How do I join projects together

conies wrote on 8/12/2014, 1:09 PM

I have finished editing my holiday from last year and made each day as a separate project of approx 10-15 mins long - (21 of them).

I want to put them all together on a DVD so that it plays as one long movie but with a menu at the start so that I can skip to a certain day if I want to.

Is this even possible?

Thanks

Tracy

Comments

johnebaker wrote on 8/12/2014, 2:19 PM

Ideally you should have created the project as one and then added chapter markers for the start of each day. When you create a DVD or BD then the appropriate menu items are created for you.

As you have already created the individual day projects you need to combine them together as follows:

1. Open each day project and select File, Manage movies, Export and export each one as a MVD file

2. Create a new project

3. Select File Manage movies, Import - select the first day MVD file and click Open. This will add the movie to the timeline

4. Position the timeline cursor at the end of the movie just added.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 adding all the day movies to the project.

6. Save the project.

7. To add chapter markers position the timeline cursor at the start of each day and press Shift + Enter to insert.

When you burn to DVD select the appropriate menu template - the menus will reflect the main movie (all of it ) and also create chapter menus for you.

The next chapter button on the DVD player remote will allow you jump from one chpter to another.

NOTE: the maximum length of a movie on DVD at standard DVD quality is 2 hours.

HTH

John

terrypin wrote on 8/13/2014, 1:47 AM

Hi Tracy,

I do the same as you for my holiday DVDs. Even with shorter holidays than your 3-weeker, MEP can struggle when handling the entire project at once. And, resources aside, I find it easier to handle each day at a time.

I simply export each day when I finish it (up until now as an MP4, but I'm going to try John EB's suggestion of using MXV instead). When the entire project is finished I then drag each MP4 into a new project, make any final edits such as additional music, intro/outro, titles, credits, etc. Then finally two steps:

1. Export the full video as MP4 for viewing via streaming to my TV, or for upload to YouTube or Vimeo etc

2. Burn a DVD with main and chapter menus, mainly for distribution to family/friends.

Note that with 21 days averaging say 12 mins/day your video would be over 4 hours long. Far too much for a standard DVD.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

johnebaker wrote on 8/13/2014, 5:15 AM

Additional to Terry's comment

. . . . Note that with 21 days averaging say 12 mins/day your video would be over 4 hours long. Far too much for a standard DVD. . .

If the total movie length is under 4 hours and your DVD writer supports Dual layer DVD then you can create DVD's upto ~ 4 hours long.

However you have to consider your prospective audience - would they really sit through 2 + hours of watching the movie?

Thinking more about your project - with 21 days of video I would do one of the following:-

- split it up into three DVDs - one for each week

- Create a multi movie project, I did with a large project a while ago and one I am currently editing, splitting the movies up by subject or location.

Here is a screen shot of one of the menus of a large project split by location / activity - each is an independent movie complete with chapters where appropriate.

HTH

John

terrypin wrote on 8/28/2014, 1:46 AM

So, did our efforts 16 days ago help you? Feedback is always welcome.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

conies wrote on 9/14/2014, 11:14 AM

Thanks for the answers, struggling a bit but I need more time to sit and figure out your suggestions.

Tracy