Windows Movie Maker Tutorial

Windows Movie Maker is a video-editing and movie creation tool included in most Windows systems.

Getting Started

  1. Go to Start Menu  Windows Movie Maker. (Alternatively Start  Accessories  Windows Movie Maker)
  2. Select File  New Project
  3. Select File  Import in Collections

  1. Select the pictures you wish to import. Shift + Click to select more than one.

Creating a Movie

1. In Windows Movie Maker, there are two views.

  • Timeline View, in which the timeline of the movie is displayed.
  • Storyboard View, in which images are displayed according to position.

2. Let’s start with Storyboard View. Select one of the images in your collecton. (Videos and film clips can be drug into the storyboard line just as images can.)

3. Click and drag it into the first box on the storyboard line.

4. Select the next image, and click and drag it into the second.

5. Repeat this process as many times as needed or desired.

6. Click “Play,” on the preview screen. Your movie will play, with each image being displayed for approximately 5 seconds.

Editing a Movie

  1. Now that you have your images added into the Storyboard, click “Show Timeline.”
  1. You will see that the timeline view is rather different than Storyboard.
  2. Click one of the images.
  3. Now drag the red arrow closer, until the duration is 2.00 seconds instead of five.
  1. Click “Play” again and observe how much more quickly the images scroll through.
  2. Click one of the images, and select “Fade in,” then “Fade Out.” Both of these can be selected at once.
  1. Watch the slideshow again, observing the changes.
  2. Right-click on one of the images.
  3. Select “Video Effects.”

  1. Choose one from the list, then click the “Add” button. More than one can be added. Click “Okay.”
  2. Click “Play” and observe the effects.

Importing a PowerPoint

  1. It is possible to import a powerpoint slide into Windows Movie Maker.
  2. Open the Powerpoint file.
  3. Select File  Save As
  4. Select picture formats from “Save as Type.”
  5. Click “Save.”
  6. Choose “Every Slide.”
  7. From this point, you can import the collection of images into Windows Movie Maker.

Importing Audio

  1. In Windows Movie Maker, it is possible to play audio behind the movie.
  2. Select File  Import into Collections
  3. Browse to and find the sound file you wish to import.
  4. Import it.
  5. Make sure you are working in timeline mode.
  6. Select it from the collections section.
  7. Drag it into the Audio/Music line.

Add a Title

  1. Select Tools  Title and Credits
  2. Select “add title at beginning of movie.”
  3. In the first partition, write the main title.
  1. The second partition is for the subtitle.
  2. Click “Done, add title to movie.”

Adding Credits

  1. Select Tools  Title and Credits
  2. Select “add credits at end of the movie.”
  3. In the table that appears, list the names and rolls of those you are crediting. Note: It will say “Title,” even though it is for the credits.
  1. When finished, click “Done, add title to movie.”

Saving and Publishing a Movie

  1. Click “File.”
  2. Select “Save Project.”
  3. Name your file, select a location, and click “Save.”
  4. To publish a movie, select “File.”
  5. Select “Save Movie File.”
  1. Choose “My Computer.” (Alternatively, you can save it to a website or other location.) Click “Next.”
  2. Name and choose a save location. Click “Next.”
  3. Click “Next,” again.
  4. When this is completed, the file will save as a .wmv or .wma file type.
  5. Congratulations! You now have your own movie.

Converting to an MP4 File

WMM does not export directly to MP4 – one must download a video conversion software from the internet, such as Prism Video File Converter ( or another such program.

  1. Download one of these programs (Prism is free to download) and install it.
  2. We will use Prism as an example. Once it is loaded, click “Add Files,” and select your WMM file from the documents folder or wherever it is stored.
  3. At the bottom, select the “Output Format,” and choose the format – once more, for example, select “.mp4.”
  4. On the right side of the Prism window is a button labeled “Convert” – click this. It will take several seconds to do so, but once it is finished, the file will be saved to the selected folder, in the selected format.
  5. After it has done so, verify that the video works and is in the right format.