Strait Macintosh User Group (SMUG), February 16, 2020
Notes by Kathleen Charters
Q&A
Multiple steps for iMovie as a file that can be seen in Acrobat Reader? When drawing a screen, Apple uses both Metal and PostScript (PDF page document format for Pages in a fixed standard size); compare .PDF fixed format to the ePub format, which flows according to the device screen. Apple licensed some but not all of Adobe Acrobat features; Preview cannot do everything Adobe Acrobat can do.
Avoid .M4V or .MOV formats as these are for specific platforms, the universal format is .MP4 as a common standard that all platforms recognize.
Acrobat Reader (free) can read movie format.
Zoom makes huge files when you use it to record; one recorded SMUG meeting would take up all the allotted (online) space for the organization.
Podcast recorded and posted on DropBox to share.
Apple security updates for Macs, iPhones, and iPads – everyone should install the updates; there is a way to remotely access an iPhone, and this will prevent that; Apple TV risk of attack is small.
Samsung TV camera hacked, so an attacker can turn on the camera remotely so an attacker can watch you.
Recommend setting up automatic download and installation of security updates.
Download and install IOS updates.
A free version of an antivirus program – do not want this for Mac iPhone and iPad, will decrease security rather than increase it; they are already locked up; none of the antivirus programs are made in the U.S. – be careful of where they are made due to government laws; not Russia China Israel Hungary (e.g., Avast); Malware Bytes free version is useful – do not need paid version; Bit Defender has a free version, download, scan machine, throw it away – useful for diagnostic purposes but will slow down the machine if run constantly; interferes with every read and write command so slows down the machine.
Norton LifeLock package with VPN – makes computer less secure; sends a packet to the other end of the VPN tunnel for examination, then moves to the endpoint; most VPN software is written by other countries, so the packet goes there, e.g., China; discourage most VPN and anti-virus products; stick with what Apple provides.
1Password monthly fee; password management system went from annual fee to subscription model; allows passwords to be shared in the family plan – individual accounts then shared account for specified password accounts; robust security – you control where the data is stored and what is shared; if one person only may not need this.
Reminders – trouble since Catalina upgrade, slowed down, wants to upgrade, lost completed reminders, used Time Machine to get them back; how to archive reminders and want to retain history; may be slow due to number of items; location-based reminders; time-based; shared reminders.
Converts to a much faster database when updated.
Same backend for Mac, iPhone iPad.
**Topics: Preview, Reminders
Meeting
Sabrina – Internet connectivity poor, welcome to all, request to use sign-in URL, acknowledge new people; will purge non-current people if have not attended/paid dues since September 2018; OK to share meeting information with others who want to see what SMUG is like; dues for 2021 – can check to see if have paid or not by sending an e-mail to Analese, Treasurer.
Treasurer update – checks from members have come in, SMUG balance $1323.55; send an e-mail for confirmation if you are not sure.
Topic: iMovie
Background: online church service assembled using iMovie.
Not much documentation available; iMovie The Missing Manual is older.
Apple’s online Bookstore has some iMovie technical documentation. Check the publication date so do not get an old version of the resource.
How Lawrence does this – there may be a better way.
Example of a Government kiosk done by Lawrence working with videographers – Year of the Ocean exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
This presentation is shared from a Mac Mini.
Movies made – photos taken of planes two ways – QuickTime Player; open image sequence to create a movie from still images in a directory, slow is 24 frames a second 720 P or high definition still images video without sound; different sizes of photos so cropped from the lower-left corner; net effect are photos of the floor; batch process to reduce to the same size and try again; faster to compile, when play see 745 images in 35 seconds.
Security camera photos – taken in sequence with a pause in between from a fixed frame of reference, create a time-lapse; show National Marine Sanctuary in Monterey Bay, CA; video of the underwater park visitor center being built; result: 2 minutes 20-second video.
