- Open the Windows Movie Maker program (under start-->All Programs-->Accessories). The program also may be downloaded from Microsoft.
- If your computer has a built-in camera or a camera plugged in, you are ready to record. Select "Capture Video..." under the "File" menu.
- Keep hitting the "Next >" button until you get to the "Capture Video" screen. Then, hit the "Start Capture" to begin recording and the "Stop Capture" to end recording. Click "Finish" when you are done.
- The program will create a clip under "Collections."
- You can import external video and audio using the "Import into Collections..." command under the "File" menu. Imported video will make its own new clip. Imported audio will be added to an existing clip.
- Drag the clips to the "Video" section of the timeline at the bottom of the screen to assemble them.
- To edit individual clips, click on them in the timeline and then adjust the start and end points.
- To add a transition between two video clips, click on the "Video Transitions" option. Then, drag one of the transition options to the "Video" section of the timeline between the two video clips.
- To add a special effect to a video clip, click on the "Video Effects" option. Then, drag one of the effect options to the clip on the "Video" section of the timeline.
- To add external audio to a clip (such as background music), drag the audio file onto the "Audio/Music" section of the timeline.
- If you want to remove the audio in the original video clip (perhaps so that the background music is all that is heard), right-click on the audio in the "Audio" section of the timeline and select "Mute."
- If you want to fade audio in or out, right-click on it in the "Audio" or "Audio/Music" sections of the timeline and select "Fade In" or "Fade Out" (or both).
- To add titles to the beginning of the movie (such as a title or credits), select "Titles and Credits..." from the "Tools" menu.
- Then select the "add title at the beginning of the movie" option.
- Type your text into the blanks. You can change how the text animates and its font/color using the appropriate options.
- To layer text on top of clips, select "Add title on the selected clip in the timeline" in "Titles and Credits..."
- You can change the duration of titles, effects, transitions, and audio just as you would video clips. Click on them in the timeline and then adjust their start and end points.
- You also may move items earlier and later in the timeline by dragging them.
- You may fade video clips in or out by right-clicking on them in the timeline and selecting the corresponding option.
- To export your finished movie, select "Save Movie File..." under the "File" menu. (Note: "Save Project" is not the same thing. That will save your project so that you can work on it later, but it will not export a movie file unless you choose "Save Movie File...") You can select "Next >" until the process completes.
- Burn the resultant .wmv file to a blank CD.
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