To zoom in on a video in iMovie, the best option is to use the Ken Burns effect. First select the video clip you want to zoom in on from the timeline, then go to the Cropping tool above the viewer. Choose the Ken Burns option and then resize and move the Start and End frames to your preference.
Hi! I’m Nancy and iMovie is my favorite video editing program to use for creating simple videos. I’ve seen numerous examples of zooming in or out in videos that serve different purposes, including highlighting product features, building suspense, and conveying the character’s emotions or environmental context.
In this article, I’ll share a simple guide on how to create a zoom in and out effect in iMovie.
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What is the Ken Burns Effect in iMovie?
The Ken Burns effect was made popular by documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and it involves panning, zooming, and transitioning a still image to give it the illusion of movement.
By using this technique, you can draw attention to a particular section of your video. It involves panning across the scene to shift focus to the next subject or object and then gradually zooming in to make it the primary focus of the shot.
How Do You Zoom In and Out on iMovie?
You can find the Ken Burns effect under the Cropping tool. Once you select the Ken Burns option, you will see two frames labeled ‘Start’ and ‘End‘ appear in the viewer.
You can adjust the crop at either the beginning or end of the clip by dragging and resizing the Ken Burns frame to your desired look.
A yellow arrow will connect the two frames to indicate the direction of movement in the video. To achieve a zoom-in effect on your video, adjust the size of the “End” frame to be smaller than the “Start” frame. Conversely, if you want to create a zoom-out effect, ensure that the “End” frame is larger than the “Start” frame.
Finally, click the Apply button to save the changes to the effect. You can also use the Speed tool to adjust the speed of the video clip to create a faster or slower zoom-in or zoom-out effect.
How Do I Enlarge a Video in iMovie?
If you want to enlarge a video without applying a zoom-in effect, select the “Crop to Fill” option in the Cropping tool.
Next, resize the crop box to highlight the specific part of the video that you want to emphasize. When you apply the changes, that particular section of the video clip will appear larger and zoomed in.
For greater control over the cropping tool, you can crop the video clip in the Browser window prior to dragging it into the timeline. The browser’s cropping tool offers greater flexibility because it enables you to adjust the size of the crop box on all sides.
Final Thoughts
Zooming in and out is a valuable storytelling technique that video creators can use to emphasize certain elements or actions in a video and convey a specific message to their viewers. That’s why the Ken Burns effect in iMovie is an excellent tool for bringing static images to life and adding movement to them.
Please feel free to leave a comment in the section below if you have any further questions on how to use iMovie. We have additional resources available on iMovie that you can also explore.
