Summer is just around the corner and that means thousands of youth services departments across the country are getting ready for their summer reading program. That being the case, the Children and Technology Committee thought we would tell you about a tool we love to use for marketing, storytelling, and book promotion.
Xtranormal is an online tool that allows anyone to create short animated, narrated movies simply by typing the dialogue then dragging and dropping characters and setting elements into the movies. You may have seen the Geico commercials made using Xtranormal.
Once free, Xtranormal now works on a point system. Opening an account with Xtranormal will start you with 300 points which will allow you to create a sample video. After that points can be purchased. There is a wide selection of characters, voices and backgrounds which can be purchased for unlimited use.
Creating an animated movie to market a program, product or service is easy and inexpensive with Xtranormal. Animated videos can add pizzazz to outreach presentations, staff training, websites, and more. Xtranormal is simple enough for children to use and is a great alternative to written book reports.
- A great site with book reviews by 6th graders using Extranormal is Roosevelt Library Rocks!
- For laughs see Funniest Library Related Videos Using Xtranormal.
- An Extranormal Experience with 7 Years Olds.
Get started with Xtranormal:
Xtranormal is super fun and relatively inexpensive tool, that honestly can be a bit addictive.
_____________________________________________
Every month, the ALSC Blog will feature a post from ALSC’s Children and Technology Committee featuring tools that help librarians connect and engage with their users.
Our guest blogger today is Jill Bickford, the Youth Services Coordinator from West Bloomfield Township Public Library, and a member of the ALSC Children and Technology committee.
If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at alscblog@gmail.com.
Loading ...
Xtranormal is so funny. I didn’t know that they had started to charge, but I’m sure it’s worth the price. I’ve seen hysterical ones on fishing husbands (yes, I have one) and library school blues. The possibilities are endless.
I can’t wait to try to this out! Thanks for sharing.