Import iMovie project from another MacBook

[Susja]

Hello
I have an issue to create a movie on my MacBook 2008 running iMovie 09.
I have another MacBook 2015 which runs iMovie 11.
I expect that it won't have the issue hence I'd like to export a Project I created on one MacBook to another. Both MacBooks are on the same LAN.
My question :
How could I transfer iMovie project from one MacBook to another ?
Thanks

 

[Dave Braine]

You say that you have iMovie 09 and iMovie 11. There was no iMovie 09. There was iMovie 08 and then the next one was iMovie 11. This was infact iMovie version 9. Following that is the current iMovie, iMovie 10. Confused yet?

The following assumes that you have iMovie v9(11) on your old MacBook, and the latest version, 10, on the new one. If not, please clarify which versions you have.

You will need to copy the iMovie Events and iMovie Projects Folders, in your Home Folder>Movies Folder on your old MacBook, into the Movies Folder on the new MacBook.

If you have iMovie10 on the new Mac, when you open it, it should ask to import the old iMovie Events and Projects.

 

[Fishrrman]

There very much was an iMovie version 9.0.9.
I have it on one of my Macs.

OP:
Why don't you use either an external hard drive, or a USB flash drive of sufficient capacity, to move the relevant files from the old MacBook to the new one?

The folders you will need to locate and move (on the old Mac):
- iMovie Events
- iMovie Projects
(both are in your "Movies" folder)

They should go into the "movies" folder on the new Mac (see notes below).

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION when moving files from one Mac to another to avoid permissions problems:
When you attach the external drive to the new Mac, do this:
- let the icon mount on the desktop DON'T OPEN IT
- click ONE time on it to select it
- type command-i (eye) to bring up get info
- at the bottom of get info there should be a lock icon. Click it and enter your password (the administrative password of the NEW Mac)
- now, put a check into the box "ignore ownership on this volume"
- close get info.

Also important:
iMovie version 10 uses different folders to store its files in:
- iMovie Library
- iMovie Theater
Whether your original files get moved from the old folders to the new ones, I believe you have to designate this when you import the existing video clips into iMovie 10.x...

 

[Dave Braine]

There very much was an iMovie version 9.0.9.

Yes, but it was known as iMovie 11, not iMovie 09.

Why don't you use either an external hard drive, or a USB flash drive of sufficient capacity, to move the relevant files from the old MacBook to the new one?

The folders you will need to locate and move (on the old Mac):
- iMovie Events
- iMovie Projects
(both are in your "Movies" folder)

They should go into the "movies" folder on the new Mac (see notes below).

Which is what I said.

 

[Susja]

There very much was an iMovie version 9.0.9.
I have it on one of my Macs.

OP:
Why don't you use either an external hard drive, or a USB flash drive of sufficient capacity, to move the relevant files from the old MacBook to the new one?

The folders you will need to locate and move (on the old Mac):
- iMovie Events
- iMovie Projects
(both are in your "Movies" folder)

They should go into the "movies" folder on the new Mac (see notes below).

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION when moving files from one Mac to another to avoid permissions problems:
When you attach the external drive to the new Mac, do this:
- let the icon mount on the desktop DON'T OPEN IT
- click ONE time on it to select it
- type command-i (eye) to bring up get info
- at the bottom of get info there should be a lock icon. Click it and enter your password (the administrative password of the NEW Mac)
- now, put a check into the box "ignore ownership on this volume"
- close get info.

Also important:
iMovie version 10 uses different folders to store its files in:
- iMovie Library
- iMovie Theater
Whether your original files get moved from the old folders to the new ones, I believe you have to designate this when you import the existing video clips into iMovie 10.x...

That's great!
I'm trying it now.
Just one more additional question:
1. on 'old' Mac I have a few Projects and only one that I'm going to move. Should I copy/paste the whole folder iMovie Project and iMovie Events or I could select only one Project that I care?
2. on 'new' Mac in folder Movies I see 2 files iMovie iMovie Theater.theater and iMovie Library.imovielibrary Should I move Project from 'old' Mac in a 'root' folder called Movies?
I don't have folders on a 'new' Mac
- iMovie Library
- iMovie Theater
Maybe it's because I never opened iMovie on it yet ?
Thanks

 

[Susja]

Well ... I tried but failed.
My Library size is about 4Gb. When I copied the whole folder iMovie from 'old' to 'new' one it started to copy around 32Gb and then failed.
-Fishrrman, maybe I should not copy the whole folder? Maybe I should create an empty folder iMovie Library and iMovie Theater on a 'new' and then copy only the Project?
I'm confused, Please advice.
Thanks

 

[Fishrrman]

Perhaps it might be best to just copy the clips you need to the hard drive into a new folder on the "intermediary drive" (give it any name you wish).

