Editing Clips in Windows Movie Maker

Since Windows Movie Maker automatically splits up your captured or imported video footage into clips, you may need to alter those clips directly. This is more specific than would just be done when editing the sequence, so a process that is directly focused on a clip individually should be used. There are a number of ways to split up a single clip before it enters into a sequence.

Depending on a clip's length you may want to break it apart or combine it with one or more other clips. You can do this in both the Storyboard and Timeline views, as well as the content pane where the clips rest. To split the video clip select the clip from one of the areas it is at. Click Play Clip, and let it play until you hit the point where you would like to break it up, then hit Pause. Go to the Clip menu in the task bar and select Split. You can cut out a middle portion by starting the clip farther in.

To combine clips you need to hold down the Control button and select the multiple clips you would like to make into one. Go up to the Clip menu in the task bar and select Combine. Be careful how many you combine because it can become an unmanageably large video clip.

If you just want to trim a clip, then you go to the Timeline, place the select clip in, which you can do by selecting the clip, going up to the Clip menu in the task bar, and selecting Add to Timeline. Select the clip in the Timeline and then use the playback indicator to go right to the spot in the clip where you would like to trim it. Place the playback indicator at the beginning of the part where you would like to trim the clip, then go to the Clip menu in the task bar and select Set Start Trim Point. Likewise, at the end of the clip trim set the playback indicator, go to the Clip menu and select Set End Trim Point. If you want to clear out the trim points that you set, go back to the Clip menu and select Clear Trim Points.

Now that you have altered the clips you may have a more complete or manageable video segment to put into a sequence. Once here you can begin to put together a full project