# Loading a movie
**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/loading-a-movie/15877
**Category:** Uncategorized
**Created:** [March 18, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/loading-a-movie/15877 "2003-03-18T22:35:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ainriail](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Ainriail)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/loading-a-movie/15877/1 "2003-03-18T22:35:11Z")
I followed the tutorial on loading a movie but I wanted to mask it. I used this scripting from the great tutorial on this site.
but.onPress = function () {
\_root.createEmptyMovieClip(“container”,1);
loadMovie(“loaded.swf”, “container”);
container.\_x =150;
container.\_y = 20;
}
This works fine, but I was wondering where is the empty movie clip located? How can I mask it when I can’t see it? What am I doing wrong? Anything anyone can suggest will help greatly. Thanks,
Marc:hair:
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/loading-a-movie/15877/2 "2003-03-18T23:03:41Z")
The reason why you can’t see it is because it’s not on the stage, your method of loading creates a empty movieclip with an instance name of “container” each time the button is pressed.
The only other way I can think of that might work is using setMask so do a search for it on the forums.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/loading-a-movie/15877/3 "2003-03-22T20:34:33Z")
Thanks for always replying electrongeek. Your wealth of information never ceases to amaze me. I did do a search like you suggested. I found one and it works.🙂 But I was also wondering if you or anyone else knows, Is there any other way to import a swf on the stage? I gotta do a lot of different things to it. Not only masking but also setting up a loader bar. This would be a lot easier if it were on the stage. Well, thanks again to electrongeek, and for anyone else that can help.
-Marc:hair:
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2003, 11:57pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/loading-a-movie/15877/4 "2003-03-22T23:57:19Z")
If you want to add a loading bar (preloader) then just add it to each external movie. =)