i-movie 08 - huge dissapointment

I had enough faith in Apple to fork out 3,500 Thai baht for a genuine copy and had the upload done assuming that the new version of i-movie would be an improvement from i-movie 06.

With the new i-life installation web, photo and DVD were also updated to version 07. i-web I don't use, I photo had a few changes but I got the impression Apple were trying too hard to impress. i-DVD had the sort of update I would expect and want, that being some great new themes - however, none of them have a 'PLAY MOVIE' or 'SCENE SELECTION' button - do we do make this ourselves now and how?

As for i-movie, it has completely changed the format, scrapped half the effects (maybe more) and seeing the footage run through as the mouse is dragged over it is most irritating. Worst of all I can't find any audio timeline and it seems to have been made more complicated in terms of the layout yet patronisingly simple and doing most of the work for the user.

You may say 'Go learn Final Cut Pro if you want to do professional stuff for your emerging videography business' and you'd be right, but I don't have time now and for the job I am working on I was depending on Apple to make the existing i-movie better - that means THE SAME AS BEFORE AND MORE which is pretty much what they have done with the other apps.

A third audio timeline, some new transitions and improved performance would have been enough to justify spending 50 UK pounds but no, they had to scrap the old one and start again with a fancy, flash looking toy for the most amateur of amateurs.

While this is all quite true - all of this was pretty much beaten to death by the long time users of iMovie 06 when it was released.

So much so, that within a couple of weeks Apple put iMovie '06 up on their site as a free download available for all users of iLife '08.

If you had iLife '06 on the system when you install '08, then the current install disks even leave '06 on the system so that you have access to both of them. If you did not, you can still go to Apple's site and download iMovie '06. Did this myself a couple of days ago after clean install of both Leopard and iLife '08.

I still have my 06 version thankfully, but the money is spent and I have not really gained anything of use. I don't suppose I could complain to the Apple Studio in bangkok's Fortune Town and get a refund could I?

I didn't think so.

As for i-DVD - how does one create a PLAY and SCENE SELECTION button which works?

I like it. It easy to cut films and put it together. I do as much as I can on I movie then import the video using Imovie HD

^ It's too easy, it's so rediculously simple and does almost everything for you that it leaves little room for advancing professionals who want to warm up before Final Cut Pro.

They have made it far far too idiot proof and there's no way I can get a refund.

cameronryan said:

^ It's too easy, it's so rediculously simple and does almost everything for you that it leaves little room for advancing professionals who want to warm up before Final Cut Pro.

They have made it far far too idiot proof and there's no way I can get a refund.

Click to expand...

It hasn't been designed for 'advancing professionals', it's been designed for grandma and grandpa, mom and pop, the kids etc.

It's very difficult to create a peice of software that is really easy to use, but retains enough power and flexibility to please people who want to take the next step up.

I absolutely love iMovie '08 - for that instant gratification, get it on YouTube in 10 mins flat feeling, it's just amazing what can be done on 1 $1000 laptop and a bit of software you got free (well I paid $99, but that's beside the point).

iMovie 06 was a pain - hunting for clips etc - even though it had more options. iMovie 08 thumbnails all your point and shoot camera movies into 5 second (or whatever you define) intervals and editing and cutting together a quick movie is blissfully easy. You can then import the results into iMovie 06 and fiddle around some more.

I'm not saying I am right, you are wrong, but that it's actually a great peice of software for people who have little or no experience with video. I can now also easily import my movies into logic and create the soundtrack (or vice versa). Amazing.

iMovie08 is definitely faster for someone like me who pretty much only did cropping, titling and transitions. I tended to let my unedited video clips pile up before because I didn't have the time or patience to edit very often. I find myself using it more now that it's much more streamlined (albeit dumbed down as well). If there's an occasion I want to do anything more advanced, I can still use iMovie06.

I'm surprised anyone would upgrade to iLife08 not knowing the changes to iMovie since it's been all over the web since release how much it's changed.