Printable Quick Reference

⌨️ iMOVIE MAC KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

🎬

PLAYBACK (Most Important!)

SPACEBAR

Play / Pause your video

← →

Go frame by frame (perfect for precise editing!)

J K L

Rewind / Pause / Fast Forward

\

Play just the selected part

EDITING

⌘ + B

Split clip (cut it in two)

DELETE

Delete selected clip

⌘ + Z

UNDO! (Your best friend - fixes mistakes!)

⌘ + S

Save your project

⌘ + +

Zoom in on timeline

⌘ + -

Zoom out on timeline

💡 PRO TIP: Memorize SPACEBAR, ← →, and ⌘+Z first. These three will get you 80% of the way there!

🎥 SHOT TYPES VISUAL GUIDE

📸

🌍 WIDE SHOT (WS)

What: Shows entire scene and all characters
When: Establishing location, big battles, showing geography

Example: Entire Normandy beach with all 100 soldiers visible

👥 MEDIUM SHOT (MS)

What: Waist-up view of minifigs
When: Dialogue, small group interactions, showing action

Example: Clone troopers planning strategy around hologram

👤 CLOSE-UP (CU)

What: Just the minifig's head/face
When: Emotion, important moments, reactions

Example: Captain Rex's face before a dangerous mission

↗️ OVER-SHOULDER (OS)

What: Looking over one minifig's shoulder at another
When: Conversations, confrontations, connecting characters

Example: Looking over Ahsoka's shoulder at Anakin talking

👁️ POV (Point of View)

What: What the character sees through their eyes
When: Immersion, surprise reveals, first-person action

Example: Soldier's view looking through binoculars at enemy

🚀 TRACKING SHOT

What: Camera follows moving character/vehicle
When: Action sequences, vehicle chases, movement

Example: Following ARC-170 as it flies through battle

💡 PRO TIP: Every good scene uses at least 3 different shot types. Mix them up to keep it interesting!

⏱️ FRAME RATE GUIDE - WHEN TO USE WHAT

🎞️

6 fps

TESTING / QUICK

✓ Testing your scene setup
✓ Quick practice animations
✓ Rough drafts
✓ Learning new techniques

Looks: Choppy but fast to film

12 fps

SWEET SPOT ⭐

✓ Most LEGO animations
✓ Action scenes
✓ Dialogue
✓ Best balance of quality/time

Looks: Smooth and professional!

24 fps

MOVIE QUALITY

✓ Final "masterpiece" projects
✓ Slow-motion effects
✓ Ultra-smooth movement
✓ Special showcase videos

Looks: Cinema smooth (takes FOREVER!)

💡 RECOMMENDATION: Start with 12fps for everything. It looks great and doesn't take a week to film. Save 24fps for very special short scenes!

How Many Photos?

At 12fps: 12 photos = 1 second of video
→ 120 photos = 10 seconds
→ 360 photos = 30 seconds
→ 720 photos = 1 minute

At 24fps: DOUBLE all those numbers (takes twice as long!)

✓ PRE-FILMING CHECKLIST

📋

Check these BEFORE you start filming to avoid disasters!

Phone charged to 100% - Nothing worse than dying at photo 650!
Plenty of storage space - Need at least 2GB free for long scenes
Lighting set up and won't move - Tape down lamp cords!
Camera locked in position - Use books, boxes, or tripod
Minifigs have blu-tack on feet - Prevents accidental bumps
Know what happens in the scene - Plan it out first!
Test shot taken - Take 10 photos, check if it looks good
Do Not Disturb mode ON - No notifications ruining your shot!
Remove anything you don't want in frame - Check the background!
Props and accessories ready - Weapons, vehicles, terrain nearby

💡 THE GOLDEN RULE: If you bump the camera or change the lighting, you have to start that scene over. Set up carefully!

📁 FOLDER ORGANIZATION SYSTEM

🗂️

Keep your files organized like a pro filmmaker!

Sound Effects Organization

📁 LEGO Sound Effects/ ├── 📁 WWII/ │ ├── 📁 Gunfire/ │ │ ├── M1-Garand.mp3 │ │ ├── Thompson-SMG.mp3 │ │ └── Rifle-Single.mp3 │ ├── 📁 Explosions/ │ │ ├── Grenade.mp3 │ │ ├── Artillery.mp3 │ │ └── Tank-Blast.mp3 │ ├── 📁 Vehicles/ │ │ ├── Tank-Engine.mp3 │ │ ├── Jeep-Drive.mp3 │ │ └── Plane-Flyby.mp3 │ └── 📁 Ambient/ │ ├── Battle-Background.mp3 │ └── Radio-Chatter.mp3 │ ├── 📁 Clone Wars/ │ ├── 📁 Blasters/ │ │ ├── DC-15-Single.mp3 │ │ ├── DC-15-Rapid.mp3 │ │ └── Droid-Blaster.mp3 │ ├── 📁 Lightsabers/ │ │ ├── Ignition.mp3 │ │ ├── Swing.mp3 │ │ └── Clash.mp3 │ ├── 📁 Ships/ │ │ ├── ARC-170-Flyby.mp3 │ │ ├── V-Wing-Engines.mp3 │ │ └── Hyperdrive.mp3 │ └── 📁 Droids/ │ ├── Battle-Droid-Voice.mp3 │ └── R2-D2-Beeps.mp3 │ └── 📁 Castle/ ├── 📁 Swords/ │ ├── Sword-Swing.mp3 │ ├── Sword-Clash.mp3 │ └── Shield-Block.mp3 ├── 📁 Magic/ │ ├── Spell-Cast.mp3 │ └── Magic-Whoosh.mp3 └── 📁 Dragons/ ├── Dragon-Roar.mp3 └── Fire-Breath.mp3

Project Files Organization

📁 LEGO Movies/ ├── 📁 Battle of Geonosis/ │ ├── 📁 Raw Photos/ │ ├── 📁 Sound Effects Used/ │ ├── Final-Movie.mp4 │ └── Project-Notes.txt │ ├── 📁 D-Day Invasion/ │ ├── 📁 Raw Photos/ │ ├── 📁 Sound Effects Used/ │ ├── Final-Movie.mp4 │ └── Project-Notes.txt │ └── 📁 Castle Siege/ ├── 📁 Raw Photos/ ├── 📁 Sound Effects Used/ ├── Final-Movie.mp4 └── Project-Notes.txt

💡 PRO TIP: Keep raw photos separate from final videos. Copy sound effects you use into each project folder so you always know which sounds were used!

📐 CAMERA ANGLES - WHAT THEY MEAN

📷

⬆️ LOW ANGLE

Camera below minifig, looking up
Makes character look powerful, heroic, intimidating

Use for: Heroes standing tall, villains being threatening, epic moments

⬇️ HIGH ANGLE

Camera above minifig, looking down
Makes character look small, vulnerable, defeated

Use for: Showing danger, character in trouble, bird's-eye battlefield view

➡️ EYE LEVEL

Camera at minifig's eye height
Neutral, puts viewer in the scene naturally

Use for: Normal dialogue, most scenes, realistic perspective

🔄 DUTCH ANGLE

Camera tilted sideways
Creates tension, confusion, unease, chaos

Use for: Battle chaos, explosions, villain reveals, dramatic moments

💡 PRO TIP: Mix different angles in one scene! Start eye-level, go low-angle for the hero's speech, high-angle to show the massive enemy army approaching!