Digital Video with Windows XP in a Snap

Before You Begin

61 Select an AutoMovie Style

62 Refine AutoMovie's Soundtrack

63 Add Titles to Your AutoMovie

See Also

85 Start the Save Movie Wizard

This is the easy part of the AutoMovie process! Just finalize your AutoMovie and wait while Movie Maker generates the movie according to your specifications.

As a review, here are the steps that lead up to finalizing your AutoMovie:

1. Select clips to place in the AutoMovie.

2. Drag the clips to your timeline.

3. Select Tools, AutoMovie to start the AutoMovie process.

4. Choose an AutoMovie style.

5. Select background audio.

6. Add text for the title and credits.

After you've prepared AutoMovie by following these steps, you only need to finalize your movie and wait for Movie Maker to generate the results. Depending on the speed of your computer and the length of the clips you told AutoMovie to use, the generation might take from a few seconds to several minutes. After AutoMovie finishes, watch your video before creating a movie file. If the AutoMovie isn't exactly what you expected, all the AutoMovie options (such as the title and so on) will still be set, and you can make adjustments as necessary to get the movie you really want.

1. Click to Finalize AutoMovie

   NOTE

   If you made a mistake setting AutoMovie options, such as adding a nonexistent audio file for the background or choosing AutoMovie clips that play for fewer than 30 seconds, AutoMovie displays an error window here. Correct the problem and start over at step 1 to generate your AutoMovie.

   After you've prepared AutoMovie by setting the clips, style, background audio, and title, click the option labeled Done, edit movie to finalize your AutoMovie.

2. Wait for Generation

   Wait for AutoMovie to generate the video. AutoMovie's progress bar shows you the status of the movie's generation.

3. Review AutoMovie

   Click the Monitor pane's Play button to play the AutoMovie. Keep in mind that your movie has not been saved to disk yet ”you still must save the movie ( see 85 Start the Save Movie Wizard ) if you like the results of the playback.