This wikiHow teaches you how to make a basic movie with music using Windows Movie Maker. To make movies/videos, you first need to install the Windows Movie Maker program on your computer because the Windows 10 operating system doesn't come with a built-in Windows Movie Maker program.
Step
Part 1 of 5: Installing Windows Movie Maker
Step 1. Download the Windows Live Essentials installation file
Visit the Windows Live Essentials download page to download the WLE installation file.
This page is almost completely blank and it may take a few minutes to load before the installation file is downloaded
Step 2. Open the installation file
Double click the file wlsetup-all ” file in your computer's downloads storage folder to open it.
Step 3. Click Yes when prompted
After that, the Windows Essentials installation window will open.
Step 4. Click Install all of Windows Essentials (recommended)
It's at the top of the page. Most Windows Essentials programs are not compatible with Windows 10, but you can install Windows Movie Maker by clicking on it.
Step 5. Click Show Details
It's in the lower-left corner of the window. You can see the percentage progress of the process, as well as a row showing what programs are currently installed.
Step 6. Wait for Windows Movie Maker to finish installing
Most likely the first program to install was Windows Movie Maker. Wait for the program to finish installing. When the program name changes to a different program name (eg " Mail "), you can proceed to the next step.
Step 7. Open the “Start” menu
Click the Windows logo in the lower-left corner of the screen.
Step 8. Type in windows movie maker
After that, your computer will search for the Windows Movie Maker program you just installed.
Step 9. Click Movie Maker
This option is indicated by the reel icon at the top of the “Start” menu. After that, the Windows Essentials terms of use window will open.
Step 10. Click Accept
It's in the lower-right corner of the window. After that, the Movie Maker program window will open.
- If the program does not open after you click “ Accept ", reopen menu " Start ”, type in movie maker, and click the result “ Movie Maker ” to open it.
- Do not close the installation window before opening the Movie Maker program.
Step 11. Close the Windows Essentials installation window
When the installation window is displayed with an error message, click the “ Close ” and confirm the selection when prompted. Now, you can start using Windows Movie Maker right away.
Part 2 of 5: Adding Project Files
Step 1. Create a new project
Click the menu " File ", choose " Save project as ” in the drop-down menu, enter the name of the project, select the destination folder which is on the left side of the window (e.g. “ Desktop "), and click " Save " After that, the new project will be saved in the destination file/folder.
During the movie/video creation process, you can save the progress by pressing the Ctrl+S key combination
Step 2. Click the "Project" window
This large, blank window is on the right side of the Windows Movie Maker window. Once clicked, a File Explorer window will be displayed.
Step 3. Visit the folder containing the image or video
In the left sidebar of the File Explorer window, click the folder that contains the video or photo.
You may need to go through several folders to find the folder you want
Step 4. Select a photo or video
Click and drag the cursor over the list of photos and/or videos to select all content, or press and hold the Ctrl key while clicking each file to select them individually (one at a time).
Step 5. Click Open
It's in the lower-right corner of the window. After that, the selected file will be added to the Windows Movie Maker program.
Step 6. Add more photos and videos if necessary
To add content, click the button “ Add videos and photos ” at the top of the Windows Movie Maker window, then select the desired file and click the “button again. Open ”.
You can also right click the " Project " window and click the option “ Add videos and photos ” in the drop-down menu.
Step 7. Add music tracks
Click option " Add music ” at the top of the Windows Movie Maker window, click “ Add music… ” in the drop-down menu, go to the folder that contains the desired music files, select the files you want to use, and click the “ Open " After that, the music will be displayed below the photo or video that was previously selected.
Part 3 of 5: Managing Project Files
Step 1. Determine the order of the files
Review the existing project files and determine which files need to be displayed first, second, and next. You can also specify the starting point for the music to start.
Step 2. Reorder files
Click and drag the file you want to use at the beginning of the video to the top left corner of the " Project " window to hold it, then drag the next file and drop it right next to the first file.
You can see a vertical line between the two files. The line indicates that if you release the mouse button, the two files will be linked
Step 3. Place the music
Click and drag the green music bar under the photo/video files to the left or right, then release it to move it.
Keep in mind that the endpoint of the music will coincide with the end of the video or image if the total length of the video or photo file does not match or exceeds the length of the music
Step 4. Edit the image properties
Double-click the image to open the properties window in the toolbar at the top of the window. After that, you can change some aspects such as:
- “Duration” – Click the “Duration” box, then type a number indicating the duration of the image display (in seconds).
- “End Point” – Click and drag the black vertical bar in the " Project " window to the part of the photo or video you want to cut into two parts and move on to the next part, then click the “button Set end point ” on the toolbar.
