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iMovie capacity to sort movies into folders

I sent this in to the iMovie customer feedback tool a moment ago. Of course I now realize that I have to create the whole thing again as there is no record of it once you push the "Submit" button. Should have typed it out in Word first...


Why is there no capacity to sort the movies that one makes into folders (or albums) as in Photos? Why there only three with two sub categories of sort that one can do in the app? I would think that users would appreciate that ability. Also, within each folder, the ability to sort (as in Photos) videos, and to reference them if you store that same video in another folder as it may fit there too. It is not possible to do any even rudimentary sorting of videos - events does not allow you to store the final product.


While on that subject, #2: why can you not move images from the timeline to an event (the reverse process)? There is a need to do that at times.


Apple, please read this forum posting and take this back to the design team...


Thanks.



[Re-Titled by Moderator]


MacBook Pro (2020 and later)

Posted on May 17, 2022 7:52 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 17, 2022 2:25 PM

Agreed that iMovie likely is not completely free. I suspect that the price of it is somehow built into the cost of the Mac -- but maybe not. It's free in the since that it comes with the Mac with no additional outlay required. It's not like Final Cut Pro X that costs about $300 above the cost of the Mac.


If you want a good free movie editor that others have recommended, you might look into DaVinci 17.


https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/


I believe that DaVinci requires Catalina or later. It's got a ton of features, competitive with Final Cut Pro X I am told. It may have some or all of the features that you want.


-- Rich



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4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 17, 2022 2:25 PM in response to chrisfrompv

Agreed that iMovie likely is not completely free. I suspect that the price of it is somehow built into the cost of the Mac -- but maybe not. It's free in the since that it comes with the Mac with no additional outlay required. It's not like Final Cut Pro X that costs about $300 above the cost of the Mac.


If you want a good free movie editor that others have recommended, you might look into DaVinci 17.


https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/


I believe that DaVinci requires Catalina or later. It's got a ton of features, competitive with Final Cut Pro X I am told. It may have some or all of the features that you want.


-- Rich



May 17, 2022 9:11 AM in response to chrisfrompv

iMovie is a free consumer movie editing app. While it has file management capability, that isn't its strong suit. The Photos app is much more capable for file management, and you can access the files in albums or individually via the Photos item in the iMovie sidebar. Or, you can store your media and videos in the finder and group them there in folders and subfolders. I share out my projects and store them in finder folders organized by year. I then can always import the shared project video back into a new iMovie project or event. While editing is limited, one can still do quite a bit.


I, too, would like the capability of grouping projects in albums or events. Unfortunately, it is not there as you mention. However, since one can create an unlimited number of iMovie libraries there is the ability to group categories of projects in separate libraries. For instance you can have libraries named Vacation, Holidays, Birthdays, Travel, Year 2022, and move or copy your projects into the appropriate library. Before moving a project you would first want to do a File/Consolidate Project Media from the projects browser screen to insure that all of the project's media is carried over with it.


Of course, as noted above, you can always share out a project and import the final project back into iMovie, into a project or an event.


Regarding #2, you can drag-move an image or video clip from the Project Media browser screen into a new or existing event in the sidebar, and then delete the clip from the timeline. As you know, only the original clip will go in, not the edited version, so you can't move edited clips. To move edited clips you would need to create an ancillary project and then Edit/Copy, Edit/Paste, (or Edit/Cut, Edit/Paste) the edited clip from your master project to the ancillary project. The edits will carry over. You can move the clip back by the same process.


-- Rich







May 17, 2022 1:18 PM in response to Rich839

Hello Rich, thanks for the information. I have to offer an explanation before trying to digest your suggestions. Hi The reason I put this here is that I was told the the engineers do read these for what is going on and to accumulate a punch list for apps. With iMovie, while I’d agree that there is no unit cost for it, it’s not “free”, and compared to other “free” and really free apps, it lacks. And that new movie creating feature is weak at best. I’m an old time Mac user, I still have my original Mac up in the cupboard and actually use it occasionally. Apple has over time taken two of my suggestions and rewarded me with gift vouchers for their store. I don’t care about the vouchers but I care about things that keep this app competitive and therefore keep it alive in Apple’s eyes…. I read thru your well-written description of one (or two?) workarounds, but I’m having trouble following the process (I’m a visual show/me person unfortunately). I can’t tell if there is more than one method there. And it seems that they might be work arounds, a not something that is just there as part of the system. I purchase the after purchase apple care package and thankfully so. I spent time with a senior advisor on this, but they had no real solution either. I know enough about software portability to ask Apple if they make their code portable and if so, why could not the frame work of photos album filing form the basis of a similar system in iMovie. People

are used to it, and I’d think that Apple would used familiarity with one to encourage the same with the other. Makes complete sense to me, however maybe the NIHS might apply here. But as you likely know, in software, if you stand still, you lose. There are badly explained and sometimes a little klugey apps on the Apple app site out there that out feature iMovie considerably, but many of which features should be emulated in iMovie. To create a mixed paraphrase, create a good product and they will come.

Hope I can make use of your nice description - it’s my challenge to figure it out…

iMovie capacity to sort movies into folders

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