Wow, it is hard to figure a few things out with iMovie, but here is the best way to produce great looking DVDs and also things ready for export:
# iMovie ‘08 (aka version 7.0) is a bit of a wierd program. First, it doesn’t have a File Save function. Instead, all projects are in a named directory which is /User/_your.username_/Movies/iMovie Projects/_the.name.of.your.project_. So if you want to move a project from one place to another you have to stick the project file there. I see why they did this for noob users, but it is very unmac-like. It does mean you don’t have to worry about File Save and File Save As, the program does this automatically
# Media Browser is a very strange concept. Basically, when you say Share Media Browser, you get a list of different formatsand iMovie automatically updates these renderings, but you can’t find them. Again, they are hidden in the package and you can’t find them with Spotlight or anything. In fact, you have to go to /User/_your.username_/Movies/iMovie Projects/_your.project_ and them right click and choose _Show Package Contents_ in Finder. This shows you the hidden directory called Movies within that package. You will find files called large.m4v, medium.m4v, mobile.m4v etc.
# The m4v is another name for a .mp4 format that Apple has popularized, but most tools on the internet like Flowtool or flvtool built into Zenphoto doesn’t recognize them. So to you have to copy out the say mobile.m4v and then rename it to mobile.mp4 and then copy up to any Zenphoto. Zenphoto doesn’t document it but basically any .mp4, .flv or .mov it finds in an album is displayed along with other photos and then when you click you get the built in flowplayer to show it. Kind of slick!
# Alternatively, if you just want the limited options that iMovie has, then you can choose Share/Export Movie which has the same options as Media Browser, but let’s you name the files whatever you like. The Media Browser thing does integrate with iDVD well in that you don’t have to navigate the file system to find files, it knows the magic location automatically
# The Share/Export using Quicktime gives you lots more control as it let’s you product a variety of formats. Most interesting are 1080 HD which products an H.264 movie in HD format. The other is 480 SD which produces a DVD quality movie in .MOV format. There is also an option to make .FLVs directly but I get an error 32766 when you try that which “no one”:http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1582188&tstart=4 seems to understand.
# The other strange thing about Zenphoto is that if you select the Shutterfly option, you can print, but it is not clear how to do it. What happens is that when you go to the image page, you will see an option for full size, but nothing for shutterfly. At the lower left of the page, there is a strange icon or logo but no text. You click on that and then you see the option “Add to Shutterfly cart”. How wierd is that. Now text at all.