Step 5. Edit the video properties
Double-click the video in the " Project " window to open the properties window on the toolbar. After that, you can change aspects such as:
- “Volume” – Click option “ Video volume ”, then click and drag the volume slider left or right.
- “Fade” – Click the “Fade in “or “Fade out “box, then click “ slow ”, “ Medium ", or " Fast ”.
- “Speed ” – Click the “Speed ” drop-down box, then select the desired video speed. You can also type a specific speed.
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“Trim” – Click “ trim tool ”, click and drag one of the sliders below the video to cut the length of the video, and click “ Save trim ” at the top of the window.
This tool/feature has the same function as the "Start/End Point" feature
- “Stabilization” - Click “ Video stabilization ”, then select a stabilization feature in the drop-down menu.
- You can also split the video into two parts by dragging the vertical bar to the split point, then clicking the “ Split " With this feature, you can insert other files between the two parts of the video (eg comments or pictures).
Step 6. Edit the music properties
Double-click the music bar, then change the following aspects via the toolbar:
- “Volumes” – Click “ music volume' ”, then click and drag the slider left or right.
- “Fade” – Click the “Fade in “or “Fade out “box, then click “ slow ”, “ Medium ", or " Fast ”.
- “Start Time” – Type a timestamp or timestamp (in seconds) at the point where you want the song to start in the “Start time” box.
- “Start Point” – Type a timestamp or timestamp (in seconds) in the video indicating the starting point of the song in the “Start point” box.
- “End Point” - Type a timestamp or timestamp (in seconds) in the video that indicates the end point of the song playing in the " End point " box.
Step 7. Make sure each file is edited to your liking
For the movie to appear properly, you will need to edit each file's length (and other options if available) to harmonize the overall appearance of the movie.
Step 8. Preview the edited movie
Click the " Play " button at the bottom of the preview window on the left side of the Windows Movie Maker window. When the movie is the way you want it, you are ready to add effects to the movie.
Part 4 of 5: Adding Effects
Step 1. Click the Home tab
It's in the top-left corner of the window. After that, you will be taken back to the editing toolbar.
Step 2. Click Titles
This option is in the " Add " section of the toolbar " Home ”.
Step 3. Enter the title text
In the text box that appears in the preview window, type the title you want to add to the video.
- You can also edit the length of the title page in the "Adjust" section of the toolbar by clicking the text box to the right of the clock icon with the green arrow, then specifying a new duration.
- If you want to change the size, font, or format of the title, you can make adjustments in the "Font" section of the toolbar.
Step 4. Add a transition to the title
Click an icon in the " Effects " section of the toolbar, then review the selected effect. If you like the effect, it will be applied directly to the title page.
Step 5. Go back to the “Home” tab
Click Home ” again to return to the editing toolbar.
Step 6. Add a caption to the file
Click the photo or video to which you want to add a caption, then click " Caption ” in the "Add" toolbar segment.
Step 7. Enter the caption text
Type in the text you want to use as a caption, then press Enter. After that, a description will be added under the selected file.
- You can edit the caption as you would edit the title text.
- If you want to move the caption to a different position in the file, click and drag the pink caption box left or right, then drop it to move it.
Step 8. Add other captions and titles if necessary
You can create more title pages to use as transitions between movie segments. You can also add descriptions to other files.
You can also add an account page (credits) at the end of the movie by clicking the “ Credits ” in the " Add " section of the " tab Home ”.
Part 5 of 5: Saving Movies
Step 1. Preview the created movie
Click the " Play " button located below the movie preview window on the left side of the program window. If the movie looks the way you want, you're ready to save it.
- If the film needs to be adjusted or aligned, make the necessary adjustments before moving on to the next step.
- During the editing process, the music playing may sound out of tune (or be too short in duration). In this situation, make sure the music used is edited properly to suit the movie before moving on to the next step.
Step 2. Click Save movie
It's in the upper-right corner of the window. After that, a drop-down menu will be displayed.
Step 3. Select the file type
If you don't know the format you want to use, click “ Recommended for this project ” at the top of the drop-down menu. Otherwise, click the format you want to use.
Step 4. Enter the movie name
Type in the name you want to use as the movie file name.
Step 5. Select the storage folder
On the left side of the window, click the folder where you want to save your movie files.
Step 6. Click the Save button
It's in the lower-right corner of the window. After that, the movie file will be saved and the project will be exported to that file. Be patient as the video export process can take a while, especially for more detailed projects.
Step 7. Click Play when prompted
After that, the movie will play in the computer's main video player program.
Tips
- It's a good idea to keep the project files (usually marked with the Windows Movie Maker icon). With these files, you can go back to opening and editing videos, without having to start over from scratch.
- The usage steps described in this article also apply to Windows 7 users because the Windows Movie Maker program is already included in the Windows 7 installation package.
