The beta version of Windows Live Movie Maker had not impressed me. So when the final release was announced, I was at first hesitant. I had just installed Windows 7 so I had a clean machine and downloaded Windows Live Essentials and the new Movie Maker. With a “new” machine, there was not much to make a movie with. I moved some still photos into the Pictures library and started the “explore”. When you open Movie Maker you get a clean “slate” with the message “Drag videos and photos here…” The new feature of just dragging a window to the edge works nicely to resize the window to half the screen. I did the same with the pictures folder on the other edge and the workspace is ready:
Then it was just a matter of dragging photos over. Order doesn’t matter, the pictures can be easily re-arranged by dragging – nice. I opened the music folder and dragged over one of the sample selections.
Discovered that you can drag the beginning to wherever you want it – nice again.
Then came the really neat feature: 
Just clicking AutoMovie arranges the music and the photos – it insert title and credits placeholders, puts in transitions and pans, and arranges the timing. I did make some adjustments, shortened some scenes, lengthened others, changed some of the transition effects. In no time at all my movie was ready. I have since played around with it to learn more of the features. This is really a very powerful, yet amazingly easy to use, program. All the needed effects, tools, options are there. I am pleased and impressed.
My first movie was done wide-screen, for quicker access I uploaded a “standard” format version. Here is my movie:
Evening in Savannah
If you don’t get a video above, please go to my YouTube site: Ludwig J.'s videos
