How Do You Start a Recording or Project in Screen Movie?

Updated

Screen Movie is a native macOS screen recorder and video editor, and you can start a recording, a screenshot, or a new project directly from the notch area of your Mac. That notch entry point is the fastest path if you record or create often, because you don't have to open a full window first. The steps below cover what to do, what you should see, and where people commonly get stuck.

The Notch Is the Starting Point

Screen Movie's own description highlights "Start Anything Right from the Notch," which tells you the intended workflow: the notch acts as the launch surface for whatever you're about to do.

The general flow looks like this:

  1. Look at the notch area at the top center of your Mac's display.
  2. Trigger the Screen Movie entry point from there — this is where the app exposes its start options.
  3. Choose your action: start a screen recording, capture a screenshot, or begin a new editing project.
  4. Confirm and begin — recording starts, or a new project opens in the editor.

The expected result is that you're capturing or editing within a couple of interactions, without navigating a menu bar or dock first.

What each start option is for

You want to… Start with… Typical use
Capture live on-screen activity Screen recording Demos, walkthroughs, bug reports
Grab a still image Screenshot Reference shots, slides, documentation
Build something from existing or new media New project Product videos, edited clips, captioned content

What Happens After You Start

Once you're in, Screen Movie is positioned as more than a recorder. Its feature set covers editing video, animating text, images and captions, adding music, and exporting finished videos — the kind of output suited to product videos and similar content.

So the practical split is:

  • If you only need to capture, start the recording or screenshot from the notch and stop when done.
  • If you need a finished video, start a project instead, then bring in your recording or other media and edit it there.

Starting a project rather than a raw recording is usually the better choice when you already know you'll add captions, music, or animated text, because you avoid capturing first and importing later.

Common Sticking Points

  • Not seeing the notch entry point. The notch is a physical feature of newer Mac displays. On a Mac without a notch, expect the start options to live elsewhere in the app — the "start from the notch" shortcut specifically assumes that hardware.
  • Confusing recording with project creation. These are different starting states. A recording produces a capture; a project is the editing workspace. Pick based on whether you need to edit afterward.
  • Assuming it's free. Screen Movie lists "One price. Lifetime access." as a heading, which signals a paid, one-time purchase model rather than a free tool. Check the current price and terms on the site before committing, since the available material doesn't state a figure.

A Quick Decision Rule

  • Recording something right now, no editing planned → start a screen recording from the notch.
  • Need a single frame → take a screenshot.
  • Making a video you'll polish → start a new project and edit inside Screen Movie.

If you record frequently, the notch route is the one worth building a habit around, since it removes the step of finding and opening the app each time.