Understanding iMovie for macOS – Keyboard Shortcuts and the Magnetic Timeline

In this chapter, we’re going to be taking a deep dive into the workings of iMovie for macOS. It’s more versatile and capable than the mobile app, but because of that, there is more that you need to know about it in order to get the best out of it. Know your NLE as you know yourself, they say, and you’ll have success in all editing jobs.

Although Movie mode for both iMovie for macOS and iOS/iPadOS use a timeline, editing on a computer-based NLE inevitably works differently from a mobile device. The biggest difference is that instead of tapping to undertake actions in the program, actions are now linked to menu commands, which means you can use keyboard shortcuts. For the initial time spent learning iMovie’s keyboard shortcuts, you will save a huge amount of time when editing. One of the best ways to get to grips with a new program, I find, is to look at—and try...