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Can I help for imovie error ?

i movie error: Error: RenderFrameAt returned: 4 for absolute frame: 14893 ... can I help ?

iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Dec 26, 2020 6:10 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 26, 2020 3:09 PM

Hi, Richymalga,


The error means that there is corruption at or around frame 14893. Likely it is a black frame. You need to scroll to frame 14893 and scroll around the area looking for black frames, white flashes, artifacts or any other signs of corruption. Cut out any that you find. Best to work with a duplicate of your project so as to preserve the integrity of your original.


Here is a link to an online frame to time converter so that you can locate the point in time at which frame 14893 occurs.


https://www.zapstudio.net/framecalc/


You will need the frame rate of your project to enter into the converter in order for it to make the calculation. Then you enter the frame number of 14893. The frame rate of your project will be the frame rate of the very first video clip (not photo) that you placed into the newly created project. The converter will give you the time point in the timeline at which frame 14893 is located. That's the area that you want to scroll around to see if you can find any black frames or other corruption that you can remove.


-- Rich

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 26, 2020 3:09 PM in response to Richymalga

Hi, Richymalga,


The error means that there is corruption at or around frame 14893. Likely it is a black frame. You need to scroll to frame 14893 and scroll around the area looking for black frames, white flashes, artifacts or any other signs of corruption. Cut out any that you find. Best to work with a duplicate of your project so as to preserve the integrity of your original.


Here is a link to an online frame to time converter so that you can locate the point in time at which frame 14893 occurs.


https://www.zapstudio.net/framecalc/


You will need the frame rate of your project to enter into the converter in order for it to make the calculation. Then you enter the frame number of 14893. The frame rate of your project will be the frame rate of the very first video clip (not photo) that you placed into the newly created project. The converter will give you the time point in the timeline at which frame 14893 is located. That's the area that you want to scroll around to see if you can find any black frames or other corruption that you can remove.


-- Rich

Jan 4, 2021 10:09 AM in response to Richymalga

I have had the same frustrating problem too. It seems to be caused by a ‘rouge frame’ in a section of your video which you are sending to render. I have seen some quite technical replies which require you to do a calculation based on the frame rate then you are able to calculate where in your timeline the error has occurred and identify where the problem is occurring. My own ‘non technical’ solution is to:


  1. Render your project until you see the error message on the part rendered section.
  2. Run the part of your rendered project back until you see where your render has stalled.
  3. Copy the full section of the video where the render stalled.
  4. Open a new project (I call mine bugs!) and past the video section in it.
  5. If you then run your timeline on your ‘bug’ project you can usually pick up where there is a frame issue. Sometimes this can be a green line, a fuzzy section or an odd looking part of your video. All you do from here is cut the piece out which is giving you an issue. If you cannot see any issues on your video section then refer back to your original interrupted render and note when it stopped rendering.
  6. Satisfied that you identified the ‘rouge’ section of video then render your ‘bugs’ project and see if it passes the test and fully renders. If it does you can then copy this new edited video section from the ‘bugs’ project and copy and past it back Ito your original project, while deleting the original video section which caused the problem in the first place. You original project should now be able to be fully rendered, unless you come across further frame issues later in the project. In this case just repeat the above process.
  7. Delete the ‘bugs’ rendered section, you should not need it again!


This is very laborious and involves force quitting iMovie on a number of occasions, but it worked for me! Hopefully Apple can look into an easier fix?


Can I help for imovie error ?

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