The iMovie trashcan does not work like your system trash can. You cannot "open" it and retrieve clips from it.

In short, If you are worried about losing data; NEVER delete an unused clip, ALWAYS put a copy in the time line from the shelf. NEVER empty iMovie's trash until the project is complete and to tape and/or DVD.

I recommend the following:

1. Import your footage
2. Go though each and every clip renaming them appropriately
3. Cut, crop, and delete the footage you are SURE you do not want or need
4. Go though the clips again playing them and splicing them into scenes, double checking your work
5. Save the project BEFORE putting anything in the timeline
6. Start COPYING clips to the timeline (Option-drag)

• There is no way to "un-delete" the trash! If you make a mistake hit undo (Command-Z)
• If you do not have enough "undo's" to fix the problem, exit iMovie WITHOUT SAVING. Yes, you are starting over
• Copy clips to the timeline (Option-drag) them. This does NOT double up on your disk usage.
• If you are at a good point in your movie and are satisfied with its current look and feel of the movie, make a backup copy of the whole project folder (this will take a LOT of room on disk). To see the size of your current project select the project folder in the finder and do a Get Info (Command-I) You will least that space free on disk to make a copy.
• Other programs like Final Cut (Pro/Express) and Avid use something called an EDL (edit decision list) that keeps all of your imported media intact. The negative aspect of this is that it uses a lot of disk space as nothing is ever deleted. Remember DV is about 13 gigabytes per hour.

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