Video Editing Tools for PC: Windows Movie Maker & Windows Live Movie Maker
Windows Movie Maker is a fun and easy to use free video-editing tool included with Microsoft Windows XP/Vista operating system. It is free software that comes bundled with the Windows platform which can be easily accessed and operated by any windows user. With Movie Maker, you can turn your home movies into awesome videos that you can share/upload your videos toYouTube/RDIconnect, or burn to a CD or DVD. Movie Maker is easy for anyone to use, so don't be afraid to dive in, even if you're not a computer expert.
You might have noticed that Windows Movie Maker isn’t included in Windows 7. However, Microsoft has just released a new version of Windows Live Movie Maker which is a free video editing software available for both Windows Vista and Windows 7. However, if you do not have Windows live movie maker installed on your computer, you can download the new version from Microsoft.com. (The new version is only compatible with Windows 7/Vista. Windows Xp users must use the older version of movie maker).
Before you start using movie maker, make sure you have the equipment required to create movies and slide shows using Movie Maker. You will need a digital video camera, a computer that supports a digital video connection and an i.LINK port (also known as FireWire or IEEE standard 1394) on your computer. If you have a flash memory digital camcorder, then you will need a computer that can read memory cards.
Familiarize yourself with terms used often by Windows Movie Maker. A "collection" contains audio and video clips and pictures you have imported or captured using the software. Your collection will organize your content. A "project" is the arrangement and timing information of your clips, transitions and any effects or titles you add to the storyboard. Saved projects can be opened later and edited. A "movie" is the final project you save. You can save a movie to your computer or a recordable CD, send it as an email attachment or save and send it to the Web(upload to RDIconnect/YouTube).
Steps on How to use “Windows Movie Maker”
Step 1: Capture Your Clips--The first step in using Moviemaker is to capture your clips. Start the program and after it starts---To capture your video from your camcorder--You can do this by clicking the tasks icon and choosing “Capture from video device, or “ Import from digital video camera” . To import video from your computer hard disk---Click on “ Import Videos” on task pane.
As you are capturing video from your camcorder with Windows Moviemaker, you can pause your clips to make sure you only capture what you need. You can then cue to the next point where you want to capture video and then continue. You can only capture video file types, such as AVI,MPG, ASF or WMV, to name a few.
Step 2: Arrange Your Clips--The next step
is to use the storyboard in Windows Moviemaker to arrange your clips. In
the film industry a storyboard is known as a series of panel sketches
showing how the different scenes in the movie will play out, and in what
order. Microsoft Moviemaker uses the same concept: its storyboard is
where you’ll set your clips in the order that you want. First make sure
you’re in storyboard mode by clicking View => Storyboard. Then, begin
by looking for your clips in the Collections panel. If you don’t find
them, click on the Collections box and select your clip.
Once it’s in the panel area just click and drag your clip to the storyboard below. You can preview a clip in the Moviemaker monitor window at any time. Just use the VCR-like controls at the bottom of the window. Save your work, and move the clips around until they’re in the order you want.
Step 3: Edit Your Clips--Now we get to the real bread and butter of using Windows Moviemaker, editing your clips. Once you have imported a video clip you may wish to edit it by trimming or deleting extraneous parts. It is a simple matter to edit the video clip by splitting it into smaller parts. No doubt you’ve captured plenty of footage, much of it that you would prefer to trim down to a clean final cut. Editing is part art, part science. We’ll get to the science of how Moviemaker lets you edit.
First, switch to Timeline view by clicking the Show Timeline button above the Storyboard, or by clicking View => Timeline. In place of the Storyboard boxes you see something that looks like a filmstrip.
To edit, double-click on a clip to let it play in Preview mode,
and then choose Clip => Set Start Trim Point, where you want the
clip to begin. This is the start of the clip. Now, to set the end of the
clip double-click it again, and then choose Clip => Set End Trim
Point. The clip will be trimmed, with extra footage removed. Do the same
for the other clips, then save your work in Microsoft Moviemaker.(You
can skip to Step 6)
Step 4: Add Some Transitions(Optional)--To
begin, let’s toggle back to Storyboard view by clicking the Show
Storyboard button just above the time-line. Alternately, you could click
View => Storyboard from the menus. To access transitions, from the
menus click Tools => Video Transitions. You’ll see a whole list of
transitions in the Collections Panel of Microsoft Movie maker. You can
preview a transition by double-clicking it, and watching it play in the
Monitor window.