The first motion pictures were still frames put together this way.
iPhone movie with sound; use of Memoji animated characters and string together 10 seconds each; QuickTime.
iMovie – example of church movie; resources used to put a movie together, what see as move through a timeline; setting to look at individual parts; preview; audio; titles – when adding text to the screen, transparent with the title on top and video under it; alternative title as the only thing; background can go behind, can be an animation; transitions – fade to black, many different kinds available.
Live photo is a short movie clip, 3 seconds long.
Example of how to build a movie in iMovie.
Sharing the iMac screen for the Mac mini, it tells you the screen is being seen by someone else as part of the operating system.
Create a new project.
Trailer to practice.
Template: Spy.
Create loads and give an outline, credits, storyboard for scenes (movie clips); create a movie trailer from the pieces.
Create a movie about the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque in October.
KeyNote produces slides for credits.
Keynote has templates; use basic black for credits in white letters; create in the proper size and export as images.
File menu: Export as images.
Grab the title and drag it to the timeline and play.
Drag the video to the timeline.
Drag credits to the end – there is motion due to the Ken Burns effect; can say “Fit” to get rid of animation; can change the duration.
Once the movie is created:
Can share by e-mail but too large; post to YouTube or Facebook; if select Image creates still frames and puts each frame in one folder; if file and give it a name and description and metatags keywords this will be embedded when post to YouTube; select size higher or lower resolution use 720 for example medium quality compression so faster put in a folder and save.
The circle is a countdown for compression, and when done will notify you.
To create a movie, you must have the material in advance; plan for beginning, middle, and end; thematic order, or sequential order.
Example: church service timeline.
Box for each section, e.g., date, theme, person speaking, hymn description overlay, lyrics.
Soundtrack embedded in the film – does not have to be this way.
Each piece has a place in the desired order.
The recording was not done sequentially at one point in time; blocks were done to minimize the number of people in the sanctuary at one time.
The person who decides the sequence and content is the film editor.
Helps to provide a context for what people are seeing, explain what is not obvious, and provide backstory in the title.
Video done by iPhone and security camera, each file was saved as .MP3 file and combined.
To make a fluid have a script and record each Memoji for 8 seconds, then combine for the final movie.
If no soundtrack, can add one; an example of Ravel’s Bolero midi file – a series of instructions to instruments as to what to play and when to play.
Open in GarageBand and select instruments to play; export as a music file.
Add to the movie.
Caution – use music at least 75 years old or older, if this old cannot have a copyright violation; otherwise may be sued for use of copyrighted music.
Can use .MP3 file, but cannot modify; can modify a MIDI file.
To trim, grab the end and move it to make it shorter; you cannot make it longer.
Normal speed or slow motion for the entire clip.
Can modify and split the clip to make a portion slower.
Final Cut Pro is a video editing program with a steep learning curve.
Q&A.
Apple’s new compressed video format – native for iPhone or iPad; how to move onto Mac 10 years old? The super-high compressed format uses a graphic image processor that is not on an older Mac; use a converting program to move over, Smart Converter free version saves video in different formats, can move video one file at a time; paid version does multiple files at one time; upload speeds are poor on Olympic Peninsula so may time out.
Snapshots on iPhone are saved in a highly compressed format, Photos converts and saves a .JPG.
iMovie for iPhone and iMovie for iPad are not as extensive as iMovie on Mac, but might do the conversion to .MP4.
iMovie – Takes time and work to do this; useful to trim off parts and add titles.
Mac U video tutorials – an extensive tutorial on iMovie.
NOLS offers access to Linda.com online video tutorials on making movies, a paid service for free through the library system, of excellent quality.
Next month: possible topics
Preview and Text Edit
Possible topics for future meetings
WordPress
Google services for collaborative work
Preview
Text Edit
Reminders
Can email potential topics to Lawrence.
Way to archive Reminders? Will take research to find a way to do this, Lawrence to ask on TCS.
Chris: NextDoor event posting to a larger audience for the greater Sequim area.