only some clips, click the Automatic/Manual switch in the lower left corner to Manual. You can then deselect the check box under any clip so that iMovie skips it, and click Import Checked to import the selected clips (or Done to Cancel).

   
   

   After you click Import All or Import Checked, the Save dialog appears so that you can save the clips.

   
   



4. From the Save To pop-up menu, choose a hard drive on which to save the clips, and then choose Add to Existing Event and select an event from the pop-up menu, or choose Create New Event.

   
   

   If you choose Create New Event, you can change the title of the event and have the Split Days Into New Events option to create separate events for each day of video recording.

   
   



5. (Optional) Choose the After Import Analyze For option and select Stabilization, People, or Stabilization and People.

   
   

   After importing, iMovie can immediately start analyzing your video for stabilization or people (or both).

   
   



6. Click Import to start the import operation.

   
   

iMovie displays a progress bar under each clip as it imports the clip. You can click the Stop button to stop importing before it finishes. After the import is finished, the Import window closes and the clips appear in the Source Video pane, assigned to events that appear in the Event Library.

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