Windows Movie Maker offers a simple way to put together quick video edits for home digital video producers who have limited editing experience or ability to purchase high-end editing software. The program, which comes standard on newer Windows operating systems, is designed to be a very basic editing system for small projects. Even though it is very simple, you can do a number of video effects and transitions to give your project a custom look.
One you have imported or captured your video into Movie Maker you can do digital effects on a selected clip after you put it into the timeline or storyboard. In the upper, left hand “Movie Task” window you will see a "View Video Effects" button under the "Edit Movie" heading. Once you click on it you will have a number of options appear in the middle window where your video clip collection just was. Each type of video effect displays an example video of a standard Windows background to see how the effect will make the clip look before you apply it. For example, if you click on the “Blur” option you will see the image slightly blurry and if you select “Brightness, Increase’ you will see the same image but brighter. It is done this way because it is easier to see the exact nature of each effect when it is done on a standard image. You simply drag the filter, or filters, you want onto the clip that is either in the timeline or storyboard below. If you would like to remove video effects that you have applied to the clip you simply right click on the clip and select "Video Effects." When you do this you will be given a menu that has all the possible effects that you have not used on the left and a menu with all the effects you have used on the clip on the right. You simply highlight the clip you want to remove with the right mouse button and hit the button in the center titled "Remove" and it will take it off the clip and move it to the left hand menu. You can also add video effects in this menu, but you will not get a visual representation of how it will appear ahead of time.
The easiest and most effective way to apply high quality transitions is to select storyboard mode instead of timeline mode. Once in story board mode there will be series of large boxes that are separated by smaller boxes. The larger boxes are where you put video clips, and the smaller boxes are for the transition animations. Go back to the upper left Movie Task window and click on the button for "View Video Transitions", which is right below "View Video Effects" under the "Edit Movie" heading. This gives you a series of video transition icons in the middle window, and if you click on each one individually it shows what the transition is on a blue background. Then you simply drag the transition animation you want and place it on one the small boxes between two of the clips.
With just a little bit of effort you can truly alter the videos you are working on using nothing more complex than Windows Movie Maker. Until you have the resources to start working with more complex editing software this can be a great option for adding style to any home project.
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