Although magic does sometimes happen in front of the video camera, chances are that you'll need to make at least some changes to your movie file before it's a masterpiece. If you use Windows XP, you can do this using "Windows Movie Maker," a free program that comes pre-installed with your operating system. Once you upload your movie into the program, editing its order or transitions and adding audiovisual effects to it is simple.
Difficulty: EasyInstructions1Launch Windows Movie Maker. Open the "Start" menu, then select "Windows Movie Maker" from "All Programs."
2Import your video file--and any other media you want to use--into the editing interface. Click the "Import Video" option located at the top of the left-hand navigation frame and browse your hard drive for the video you want to edit. Click "Import Pictures" or "Import Audio or Music" to search your hard drive for pictures or audio, respectively, that you'd like to embed into your movie. Click "Open" once you've finished located all the media.
3Add audio or pictures to your movie by dragging them from the "Collections" pane down into the "storyboard," which runs along the bottom of the Windows Movie Maker screen. Your movie's scenes start on the left and end on the right; the specific timing is located underneath the storyboard. Be precise when you insert a piece of media into your movie to ensure it will appear at the correct time.
4Edit your movie's visual appearance using "Effects" or "Transitions." Click the "View Video Effects" or "View Video Transitions" buttons to alter the way an entire video looks--for example, to make it "blurry" or "black and white" throughout--or to change the transitions from one section into another.
5Preview and save your movie. Click the "Play" button within the Windows Media Player that's embedded into Windows Movie Maker to verify you've made any and all changes you desire, then press the "F12" key, choose a name for your project and click "Save" to save it on your hard drive.