---
title: "iMovie: Import Your Original Footage into Events First"
description: "![](https://support.inmood.ch/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Screenshot-2026-10-22-at-15.38.06.png) One thing we learned yesterday: when organizing footage in iMovie, import your original files into **Events**, then drag clips from there into your project’s timeline. These clips appear in **Project Media** as references to the originals in the Event. The confusing part…"
url: "https://support.inmood.ch/handbook/imovie-import-your-original-footage-into-events-first/"
updated: "2026-10-22"
category: Generic tips (Apple ecosystem)
tags:
  - Finder
  - iMovie
---

# iMovie: Import Your Original Footage into Events First

![](https://support.inmood.ch/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Screenshot-2026-10-22-at-15.38.06.png)

One thing we learned yesterday: when organizing footage in iMovie, import your original files into **Events**, then drag clips from there into your project’s timeline. These clips appear in **Project Media** as references to the originals in the Event.

The confusing part is the **“Remove from Event”** command in the right-click menu. In Project Media, its effect depends on where the original media lives:

- **The original is stored in an Event:** removing the clip from Project Media removes only the project’s reference. The original remains in the Event.
- **The media was imported directly into the project:** removing it deletes the actual media from the project, because there is no separate original in an Event.

You can "remove" media only when the clip is no longer used in the timeline.

The same menu label hides two very different actions. It should clearly distinguish **“Remove Reference from Project”**from **“Delete Media Completely.”**

Until then, importing footage into Events first makes the distinction easier to manage: Events hold your originals, and Projects reference the clips you use.