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Rotate vertical videos using iMovie '09 or Quicktime Pro 7

Learn a quick and simple way to rotate videos you have taken vertically using Apple's iMovie, or Quicktime Pro.

Joe Aimonetti MacFixIt Editor
Joe is a seasoned Mac veteran with years of experience on the platform. He reports on Macs, iPods, iPhones and anything else Apple sells. He even has worked in Apple retail stores. He's also a creative professional who knows how to use a Mac to get the job done.
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Joe Aimonetti
2 min read
Learn a quick and simple way to rotate videos you have taken vertically using Apple's iMovie '09 or Quicktime Pro 7. Users should be aware that Quicktime Pro 7 is a $29.99 upgrade to Apple's Quicktime Player software that enables you to convert your videos to different formats, export versions of your video for sharing, and edit your masterpiece. iMovie '09 is a more robust video editing package that comes standard with any new Mac.

Many digital cameras these days are capable of shooting video. However, many people also shoot video with a digital camera different than they would with a video camera--i.e., vertically. Once imported to their computers, they may discover that the video they shot appears sideways. To alleviate this issue, iMovie '09 and Quicktime Pro 7 make it easy to rotate the images and view your video normally.

iMovie '09
To rotate a clip in iMovie, add the portion of the clip you would like to use from your Library to the Project Timeline. Now, select the clip and navigate to the iMovie menu bar > Window > Cropping, Ken Burns & Rotation or highlight the clip and press 'C'. From the video window, click one of the rotation arrows and your video will rotate accordingly. Keep in mind that you will also be required to crop the video.

Quicktime Pro
To rotate a clip in Quicktime Pro, open the movie. Navigate to the Quicktime Player 7 (the current version of Quicktime Pro) menu bar > Window > Show Movie Properties or press (Command + J). From the Properties window, select the Video Track you wish to rotate. Click the Visual Settings tab and use the Flip/Rotate controls to make your movie appear correctly. Be sure to save your video when completed. Quicktime can accomplish this task without the need for cropping.

Any other great, simple video tips? Let us know in the comments!

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