How to use Windows Live Movie Maker Beta

Posted on June 12, 2009 at 5:51 am

Windows Live Movie Maker, appropriately codenamed “Sundance”, is a video creating/editing program that is a part of Microsoft’s Windows Live package (http://download.live.com). It is intended to replace Windows Movie Maker that is currently included in Windows Xp and Vista, so expect it to be the default Windows 7 movie editing program.

According to LiveSide.net, Windows Live Movie Maker is a complete rewrite of the Windows Movie Maker application, focusing on the needs of Windows Live Photo Gallery users.

Once you get the software installed, open it up and use the add button to add your raw video files. You should see the video’s thumbnail appear on the right hand side of the window. You can add more than one video so you can mix multiple videos into one.

Once a video is added you can add visual effects like transitions and color effects.

The Edit menu on the other hand will let you add text watermarks to the video.

You can also mute the audio and replace it with another audio file. To do that, go to Edit then click “mute”.

Then go back to Home then add a background music.

Once you are satisfied with the changes you can import or publish the movie by clicking either of the the two buttons.

Publishing will put your movie file on the web while Output will create a movie in native WMV format. You can choose from either standard definition 640X480 (DVD quality) or smaller 320X240 for portable devices that support WMV.

Since it is in beta and intends to target only the basic video editing market, it doesn’t have features like in other expensive movie editing tools like Sony Vegas and Adobe Premier. For it’s free tag-price and basic set of editing capabilities, I suppose it is an OK freeware. If it had a frame by frame view and more effects in it’s toolbox, it would have been a great tool.

Ben Carigtan shows you how it’s done.

» Filed Under Software Reviews

Comments

8 Responses to “How to use Windows Live Movie Maker Beta”

Mike Torres said on : June 14th, 2009 at 7:54 pm

Final version coming soon – lots and lots of new stuff. Be on the lookout!

will said on : June 15th, 2009 at 11:47 pm

windows live movie maker is completely horrible

lacks everything original movie maker has, and does not have the little bar at the bottom that is absolutely essential for editing

Priscila said on : November 30th, 2009 at 9:29 pm

Hi, I have followed your instructions, but I do not have any sound in my video when I output the movie. Any help? The audio plays fine in Windows Movie Maker.

Valencia said on : December 14th, 2009 at 12:42 pm

This article is confusing because it says that we can except Windows Movie Maker in Windows 7, however this is not true.

Windows Movie Maker is no longer included with Windows 7, you now have to download it separately. Also, it’s been re-written and therefore has less functionality than the version in Windows XP!!!

Dewar said on : December 27th, 2009 at 1:44 am

This version is horrible ! I need a place to sort through my imported items and there isnt one ! Its to complicated.

Marie said on : February 14th, 2010 at 2:45 pm

Where are the directions on how to use Windows Movie Maker???

Alex said on : March 9th, 2010 at 9:57 am

Well, in the old movie maker I could import all my videos in short clips, which was very good. In Live movie maker I can not find this option, doe sit have this option or not? Also I liked the old storyboard, not the new one.