In order to upload and share a video online on YouTube, you have to:

  • Write the video script or narrative,
  • Set up the shooting area of the video,
  • Record the video using software such as Windows Movie Maker,
  • Add transitions, titles, captions and background music, and,
  • Edit the video and remove defects and extraneous bits,
  • Add music
  • Upload the video to YouTube and other video-hosting sites.

After recording the video, you can edit and improve it in Windows Movie Maker before uploading to YouTube. Thousands of videos are being uploaded daily, so you should ensure that your video is high-quality and stands out from the rest of the competition.

Fortunately, editing videos in Windows Movie Maker is a relatively simple process. You can edit and enhance their quality by following these simple steps:

Saving the Video File as a Movie Maker Project File

  • After opening “Windows Movie Maker”, click “File”, and click “Save Project As”. This will open the “Save Project As” box.
  • Then select the file name and location of the project file. (For example, the file can be saved in “My Videos” as “Video1”.)
  • The title of the next window will display the name of the file just saved. (For example, if the project file is “Video1.mswmm”, the title of the next window will be “Video1 – Windows Movie Maker”.)

Importing the Video Clip Into Windows Movie Maker

  • Click on “Import video” under “Capture Video” and double-click on the video file that you have already recorded (for example, “Myvideo.wmm” in “My Videos”). This will import the video file into the “Collections” area of Windows Movie Maker.
  • The Movie Maker project file contains all the video clips, audio clips, video transitions, titles and captions of the video.
  • For example, the “Video1.MSWMM” file will contain the “Myvideo.wmm” file as well as the titles, captions and background music that may be inserted later.
  • If you don’t finish editing it, the project file can be saved and the editing can be continued later in Windows Movie Maker.

Dragging the Imported Video File Into the Editing Section

  • Select and drag the video file from the “Collections” area into the video track in the “Editing” section.
  • The video file can now be seen in the “Video” track (in the Timeline view) ready to be edited.
  • Edit the video in the “Timeline” view because it is easier to find the parts that have to be removed in this view.(The “Timeline” view shows the progression of the video in time whereas the “Storyboard” view displays the video as separate clips.)

Deleting Defects or Extraneous Bits in the Video:

  • Click on the video clip in the Editing section to select it.
  • Next, click “Play Clip” in the “Play menu.
  • After reaching the start of the portion to be deleted, click “Pause Clip”, and then “Split” in the “Clip” menu. This will split the clip into two bits.
  • Repeat the process to insert a split at the end of the defective part.
  • Finally, click on the video clip between the two splits and delete it by pressing “Delete” on the keyboard.
  • Use the same process to delete all other defects in the video.
  • After deleting all the defects in the video, save it as a movie file.

Saving the Edited Project File as a Movie

  • Click “File” and then click “Save Movie File”, which opens the “Save Movie Wizard” box.
  • Select “My computer: Save your movie for playback on your computer”.
  • Choose a name and location for the movie file.
  • Finally, click on “Other settings” and then on “Video for LAN (1.0 Mbps)”.
  • Once this is done, the following setting details are seen:

“File type: Windows Media Video (WMV)”

“Bit rate: 1.0 Mbps”

“Display size: 640 x 480 pixels”

“Aspect ratio: 4:3”

“Frames per second: 25”

“Movie file size: ____”

“Estimated space required: _____”

  • In the next window, you can see the movie file being saved. The time taken will depend on the length of the movie and the speed of the computer.
  • Once the movie is saved, a message will be displayed stating that the “Save Movie Wizard” has been successfully completed and the movie has been saved in the specified location.
  • When you select “Play your movie when you click Finish” and click “Finish”, the movie will automatically start playing.

Uploading the Movie Online to YouTube

The movie file is the final product. Once the movie has been saved, you can watch it in any media player or in a Web browser. You can upload it to YouTube and other video-sharing websites and embed it in a blog or website for your blog audience.

(13 June 2012)

Rohi Shetty is a medical doctor, Vipassana meditator, writer, editor, translator and blogger. His short stories and articles have been published online and in print.

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