Adding fade-in fade-out effects in Windows Live Movie Maker

Recently I needed to add fade-in and fade-out effects to a video using Windows Live Movie Maker (WLMM). By default, you can only apply one effect per clip and I needed to apply two. It is possible to do this in WLMM. I searched the intertubes to find a tutorial on how to do it but did not find any that worked with the Live version of Window Movie Maker. So, after digging around the settings, I found the solution and thought I would create a video tutorial on how to do it. Here it is for your pleasure. Video transcript below, just in case.

This a tutorial on how to add fade-in and fade-out effects to a video clip in Windows Live Movie Maker. Windows Live Movie Maker is a free download from Microsoft and you can get it by going to http://get.live.com.

Very often you may have a video that has a start and end that may feel very abrupt. You can make it look smoother by adding a fade-in effect for the beginning and fade-out effect for the end. It gives your video a somewhat more professional look and feel.

In order to apply multiple effects to the same clip, first select the Visual Effects tab in the Ribbon menu. Next, click on the more button in the list of visual effects and then select Multiple Effects from the drop down menu.

In the left column, under available effects, scroll down until you find the fade-in and fade-out options. Select the fade in effect you like and click on the add button. Next, select the fade out effect and click the add button. The order that these effects are listed in the right column does not matter. But it might for other effects and you can move an effect up or down by using the move up and move down buttons.

Click on the apply button to apply the effects. You can preview the effects by clicking on the play button. That's it. You are ready to publish or save your video to file. 

Here is a tip if you are interviewing someone or recording yourself speaking to the camera. Start and stop with a few extra seconds of stationary position, that is, without moving or saying anything. It will allow you to add nice fade-in and fade-out effects to your video without cutting of the video while you are still speaking.