Review by Kim Alessi, Common Sense Education | Updated March 2014
Get it now
  • Download from App Store

iMovie

Get it now
  • Download from App Store

Pro-quality HD movie maker is easy enough for beginners

Subjects & skills
Subjects
  • Arts
Skills
  • Communication & Collaboration
  • Creativity
Grades This grade range is a recommendation by Common Sense Education and not the developer/publisher.
5–12
Great for:
Common Sense says (See details)
Teachers say (51 Reviews)
Price:  $4.99
Platforms:  iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch

Take a look inside

5 images
Watch full-screen footage in Video mode; speed up or slow down video, then click heart to save in favorites.
Theater mode holds all your finished iMovies and lets you share them via AirPlay and iCloud (account required; watch storage limits).
Assemble and edit video, photos, and music in the timeline (bottom of screen), view content stored in iMovie Media (upper right), and watch project in real time in quarter-screen display (upper left).
In-app templates help set mood with theme-based styles, fonts, and music; iMovie has 8 movie templates and 14 movie trailer templates.
Trailer templates contain customizable storyboards so kids can map out and create exciting, Hollywood-style movie trailers.

Pros: Portable, powerful video production tools with an easy-to-use interface give kids endless movie-making possibilities.

Cons: The program lacks a compositing special effects feature, and sharing across email, text, and social media may be too easy.

Bottom Line: This extraordinary tool for making movies anywhere is easy enough for beginners, yet has lots of headroom for advanced users.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

There are countless ways to use iMovie in the classroom, from making movies based on kids' original writings, to creating a trailer of their favorite author's book, to making mock commercials or promotional videos to support school-based projects. Kids will benefit from learning some simple videography skills, too, which can transform any video or photography projects from good to jaw-droppingly great. Introduce cinematic techniques such as rule of thirds, balancing elements, leading lines, symmetry and patterns, viewpoint, background, and depth of field, to name a few.

Continue reading Show less
Standards:

iMovie is a powerful and portable video production app for creating stunning HD movies and trailers. The app's streamlined interface is clutter-free and relatively easy to use. Kids first choose a template (8 for movies, 14 for trailers), then shoot or import video, photos, and audio. Intuitive, multi-touch gestures let kids assemble and edit media in the app's timeline: double tap to add clips, pinch to compress, tap and drag to trim and sequence clips, swipe to scroll through a project. There's an undo button to get rid of unwanted edits and a microphone button to add voiceover through the device's built-in mic or an external mic (for best audio quality). But this much power doesn't come without a huge download size (635 MB). Keep this in mind to best manage in-app storage space.

Outside of the timeline are three main sections: Video, Projects, and Theater. Video is equivalent to a library and displays mini-timelines of clips. Projects shows thumbnails of completed or projects in-progress. Single-tap a Project thumbnail to see its information and sharing options, which include email, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, and CNN iReport. Theater houses all shared movies, trailers, and clips in one location for easy viewing (iCloud account is required). The in-app help has an indexed Table of Contents, feature-specific pop-up sticky-notes, and a handy keyword search field.

If you want to make movies with relative ease and in 1080p HD quality, with pro-like production and editing tools driven by multi-touch gestures, all with anywhere portability, then iMovie's a smart choice (especially now that it's free for iOS devices registered from September 2013 on). There's likely a learning curve for younger students and for those who don't have prior movie-making experience, but the in-app help is great and iMovie's web-based support community is beyond vast. Once kids grasp how the app works, they'll take over the director's seat and create amazing movies and trailers that can easily be shared among Apple devices and online through email and various social networks.

iMovie's lack of advanced video effects (most notably, video compositing, i.e. green screen) and its limited ability to format title fonts really don't detract from its power. Not only is iMovie a great movie-making app to document school activities, but it's also a powerful tool to teach cinematography, story structure, visual composition, video editing, and sound production. The bonus is that iMovie works seamlessly with all of Apple's creativity and productivity apps (mobile and otherwise), so it's compatible with GarageBand, iPhoto, iTunes, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

Overall Rating
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

Placing kids in the director's seat is empowering. Streamlined, multi-touch interface invites kids and offers astounding HD results. Add and import video or photos with ease, and from various devices.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

Intuitive interface lays out distinct sections, with a clear and uncluttered workspace. Edit and add effects easily with multi-touch gestures.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

While there's no in-app demo, extensive help located at the "?" gives tips for specific tasks. Web-based help offers extensive support. All clips and projects are stored in-app or in iCloud and can be shared easily.

Common Sense Reviewer
Kim Alessi Educational Technology Specialist
About our ratings and privacy evaluation.

Key Standards Supported

Speaking & Listening

  • SL.5.4

    Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

  • SL.5.5

    Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

  • SL.5.6

    Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation.

  • SL.6.4

    Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

  • SL.6.5

    Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.

  • SL.6.6

    Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

  • SL.7.4

    Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

  • SL.7.5

    Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.

  • SL.7.6

    Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

  • SL.8.4

    Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

  • SL.8.5

    Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

  • SL.8.6

    Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

  • SL.9-10.4

    Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

  • SL.9-10.5

    Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

  • SL.9-10.6

    Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

  • SL.11-12.4

    Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.

  • SL.11-12.5

    Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

  • SL.11-12.6

    Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Back to top

Teacher Reviews

(See all 51 reviews) (51 reviews) Write a review
Featured review by
Michelle B. , Classroom teacher
Classroom teacher
Cabell County Career Technology Center
Huntington, WV
Great tool for making every day projects look more professional!
I enjoy using this in my classroom. It is now free for IOS8 devices, which makes it more student friendly. Presentation is important and students need to know how to make their work more appealing and how to keep attention focused on what they are presenting. iMovie makes this possible.
Read full review
Write a review

Explore Our Favorite Tools