Apple announces iMovie 3.0 update with new Storyboards and Magic Movie features: Digital Photography Review

Apple has released an update to its free movie editing software iMovie that includes new features designed to streamline and simplify video creation with the help of two new features, Storyboards and Magic Movie.

Storyboards is a new feature in iMovie 3.0 that helps newcomers develop a strategy for shooting and editing 20 different styles of video. After selecting one of the genres, Storyboards provides users with a pre-made template that organizes a shot list into a narrative to fit one of 20 topics Apple has included at launch, including DIY projects, gaming clips, Q&A sessions, behind-the-scenes videos, cooking videos and more.

These are just a few of the Storyboard topics Apple has included in iMovie 3.0 | Photo via Apple

In addition to a shot list, each placeholder will also show an illustrative thumbnail as well as tips and suggestions for getting the best shot possible. If you’d like to tweak Apple’s recommendations, you’re able to add, move and delete the various videos within your timeline to fit your needs. There are also options to customize the look and feel of your movies by changing the title and transition styles, as well as fonts, filters, music and more.

Photo via Apple

Magic Movie is another new feature in iMovie 3.0 that will create custom videos based on a selection of images and videos on your device. Apple says ‘Magic Movie instantly identifies the best parts of the footage and creates the project’ and notes ‘Creators can easily put their own spin on a Magic Movie by rearranging or deleting clips in the simplified Magic Movie shot list, or by editing the project further.’

iMovie 3.0 is a free update available in the App Store for devices running iOS and iPadOS 15.2 or later.