Section 21.1. Building iDVDs

21.1. Building iDVDs

Suppose that you've decided to create an iDVD project manually, rather than using the Create iDVD Project button in iMovie. While there's no one best way to put your project together, it helps to have a basic task list to work through. Here are steps for one convenient path through authoring a DVD.

1. Create a new project .

   In iDVD, a project file isn't really a single document on your hard drive. It's actually a package a folder that Mac OS X disguises to look like a single icon. The package contains all of your project settings and materials. (As you know from Chapter 13, iMovie projects are package documents, too.)

2. Choose a theme .

   Use any of iDVD 5's pre-designed, professional-looking design schemes for your project (or add-on themes you've bought on the Web), as described in the previous chapter.

3. Add movies and slideshows by hand .

   If you've only created iDVD projects from within iMovie, this is the part that's new to you: adding iMovie movies to an iDVD project manually. In fact, you'll have to do it this way if you want your DVD to contain a selection of different movies.

   You can also create fantastic slideshows this way, as you'll see in this chapter.

4. Edit your menus .

   Customize the way your menus look. Edit your menu and button titles and add pictures or movies to your drop zones.

5. Preview and burn the DVD .

   The process ends just as it did in the previous chapter: You look over your work and then feed your Mac a blank DVD to record for posterity.