You’ll notice that there are smaller boxes
separating the clip boxes from each other. This is where you drag your
transitions from the Collections Panel onto the clip. You can use the
VCR-like controls on the Monitor to view how your movie will play with
the transitions. Remember, however, that with transitions, more is less.
Be subtle, and you’ll make an effective presentation.
Step 5: Add Some Background Music(Optional)--To add music in Microsoft Moviemaker, in the Tasks pane choose Import Audio or Music and select your files. If you want to add narration, just toggle to Timeline view and find an empty space in the audio track for your narration. Then click Tools => Narrate Timeline. You now have audio both in the original video clips, and in additional tracks that you created.
To adjust the audio levels in your clips, right-click on any clip in Moviemaker and adjust volume, fades or mute if you desire. If you want to balance how the music works with your clip audio, click Tools => Audio levels and adjust with the slider.
Step 6: Create The Final Output--Now is the moment you’ve been waiting for! You’ll create your final output. In the Tasks Pane of Moviemaker you’ll see a list of output options under “Finish Movie” or “Publish to” .
Select publish to “My Computer” or “Save to my computer”. A wizard will come up, guiding you through the rest of the output creation process. Enter the file name & location you want to save the file. Depending on your selected output, you will be prompted for certain specifications to supply. Select any of the specifications options and hit “publish”. You are done!
Steps on How to use Windows Live Movie Maker(New Version)
Step 1: Get videos onto your computer--First,
you need to import the videos that you want to use in your movie from a
device onto your computer. To get started with importing videos, in
Windows Live Movie Maker, click the Movie Maker button 
, and then click "Import from device" or click 'Add videos & photos" on the home tab.
Here are two popular ways to get videos onto your computer:
•Import photos and video files from a digital camera, video camera, or mobile phone. Connect your device to your computer using a USB cable, and then import the photos and videos.
•Import video directly from your digital video (DV) camera. This is what you’d do if you taped your personal video and wanted to get the footage onto your computer and edit out unwanted parts.
Step 2: Start editing--Trim and arrange items on the storyboard. Next, trim videos on the storyboard to hide any parts of videos that you don’t want to show in your final movie. You can also move items from one spot to another by dragging them or split videos into two. To trim a video, go to the part of the video that you want to show in your movie, and then, under Video Tools, on the Edit tab, in the Editing group, click Set start point or Set end point (depending on if you want the video to start or stop showing at that point in it)Skip to Step 4.
Step 3: Add transitions, effects, and text(Optional)--Now, it’s time to take your movie to the next level by adding special, personal touches, such as transitions, effects, and text.
Transitions. To make your movie look nice when one video ends and another begins to play, add transitions between videos, and titles on the storyboard. There are more than sixty different transitions in Windows Live Movie Maker to choose from, so play around and use the transitions that look nice to you. To add a transition, click the video you want to add a transition between, and then, on the Animations tab, in the Transitions group, click a transition.
Titles, captions, and credits. You can add a title at the beginning of your movie that tells people a little bit about it, such as when, where, and what happened. If you have a specific video you want to describe in your own words, add a caption. And, finally, don’t forget to add credits at the end of your movie to tell the world who created and starred in it (just like you see in movie theaters and on DVDs). To add a title, caption, or credits, on the Home tab, in the Add group, click one of the text options, and then enter the text you want. You can preview your project at any time by clicking the Play button under the preview monitor in Windows Live Movie Maker
Step 4: Publish your movie and share it with other people--When you’re happy with your project, you’re ready to save it as a movie and share it with friends, or consultant. You can share your movie in a variety of ways—including publishing it on YouTube. You can also save your movie on your computer and then use a media player, such as Windows Media Player, to watch it on your computer.