IMovie allows users to use a zoom feature with any photo, still frame video shot, or video clip that has been imported into your iMovie project. The act of zooming in and out and panning back and forth over a photo, still frame video shot, or video is called the "Ken Burns Effect" and is how the effect buttons are designated within the iMovie program. Ken Burns is a noted film documentarian that developed this particular zoom and pan technique.

Steps

  1. 1
  2. 2
    Click on the video clip you are applying the zoom effect to within the event browser window in the upper middle portion of the iMovie project screen. This will make the selected clip show up in the window to the right of the video clip event browser. Verify you have selected the appropriate video clip to apply the zoom effect to.
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  3. 3
    Click on the "Crop" button located on the middle pane separating the top project workspace from the bottom. This button is designated by a square with the 2 lines of the square that create the corners overlapping each other. This button will bring up "Fit," "Crop," and "Ken Burns" video editing effects onto the selected video clip within the editing viewer.
  4. 4
    Select the "Ken Burns" button located at the upper middle portion of the video editing screen. This will bring up a green rectangle and a red rectangle.
  5. 5
    Place the rectangles according to where you want the zoom effect to begin and where you want the effect to end.
  6. 6
    Preview the Ken Burns effect you have just created by clicking on the "Play" button in the video viewer/editor window. This button is designated by the play symbol (sideways triangle). Adjust the rectangles to get the effect exactly how you want.
  7. 7
    Click on the "Done" button once you have modified the effect to its desired position to apply the effects you have just created.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    How do I cut a clip in iMovie?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    If iMovie is on a mobile device, drag the end of the clip to the desired length. If you wish to cut from the middle of a clip, drag the time marker to the desired cutting point and press the scissor option.
  • Question
    How do I make the effect end?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Use two fingers and click the clip where you want it to end. Click "split clip," then on the new clip just remove the effect.
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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 260,494 times.
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Co-authors: 8
Updated: May 6, 2021
Views: 260,494
Categories: IMovie
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