In iMovie for Mac, video imported from some Sony cameras might be displayed as a generic thumbnail, or play back as a black screen with no audio. This can happen when footage is captured at 100fps or 120fps (frames per second). To use this kind of video, check for iMovie updates, then reimport the same clips from your camera as part of a new event.
Check for iMovie updates
Use these steps to make sure you're using iMovie 10.1 or later.
- Open iMovie.
- Choose iMovie > About iMovie to see which version of iMovie you're using.
If you're using an older version of iMovie 10, update it from the Updates pane of the Mac App Store.
Reimport your footage
If you're using iMovie 10.1 or later, you can reimport 100fps or 120fps footage so that it plays back correctly.
- Connect your device to your Mac.
- Click the Import button in the toolbar to open the Import window. If you don’t see the Import button, click the Media button in the toolbar, then click the Import button.
- Choose Import To: New Event.
- Type a name for the new event, then click OK.
- Command-click each clip that you want to import. Then click Import Selected, or click Import All.
The Import window closes and your clips appear in the event. Your reimported footage should now play back without blank or black frames.