Stage one: protect the editable project
Gather the project file and every source clip, picture and audio item into a stable folder structure. Open the project, verify media links and save a final version. Keep that editable set even after the finished movie has been created. It remains the place where cuts, sound and titles can be corrected.
Stage two: create the finished movie
Choose settings suited to the source and intended disc workflow, then create one continuous movie file. Review it independently. Check titles, chapter-worthy scene boundaries, sound synchronization, aspect ratio and the ending. A mistake at this stage should be corrected in the project before authoring begins.
Stage three: build DVD-video structure
Disc authoring took the completed movie and organized it into the video structure understood by DVD players. Chapters created navigation points; menus provided optional choices. This was distinct from writing an ordinary data disc containing a movie file. Movie Maker 2 itself did not perform the full authoring task.
Keep the structure simple. Choose chapter points at real story boundaries, use concise labels and make sure the default action is understandable. Complexity adds more paths that require testing.
Stage four: write and test the disc
Preview the complete authored result before physical writing. Afterward, test the disc from the beginning, visit every chapter and menu route, listen for synchronization and watch the ending. When possible, try more than one suitable player because a disc that behaves correctly on the editing computer may still expose a compatibility issue elsewhere.
Preserve the useful pieces
- Original source media.
- The final project and a key earlier version.
- The high-quality finished movie.
- Any authoring notes and chapter list.
- A verified presentation disc as one copy, not the only copy.
The independent DVD tutorial condenses this process into a checklist. For ordinary project storage rather than a playable disc, read the CD-era preservation guide.