Slice of Americana Films was started by writer, director, producer Sid Kali to make movies that are authentic, intense, and hard-hitting. Sid’s realistic approach to making movies has been covered in articles that have appeared in MovieMaker and Indie Slate Magazine.
Learn more about making movies by picking up The First Movie is the Toughest
Posts Tagged ‘Into’
How to Put DVD Movie Into Windows Movie Maker and Imovie
Part1. How to put DVD movie into Windows Movie Maker
Step1. To put a DVD movie into Windows Movie Maker, you have to rip your DVD to WMV or AVI video first, and then you can load it into Windows Movie Maker. I’d prefer using Aimersoft DVD Ripper to do this. You can get this program at: http://www.aimersoft.com/dvd-ripper.html Then install and run it, put your DVD disc into your DVD drive, click “Load DVD” to locate your DVD file and import it, or load it by clicking “Load File” to add DVD IFO file. (This DVD Ripper can rip copyright protected DVD movies, but you should remember that it’s illegal rip DVD for any business purposes)
Step2. Select output format and subtitle
After you load the DVD files, click the format drop-down list to select “WMV – Windows Media Video (*.wmv)” or “AVI – Audio Video Interleaved (*.avi)” as the output format. A regular DVD movie has multiple subtitles and audio tracks, and you can select the right one for you. If you just want a certain part of the DVD movie, you can click “trim” to cut the DVD movie. Just drag the timeline bar to set the start and end time, and then blue line will be the captured parts.
For advanced user, if you want to output higher quality video, click the “Settings” button to open the panel, here you can customize video bitrate, audio bitrate, resolution, framerate, etc. Higher bitrate will result in bigger file size.
Step3. Start to convert
After the above steps, you just need to click “Start” and wait for the conversion to be finished. It takes about 40 minutes to convert a common two hours DVD movie.
Step4. Edit DVD with Windows Movie Maker (optional)
Run Windows Movie Maker, in the “Movie Task” bar, click “Add Video” to browse your computer and located the converted files, and then you can start to make personal movies.
Tips: Many users may wonder how they can convert Windows Movie Maker file (*.MSWMM) to other video format. Actually, A *.MSWMM file is not a video file. It is a project file of Movie Maker (more like a record file). You have to open this file in Windows Movie Maker and save the movie to your computer: Go to Movie Tasks bar > Finish Movie > Save to my computer. After that you will have a WMV file which can be converted to another video format or burned to DVD.
Part2. How to add DVD clips into Apple iMovie.
iMovie is similar to Windows Movie Maker, it supports MOV and MP4 video, so you just need to convert your DVD movie to the right format. Aimersoft DVD Ripper has a Mac Version which supports both Mac OS Tiger and Leopard; you can download it for free from here:
http://www.aimersoft.com/dvd-ripper-for-mac.html
The operation steps are similar to the windows version, so I will not bother to repeat everything here.
When the conversion is finished, you can run the iMovie, build a new project, and then drag the converted files to the work space to make personal files.
When the task is finished, In the Menu bar, Click “File” -> “Export” and save it as QuickTime video, then you can convert it to other video format or burn it to DVD. If you need detailed info, here is a step by step guide about how to export iMovie project to QuickTime. http://www.mac-dvd.com/mac-guide/how-to-export-mac-imovie-project.html
Turning A Hot Movie Idea Into A Indie Script You Can Shoot
Here and there different friends have pitched me on a movie idea they have. Loosely quoting it usually starts with, “I have this great idea for a movie.” The same thing when I receive emails from aspiring screenwriters. Making movies is experience. You learn at every stage and with time you learn more. A trend I’ve noticed with most movie ideas I get is they’re not realistic for true grunt independent filmmakers to make. I have a friend who has a phenomenal idea for a heist movie set in the late 80’s.
I was glued to his pitch. After he was done I told him there was nothing I could do with his story. I already knew the movie idea was way too big for any budget I might be able to put together. What he said to me lead to this article. “Then what do I have to do? How come we can’t make it a movie?”
The following advice is directed towards aspiring filmmakers that want to go from movie idea to movie treatment to script they can shoot outside of Hollywood. This won’t help you if you want to write a blockbuster script to pitch to producers, studios, or agents. It’s for people who need to write a script based on the resources they have to get through an entire film shoot. Write down a dozen movie ideas you have, see what is realistic to shoot yourself within your budget and resources.
You’ve come up with a movie idea you really believe in. Now it’s time to flesh it out and see if it can be shot with the resources you have. When fleshing out your movie idea be honest with yourself about what type of story you can bring to life as a movie. When I flesh out a movie idea I start by making notes of creative elements I want to include in the story.
Next I note what locations and vehicles I know I will have access to during filming. These two elements lend a great deal to the overall style and look of a film. Don’t underestimate what locations and vehicles can add or detract from a movie. Problems are an absolute guarantee when you make a movie. I’ll share what I did to solve problems to finish a movie and get distributed to viewers. There are many moving pieces when making a movie, friction develops, and the entire production can break down quickly if you’re not prepared for what to expect. I’m here to share my real life experiences making movies.
The First Movie is the Toughest grew out of the tough lessons I’ve learned making independent movies with limited money, time and resources. It covers how to deal with making, selling, and promoting your movie using practical information that really works. Learn more about making movies by picking up The First Movie is the Toughest
My approach is to share useful filmmaking information with behind the scenes examples and stories you can only experience getting your hands dirty making movies.
Writer-Director Sid Kali makes movies that are authentic and thought provoking. Sid Kali’s straightforward style allows him to deliver his own fresh take on the darker Film Noir genre that often features corrupt and cynical characters. Sid’s realistic approach to making movies has been covered in articles that have appeared in MovieMaker and Indie Slate Magazine.
The First Movie Is The Toughest is packed with no nonsense advice, help, and entertaining stories about making movies outside of Hollywood on limited budgets. This book is for aspiring Screenwriters, Directors, and Producers along with the casual movie viewer with their own great story idea for a movie. No hype. No bull.
