is an incredibly powerful audio and video editor, but don’t let that intimidate you: it’s very easy to get started creating projects.

1. Create a new project file.

   A project file is like your canvas and palette: it’s not a multimedia file, but it contains information about all the media in your project, how the media is arranged, effects, and so on. A project file lets you edit without worrying about changing your source media files.

2. Add media to the project. Your media can come from any number of sources:

3. You can add media files from your computer.

4. You can record audio for dialog, voiceovers, music tracks, or sound effects.

5. You can capture video from a video camera.

6. You can import video from a DVD camcorder.

7. You can import still images from a camera or scanner.

8. You can download media from the Web.

3. Create events on the timeline to indicate where you want to play each media file.

   You can drag files from the Explorer window, Project Media window, or Windows Explorer to the timeline to create events.

4. Edit the events on the timeline as needed.

   You can move events, adjust their length, crop video, or edit properties to fine-tune the look and sound of your project.

5. Save your project.

6. Deliver your project in its final format:

7. You can render a file if you want to create a video or audio file.

8. You can burn CDs.

9. You can save a movie to your DV or HDV video camera.

Creating a Project