A. GETTING STARTED
1. Getting
to know the interface
Click on the Movie Maker icon on your
desktop: 
Do a little experimenting. Click on the
Tasks icon for a view of the various tasks. 
Examine each option under: (1) Capture video, (2) Edit movie,
(3) Finish movie, (4) Movie-making tips.
Next, click on the Collections icon. 
Examine the layout. Several short clips should appear.
In the bottom half of the screen are these two
icons: (1) Show Timeline, (2) Show Storyboard. 
These icons toggle between the two views.
Lastly, experiment with resizing the various
panes, as described in the tutorial.
2. Understanding
projects, movies and source files
Remember, a Project is not a movie,
but simply the file that contains all the information about the
files that have been imported into or captured in the current
project. It is a list of your decisions--in essence, a map.
Let's create a sample project. Under My
Documents, create a temporary folder for experimental
storage. Then, back in Movie Maker, import a few clips,
still photos, or whatever. Next, click on File; then, Save
Project. Close Movie Maker, then, reopen it, and from File,
select Open Project. Voila!
Next, move one of the Source files you have
used to another folder on the computer. Note that it is no
longer available because Movie Maker cannot find it.
3. Getting
familiar with the toolbar
The toolbar should look quite familiar to you
from using other programs. Simply take a few moments, to
look at the various options available via the following menu
options: File, Edit, View, Tools, Clip, Play, Help.
Next, hold your mouse pointer over of the
various menu icons you see to learn what each does.
4. Using
the undo and redo buttons
As with many programs, there are a number of
ways to accomplish a particular task. Movie Maker offers icons
for Undo 
and Redo 
.
To undo the last task, simply click on the
"backward" blue arrow. To undo more than one
action, click on the small triangular arrow next to the undo
arrow. Move the mouse over as many actions as you would like
to undo. The same holds true for the blue redo arrow. Give
both a try!
One can also accomplish undo and redo
functions by clicking on Edit in the toolbar and selecting either
option.
Keyboard shortcuts are: Undo = Control
+ Z. Redo = Control + Y.
5. Setting
general tools options
Click on Tools and select Options.
Here under the General tab you will make important choices
regarding the functioning of Movie Maker.
The Default Author window will display
information in media players, so be aware that others may view what
you type here, if anything.
Next, you may choose a location for temporary
file storage. Be sure there is ample room!
Place a check in the three boxes depending
upon your preferences. You may change the default auto-save
time from 10 minutes to another duration. Check the codecs
box if you want Movie Maker to automatically search the web if
your computer is missing something required to play a particular
file type. (A codec is an abbreviation for compressor/decompressor--software
or hardware used to compress or decompress digital media.)
6. Setting
advanced tools options
Again, click on Tools and select Options.
Here under the Advanced tab you will make further important
choices regarding the functioning of Movie Maker.
Here you will see options for changing the duration
of inserted pictures and transitions between clips.
Regarding video properties, the default
setting is: NTSC and 4:3. (PAL is used in Europe and
other locations. The 16:9 ratio is a wide-screen ratio
setting.)
You may also select the maximum file size to
be included in an e-mail. The default setting is a very
practical 1MB.
7. Using
Movie Maker help
Explore Movie Maker's Help section in
the toolbar. It contains the usual Contents, Index and Search
options. Click the box with the + in it to expand to
additional topics. Also, you can resize by positioning the
mouse on the vertical bar separating the two panes.
8. Visiting
the Movie Maker web site
Occasionally visiting the Movie Maker web site
can be productive. Sometimes new features are available for
free download. Also third-party products are advertised.
Click on Help and select Windows Movie Maker on the Web.
There are also a number of tutorials available on this site.
