Make a Film

Start with your Takes

A Take is a video or photo captured in 16MM. A Film is an editable sequence made from those finished Takes.

1. Open Library → Films and tap Make a Film.
2. Choose the videos and photos to include. The numbers show their playback positions, oldest capture first.
3. Tap Start Editing to open the editor.

New Films start with the oldest capture on the left and the newest on the right. Rearrange clips in the editor when you want another order. Items still developing or being recovered are not ready to include. Photos begin at three seconds; you can change their duration in the editor.

Start from a selection or album

In Takes or an open album, including when filtered to Favorites, tap Select, choose videos and photos, then tap Make a Film. The editor opens directly with those items, oldest capture first. There is no second selection or order screen.

To use a whole visible collection, open an album and tap Make a Film. The current media filter applies: for example, choosing Videos includes only that collection’s videos. Select items first to make a Film from part of the collection.

You can rearrange clips afterward. Adding or removing album members later leaves the Film as it is.

Keep editing a saved draft

Edits save automatically on this device. A Film card shows when its edit was saved, such as Saved just now or Saved 3 hours ago. A matching exported version can show EXPORTED instead. Return to Films and open the draft to continue.

Choose Rename Film from the Film’s menu in the Library. In the editor, tap its name, or finish the selected clip with Done and choose More → Rename Film. If saving fails, follow its guidance before leaving. Use Try Saving Again when offered.

Make another version

In Library → Films, open a Film’s menu and choose Duplicate Film. The copy appears at the top of Films with Copy added to its name.

It keeps the current clips, edits, Look, sound and aspect. Each Film has its own media, so editing or deleting one leaves the other unchanged. The copy starts with a fresh editing history and no saved exports. Duplication does not add anything to Photos.

Add more videos and photos

Place the playhead where you want the new material to begin. Tap Done or tap the selected clip again to return to the Film tools, then choose Add.

Select more items in the full-screen chooser. Choose Oldest first, Newest first or Selection order in the playback-order menu, then tap Add to Film. The numbers show the order that will be added.

The new clips are inserted at the playhead. Inside an existing clip, the insertion splits that clip around the new material; its existing footage stays in the Film. At the end of the timeline, new clips are appended.

Your Film has its own copies

Making a Film copies its media into the draft on this device. Edits affect that Film; the original Takes stay as they are. Deleting a Take or an album leaves an existing Film intact.

A Film draft does not create another Take or automatically save a movie to Photos. Choose Export when you want a finished copy. Films and their media are not included in iCloud Sync.