Unable to Join Clips

I have a short mp4 file that I want to remove a small section and then rejoin the two remaining clips together. I brought the file into iMove and then moved it to the timeline. I split the clip into three pieces and removed the short piece I didn't want. I then selected the two remaining clips and went to the "modify" drop down and "join clips" is greyed out. I have found the work around to share the clips to a file, but wondering why it doesn't work in iMovie.


Thanks

MacBook Pro 15", macOS 10.15

Posted on May 10, 2020 6:34 AM

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8 replies

May 10, 2020 7:57 AM in response to Jimmy Stewart

If there is no transition between two clips in timeline – this clips are joined without any other action. I mean there are no frames between first clip last frame and second clip first frame. Just export you project to .mp4 file and you will see.


If you mean something else – I don't understand what exactly do you mean under "join two clips". Can you explain?

May 10, 2020 9:17 AM in response to Jimmy Stewart

The Modify/Join Clips command only works when you have split a clip and then want to rejoin the split without having made further edits such as deleting a segment that you split off. The only other way to rejoin two clips that you have split in the timeline is to do an Edit/Undo repeatedly to undo the last edits until you get to Undo/Split Clip. In your case that would just get you back to where you started. However, as AirGraph explains, when you play split clips in the timeline they will play in the preview as if they are joined together, even though they are not.


If you truly want to rejoin split clips you should do the split in a separate project, remove the piece that you don't want, and then share out the remaining segments. Sharing them out will join them together. Then you import the movie that you shared out into your original project.


-- Rich

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Unable to Join Clips

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