Then take it to the new Mac, open iMovie, create a new library, and "manually import" the clips into it.

Slower process, but... "what works.... works."

 

[Dave Braine]

on 'old' Mac I have a few Projects and only one that I'm going to move. Should I copy/paste the whole folder iMovie Project and iMovie Events or I could select only one Project that I care?

Yes, you can copy just one Project. You need to do it this way.

Connect an external drive to your old Mac. Run iMovie. Go to your Project Library. The external drive icon should be at the bottom of the Project Library window.

The picture shows my two external drives, iMovie and iMovie10.

Drag and drop your Project from the Library onto the external drive icon. You will be asked if you want to transfer the Events associated with that Project. Choose "Yes".

You will get two folders on your external drive: iMovie Events and iMovie Projects. Just copy this to your Movies Folder in Your Home Folder on your new Mac. When you run iMovie on your new Mac it should see these folders and ask if want to import them.

 

[Susja]

Perhaps it might be best to just copy the clips you need to the hard drive into a new folder on the "intermediary drive" (give it any name you wish).

Then take it to the new Mac, open iMovie, create a new library, and "manually import" the clips into it.

Slower process, but... "what works.... works."

Hi Fisherman,
Thanks for your suggestion but it didn't work for me either
What I did:
1. Created a small Project 4 Mb on 'old' Mac
2. My external drive is Sinology NAS device. I created a folder on it with 'full' permission to write to anyone
3. Copied all clips from this small Project.
4. Opened NAS folder in Finder, navigated to created folder but I did not have an option to 'paste' anything.
5. Then I created a folder on 'old' Mac itself and tried to paste 'copied' clips but it was nothing to 'paste' again in Context menu. It looks to me that copied clips somehow are not available for 'paste' in the folder
[doublepost=1508720109][/doublepost]

Yes, you can copy just one Project. You need to do it this way.

Connect an external drive to your old Mac. Run iMovie. Go to your Project Library. The external drive icon should be at the bottom of the Project Library window.

The picture shows my two external drives, iMovie and iMovie10.

Drag and drop your Project from the Library onto the external drive icon. You will be asked if you want to transfer the Events associated with that Project. Choose "Yes".

You will get two folders on your external drive: iMovie Events and iMovie Projects. Just copy this to your Movies Folder in Your Home Folder on your new Mac. When you run iMovie on your new Mac it should see these folders and ask if want to import them.

Hi Dave,
I tried you suggestion but it did not work me either.
What I did:
1. Created a small Project on 'old' Mac
2. My external drive is Synology NAS which is mounted to both 'old' and 'new' Mac. It's not visible in iMovie on 'old' Mac like in your picture but is visible from both 'old' and 'new' Mac's.
3. After I created a new small Project on 'old' Mac I noticed that I could see it in Finder-Go-Home-Movies as <project_name>.rcproject.
4. I copied <project_name>.rcproject and 'copied' it on NAS device
5. I opened iMovie on 'new' Mac, navigated to the location of NAS-<project_name>.rcproject but it failed to import.
Overall I failed to move from 'old' to 'new'. Sounds like not compatible features.
Well ... eventually my issue was that exporting Project on 'old' Mac (09) in HD resulted in losing audio. Many people suggested that's a known bug and recommended to upgrade iMovie. That's why I decided just to move Project to 'new' and try to export it to HD there expecting that I'll have both HD and audio.
Apparently it did not work for me.
It looks that I'll have import my clips again from GoPro directly into 'new' Mac and try to export to Movie. That way I should confirm(or deny) that I could have both HD and audio.
Thanks anyway for trying to help

 

[ColdCase]

When you say paste are you dragging and dropping?

If the NAS is not allowing you to drag and drop files, then there is something missing in the NAS setup. I'd just use a cheap USB portable drive, but thats just me.

Just to note that the NAS drive needs to be mounted on the old MAC for iMovie to see it.

 

[Susja]

Well when I said paste I meant that I selected all clips from the Project, from menu bar or context menu selected 'copy' and expected to paste it in another folder I.e. NAS.
Unfortunately I did not have the option to paste.
I think that my NAS is mounted properly because I redirect my movies and other stuff directly there with no issues.
But I will try regular USB as well. Thanks

 

[ColdCase]

Copy and paste to a third party NAS file system sometimes doesn't work as well as selection the files or folder and dragging and dropping them into the NAS folder (from one finder window to another). If you can't drag and drop any files to the NAS destination, there may be a permission issue.

 

[trucdev88]

Hi guy,
I see your problem is similar with this video resolving. You can see it on Youtube.

 

[Susja]

Thanks Folks for all your input.
Actually I am all set because I am not interested more in moving Project.
My actual problem was related to creating a movie on 'old' Mac.
Eventually I was able to fix/create movie I wanted hence no need to use 'new' Mac.
Thanks anyway...